The Black Arrow (1948) watch online HD

Starkly made in classic black and white, this medieval adventure is set and in England at the end of the War of the Roses. The main character must cope with the death of his father, apparently at the hand of a once trusted neighbor. Naturally, a love interest is provided for him in the person of the daughter of his father's killer. The `Black Arrow' is the mysterious missive that keeps flying in, to suggest that things are not what they seem, and to motivate young Shelton to search for truth. Some good sword play, chase sequences, and a classic joust scene for the grand finale. A good film for a late afternoon unwind.

This fine film is a dramatic, tense and action-packed story set at the close of the War of the Roses when a young man returns home to find that his father has been murdered and his estate confiscated. Louis Hayward is the dashing hero of the proceedings and Janet Blair supplies the romance in this film of treachery and palace intrigue. Hayward's search for the truth about his father's death places him and Blair in grave danger as sinister forces remain in the shadows, watching and waiting for the right time to move on him. George Macready is excellent in his role as the suave but evil landowner who also covets Blair for his marriage bed. Edgar Buchanan supports the headliners as an aide-de-camp of the outlaw band that hides out in the forest, reminiscent of the familiar Robin Hood legend. The movie has a classic good vs. evil theme and is accompanied by a fine score by Paul Sawtell.

THE BLACK ARROW, based on a historical novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is an American-made swashbuckler that's set in England and tells a tale that's very reminiscent of the Robin Hood story. Set in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses, it sees a soldier return home to find his father murdered, apparently by a rival, although he soon discovers that the murderers lay close at hand and that foul play was involved.

This is a light and breezy affair, with a fast pacing and plenty of action to recommend it. The swordfights are conducted in the classic manner with the opponents adopting fencing stances and a general old-fashioned feel to them. Louis Hayward, the erstwhile hero, is a guy I didn't find particularly charismatic, but the supporting cast of dastardlies and outlaw heroes is a well-chosen one.

Of course, never for a second does this film convince you that it's set in England, and the American accents of some of the cast members don't help much. Nonetheless it's an entertaining piece, with all of the jailbreaks, skullduggery, rescues and escapes you could hope for in an adventure movie. The ferocious jousting climax is a real highlight and surprisingly barbaric for its time.

Lois Hayward is capable of much better than this. It was slow and awkward...some of the cast was good but over all I did not feel the casting was a great asset...certainly the script and direction were not...the cast deserved better to work with. Still if you are an afficianado of sword and swash be prepared to sit around for awhile and wonder why you bothered to wade thru this...definitely "not" a keeper...but watch it only if you love Louis Hayward movies.

Based,like this other Gordon Douglas "roguess of Sherwood" on a vague screenplay inspired by Robin Hood,"black arrow" shows more originality ,in spite of two lackluster principals: Louis Hayward is a million miles from Eroll Flynn,being rather clumsy -I remember he was pretty mediocre as Lombard in Clair's "and then there were none" ;Janet Blair is a little better as another Lady Marian avatar,but she is not Olivia De Havilland either.George McReady easily stills the show,being nasty ,treacherous,unctuous ,the perfect baddie .

The story takes place after the Wars of the Roses but history is quickly forgotten and we have another story à la Robin Hood.That said,the movie is entertaining,it's action-packed and there's never a dull moment .

The Black Arrow is directed by Gordon Douglas and adapted to screenplay by Richard Schayer, David P. Sheppard and Thomas Sellar from the novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It stars Louis Hayward, George Macready and Janet Blair. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr.

A little known swashbuckler, the Black Arrow has all the requisite touches for fans of such dashing fare. Story is set just after The War of the Roses has ended and pitches the returning Sir Richard Shelton (Hayward) into a hunt for the truth behind his father's murder. Political intrigue, fights, brutal jousting and romance does follow. It doesn't give the Flynn or Power swashbucklers a run for their money, but it's good honest family entertainment with medieval literacy at the core and red-blooded machismo bulging at the seams. 6/10

The Black Arrow casts Louis Hayward as the son of a noble family returned from the War Of The Roses where he's fought for the Yorkist side which has just gained the crown again at Tewksbury. But there's trouble at home where his greedy uncle George MacReady has obtained the estate of Lancastrian Paul Cavanaugh by most foul means including the stabbing death of Hayward's father Russell Hicks which we see in flashback.

Hayward has to take to the forest where legends of Robin Hood abound and he gathers his own group of merry men. In Cavanaugh's daughter Janet Blair, Hayward has his own Maid Marian whom MacReady wants to marry and solidify his hold on now both Hayward's and Cavanaugh's holdings. That would make him a most powerful baron indeed.

Of some interest here is MacReady's patron the Duke of Glouscester who as we know later became Richard III. He's played here by Lowell Gilmore, most ambiguously.

As for how this works out the ending was used again in MGM's far bigger budgeted production of Ivanhoe a few years later.

Hayward who played a variety of roles and well is most identified with the costume swashbuckler. Although he could be a charming heel in many films, he's a straight Black Arrow hero in this one. Those fond of the genre will have little reason for complaint.

Recently seeing this oldie on VHS reminded me of seeing the first time at the old Nile theater in Bakersfield, CA when I was a kid. I recall how disappointed I was that they had taken such liberties with Robert Louis Stevenson's book and had missed the whole point of the story, i.e., a young man's journey into manhood in war-torn England during the War of the Roses. This film version with its stock of veteran character actors from the old studio days came across like a poor man's Robin Hood, but then, Louis Hayward was kind of a poor man's Errol Flynn; so, in the economic logic of the late 40s, why not make a classic boy's novel into a grade B Hollywood costume romance? To tell the truth, I loved seeing those old faces that had thrilled me and entertained me as a kid: George MacReady, Rhys Williams, Roy Teal and Edgar Buchanan, Lowell Gilmore, Russell Hicks and Paul Cavanaugh were always showing up in films back then. When I ran the tape, there they were again. No, the plot line hadn't gotten any better and the history was tattered, but the visit of these old guys from the past made it a sheer delight. Well, I know now how my Ring Trilogy pals felt when they saw what Peter Jackson did-- but, then I liked those renditions too.