Gallery of Horror Directed by David L. Hewitt Written by David L. Hewitt and Gary R. Heacock; original stories by Russ Jones 1967/US IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Prime
[box] Tagline: So shocking it will sliver your liver![/box]
Will David L. Hewitt enter the pantheon of bad movie directors with Ed Wood, Coleman Francis and Larry Buchanan? Only time will tell.
The filmmakers manage to cram John Carradine’s narration and no less than five short stories into one 83 minute film with predictable results. Each of the vaguely creepy stories ends with a twist that will just leave you shaking your head.
Camelot Directed by Joshua Logan
Written by Alan J. Lerner from “The Once and Future King” by T.S. Elliot 1967/USA Warner Brothers/Seven Arts IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] King Arthur as a Boy: What’s the best thing for being sad?
Merlyn: The best thing for being sad is to learn something. [/box]
This overblown musical epic is worth a watch for the great songs and some good performances.
King Arthur (Richard Harris) came from humble origins and was taught wisdom by the wizard Merlin. He proved he was by rights King of England when he pulled the sword Excalibur out of a mighty rock.
This story begins as the king is anxiously, fearfully awaiting the arrival of his arranged bride Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave). Guenevere is almost his polar opposite in temperment but they hit it off famously. Both are committed to building Camelot, a peaceable kingdom where right not might prevails. Harris calls on all worthy knights to join him. The noble, almost saintly, Lancelot du Lac (Franco Nero) is immediately drawn there. One of the key features of the regime is the Round Table, where nobody sits at the head.
The story turns dark when Lancelot and Guenevere, who both love and are loved by Arthur, begin an affair. The death penalty by rights should apply so Arthur banishes anyone who even suggests anything is going on between the two. Things get even more complicated when Mordred (David Hemmings), Arthur’s evil illegitimate son, shows up to destroy the peace of the kingdom.
I love the music to this and listened to the Broadway cast recording with Julie Andrews and Richard Burton over and over as a kid. I saw the movie on original release and it was so different from my imagination that it didn’t wow me. It’s just so dark and art nouveau somehow. I liked it more this time, possibly just from getting to hear the music again.
The IMDb trivia has some interesting stuff on how Richard Harris campaigned for the part and later turned it into a lifetime franchise.
Camelot won Academy Awards in the categories of Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; and Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment. It was nominated in the categories of Best Cinematography and Best Sound.
I’ve been a classic movie fan for many years. My original mission was to see as many movies as I could get my hands on for every year from 1929 to 1970. I have completed that mission.
I then carried on with my chronological journey and and stopped midway through 1978. You can find my reviews of 1934-1978 films and “Top 10” lists for the 1929-1936 and 1944-77 films I saw here. For the past several months I have circled back to view the pre-Code films that were never reviewed here.
I’m a retired Foreign Service Officer living in Indio, California. When I’m not watching movies, I’m probably traveling, watching birds, knitting, or reading.
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