King Richard and the Crusaders (1954)

It's surprising that any film with Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Laurence Harvey and Virginia Mayo, as well as a setting during the Crusades, can be plain old dull, but King Richard and the Crusaders manages that feat. Make no mistake about it; day old dishwater holds more appeal (and has more life and sparkle) than this leaden, seemingly endless would-be epic. Yes, there is a battle scene or two that has a spark of life, but hardly enough to make up for all that come before and after. Director David Butler has managed to film an amazingly static picture; some of J. Peverell Marley's nicely hued cinematography is delicious, but it's not enough to make the film roar to life. Camp aficionados will at least get a kick out of (the beautiful) Virginia Mayo's cringe-inducing line readings; to be fair, of course, she is handed a parcel of lines that would defeat the finest actor in the land. Sanders seems bored by the whole affair and puts precious little effort into his part. Harrison, in ghastly make-up, tries harder but merely bores, while Harvey's misguided efforts are laughable. Very young boys with a fondness for knights might enjoy Crusaders, but few others are likely to. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide