In The Black Shield of Falworth, an adaptation of Howard Pyle’s classic children’s novel Men of Iron, Tony Curtis plays a young knight of discredited parentage who rises up through the ranks in medieval England.
In the course of his quest he overcomes scheming opponents, saves the king and wins the hand of Lady Anne (Leigh). Technicolor, Cinemascope and a fine supporting cast highlight this medieval pageant released shortly after MGM’s Knights of the Round Table (1953) and Fox’s Prince Valiant (1954).
Tony Curtis’s real name was Bernard Schwartz, while the Italian actor named Tony Curtis – actually, Antonio De Curtis – renamed himself Toto and became a famous comedian in his home country. Born in Naples in 1898, Toto was one of the most popular Italian film stars, making more than a hundred films, writing five more, and even composing songs for several others.
production details
USA | Universal | 99 minutes | 1954
Director: Rudolph Maté
Writers: Oscar Brodney, Howard Pyle,
cast
Tony Curtis as Myles Falworth
Janet Leigh as Lady Anne of Mackworth
Doris Lloyd as Dame Ellen, Lady-in-Waiting
Claud Allister as Sir George
Leonard Mudie as Friar Edward
David Farrar as Gilbert Blunt, Earl of Alban
Dan O’Herlihy as Prince Hal of Wales
Barbara Rush as Meg Falworth
Leo Britt as Sir Robert
Craig Hill as Francis Gascoyne
Herbert Marshall as William, Earl of Mackworth
Torin Thatcher as Sir James
Patrick O’Neal as Walter Blunt
Ian Keith as King Henry IV
Rhys Williams as Diccon Bowman
Maurice Marsac as Count de Vermois
Charles B. Fitzsimons as Giles
Gary Montgomery as Peter
Hamilton Camp as Roger Ingoldsby
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