Ivanhoe (1952)

79% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
59% of users liked it
(4,783 ratings)

Produced by MGM's British facilities, the Technicolor Ivanhoe starred Robert Taylor in the title role. Returning to England from the Third Crusades, Ivanhoe is given a cool but cordial reception by his estranged father Cedric (Finlay Currie), a Saxon who despises the Norman king Richard the… More Produced by MGM's British facilities, the Technicolor Ivanhoe starred Robert Taylor in the title role. Returning to England from the Third Crusades, Ivanhoe is given a cool but cordial reception by his estranged father Cedric (Finlay Currie), a Saxon who despises the Norman king Richard the Lionhearted. Cedric introduces Ivanhoe's fellow knights De Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and Sir Hugh de Bracy (Robert Douglas) to Cedric's lovely ward Rowena (Joan Fontaine), who was in love with Ivanhoe until he cast his lot with Richard. Leaving his father's castle, Ivanhoe rescues Isaac (Felix Aylmer), a wealthy Jew, from a band of anti-Semitic Normans. In gratitude, Isaac's beautiful daughter Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor) finances Ivanhoe's entry into an upcoming tournament; he'd been denied backing by his father because he'd planned to use the prize money to ransom the captured King Richard. At the tournament, the disguised Ivanhoe vanquishes all comers, dedicating his victory to Rebecca, which causes a gust of bigoted gossip from the crowd. Behind the scenes, Richard's wicked brother Prince John (Guy Rolfe) plots to discredit Ivanhoe so that the ransom can never be paid. Joining John in this conspiracy is De Bois-Guilbert, who covets Rebecca, and Sir Hugh, who wants to make Rowena his own. After several thrilling adventures and villainous double-crosses, Rebecca is kidnapped and tried as a witch, the better to bring Ivanhoe out in the open and dispose of him once and for all. But the deux-ex-machina appearance by King Richard (Norman Wooland) and the assistance of loyal "outlaw" Robin Hood (Harold Warrender) brings the bad guys to heel and clears the path for a happy ending. Lensed on an epic scale, this adaptation of the Sir Walter Scott classic remains one of MGM's most solid swashbucklers. The property was remade for television in 1982, with Anthony Andrews in the title role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Richard Thorpe
Written By: Noel Langley, Aeneas MacKenzie
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Romance, Art House & International, Classics

In Theaters: Jul 31, 1952 Wide
On DVD: Jan 11, 2005
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Ivanhoe is a great romantic adventure, mounted extravagantly, crammed with action, and emerges as a spectacular feast.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
As Ivanhoe, Robert Taylor does a good, sturdy, manly job and George Sanders is intriguingly fluid as the emotionally torn De Bois-Guilbert.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Luxe MGM historical ransacking, locationed to the nines, beautiful to look upon, but with energy lapses in the soggy script of Sir Walter Scott's epic classic.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
By standrads of the 1950s, this is a passably entertaining period adventure, representing Hollywood's effort to fight the competition from the new and threatening medium of TV.
, Time Out
The dialogue and script are fatuously Americanised from Scott's original, but these chivalric Hollywood sagas still have a strange poetic quality about them.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
While Joan Fontaine was one of MGM's marquee beauties, she must have rued the day that Ivanhoe's other damsel went to Elizabeth Taylor, who steals Fontaine's thunder with her eyes alone.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
Warner's DVD edition of Ivanhoe gives us a clean, colorful print with no significant wear. Rozsa's orchestra and the thunder of lances, axes, and maces against shields are treated well by the strong, clean DD 1.0 monaural audio.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's an entertaining medieval costume epic that presents an inaccurate version of literature and history.
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
In a way the next best thing to the real Arthurian classic that Hollywood never made, with the added plus of Robin Hood and his Merry Men (if only Warrender weren't so stiff).
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
In this ostensibly epic tale of knights and maidens, chivalry and swordfights, there is not a single actor who does not appear surpassingly bored
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
I could do while watching it was giggle.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Richard the Lionhearted has yet to return from the debacle that was the 3rd Crusade and the Norman hordes in England are not loving the "we were here first, praise Jesus! Mighty, mighty! Amen, amen!!" Saxon crowd in the meantime. Robin of Locksley (the Hood) and his boys… More
Richard the Lionhearted has yet to return from the debacle that was the 3rd Crusade and the Norman hordes in England are not loving the "we were here first, praise Jesus! Mighty, mighty! Amen, amen!!" Saxon crowd in the meantime. Robin of Locksley (the Hood) and his boys are busy holding barbecues in the woods, so what's a country to do? Enter (in Technicolor! ) the wooden Robert Taylor, the only Saxon Knight with the heuvos rancheroes to take on the filthy, inbred, child molestin', yada-yada Norman scum. ,George Sanders capably fills his bad guy suit of armor, and Ms. Taylor, more radiant than when she played Cleopatra years later, is the woman between them. The siege at the castle is pretty cool.
AJ V

I wouldn't call this one of the best swashbuckling adventures, as flixster does. It has it's moments, but it isn't too exciting. It's just okay.
xGary X

Robert Taylor stars in this tale of chivalry from the times of yore based on Sir Walter Scott's classic novel. The production design is variable and fight sequences a little unconvincing, but the source material provides an unusually strong story an...(read more)d well-written… More
Robert Taylor stars in this tale of chivalry from the times of yore based on Sir Walter Scott's classic novel. The production design is variable and fight sequences a little unconvincing, but the source material provides an unusually strong story an...(read more)d well-written characters featuring a nice message of racial and religious co-operation and tolerance. George Sanders makes a three dimensional and not entirely unsympathetic villain, and Taylor has both Joan Fontaine AND the radiant Elizabeth Taylor vying for his affections. The lucky dog. A superior good old fashioned swashbuckler.
Lukas M

Not perfect but better than the 1982 version. The MGM Ivanhoe is a good example of the medival swashbucker. Sure, it's not without shortcomings--Athelstane and Ulrica do not appear and Rebecca is tried by Prince John instead of Lucas Beaumanoir--but it's a well-paced movie… More
Not perfect but better than the 1982 version. The MGM Ivanhoe is a good example of the medival swashbucker. Sure, it's not without shortcomings--Athelstane and Ulrica do not appear and Rebecca is tried by Prince John instead of Lucas Beaumanoir--but it's a well-paced movie that hits the highlights of the novel and features far better production values than the 1982 remake. Elizabeth Taylor looks gorgeous and plays Rebecca with a strong sense of love, courage and friendship. Joan Fontaine is lovely as Rowena (Lysette Anthony is the merest painted doll in comparision) and you don't wonder why Ivanhoe fell in love with her. Robert Taylor was a decent competent actor but never brilliant. (Why Richard Thorpe would cast an American in a sea of British actors is beyond me.) However, he does well in the battle sequences and proves a good masculine contrast to the effeminante-looking Anthony Andrews. Finlay Currie is grand as Lord Cedric, Emlyn Williams is a whimsical Wamba and Guy Rolfe is a truly nasty and crafty Prince John. Not the best adaption of Sir Walter Scott's classic but still a very darn good one!
Kyle S

Epic castle siege scene is enough to check out this swashbuckling adventure, which takes place at the same time Robin Hood's Legend does, Robin Hood actually plays a key part in this film, as does Prince John, and King Richard the Lion-Heart.
cody f

I am a big fan of swashbuckling epics, but this one falls short. It looks great and the acting is good( the best is George Sanders), but the story is weak and a bit boring. The action scenes do look fantastic, especially the jousting which is the best Ive ever seen. Elizabeth Taylor… More
I am a big fan of swashbuckling epics, but this one falls short. It looks great and the acting is good( the best is George Sanders), but the story is weak and a bit boring. The action scenes do look fantastic, especially the jousting which is the best Ive ever seen. Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine do look gorgeous in it. It was nominated for Best Picture in 1952, must have been a slow year.