(Richard Thorpe, US 1954, 115 min., 35mm)
Loosely based on Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur, M-G-M’s first Cinemascope epic focuses on Arthur (Mel Ferrer), Lancelot (Robert Taylor), Guinevere (Ava Gardner), and the illicit love between the latter. In an England without a king, factions have fallen to in-fighting around the questioned legitimacy of the son and daughter of Uther, Arthur and Morgan Le Fey (Anne Crawford). Despite fulfilling the prophecy of pulling the sword from the stone, Morgan and her husband Mordred (Stanley Baker) scheme to steal the throne by exposing Queen Guinevere’s love for Lancelot. The studio threw everything they had at this adaptation, including widescreen, Technicolor, and two of their biggest leading stars. The film went on to be their top-grosser of the year and was recognized by the Academy for its production design and sound recording.