THE KING'S THIEF (1955)
Starring Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, David Niven, George Sanders, Roger Moore, John Dehner, Melville Cooper, Tudor Owen, Alan Mowbray, Rhys Williams, Ian Wolfe
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Music by Miklos Rosza
Feature Film: 78 minutes
We just discovered this forgotten film this Summer. Decided to try it because it had Ann Blyth starring. Well, we were instant fans! What an exciting film! Had us bursting with excitement and totally keyed-up until the end. It runs along the same vein as The Three Musketeers, although we all prefer this story. The script is definitely not up to the talents of the cast and the whole movie is not one that would win (or even be nominated for) an Oscar. I would call it a B film with an A cast. It features a lot of the memorable character actors who were big in the 1940s. However, it is pure and simple entertainment. If you are a fan of adventure and swashbuckling movies, this is a fun film.
Living in France, Lady Mary (Ann Blyth) gets news that her father was hanged for treason in England. She returns to her native country incognito to try and prove her father's innocence. Along the way, she meets up with a highwayman, Michael Dermott (Edmund Purdom), who is after the same villain, the treacherous Duke of Brampton (David Niven), who is planning to overthrow the monarchy. When Michael is arrested and imprisoned, it is up to Lady Mary to devise a way for him to escape, then they must put into action a most daring plan so that they may gain an audience with the king (George Sanders) and expose the Duke's nefarious scheme!
The old VHS tape was cropped to fullscreen and had practically no
remaining colour, so we were positively thrilled when it was released on
DVD this Autumn. Ordered it right away and were not disappointed. The
digital transfer is fabulous! Back to the original widescreen and
totally restored. The colour is magnificent ad lends even more charm to
this Disney-type story. You won't be disappointed with this DVD. IT does
not have subtitles, but does include the theatrical trailer. Click here to go to Amazon.com.
