Lerner and Lowe's Camelot

 

Click on the title

 

 

 

 

 

Merlin

The Cast

 


Richard Harris .... King Arthur
Vanessa Redgrave .... Guenevere
Franco Nero .... Lancelot Du Lac
David Hemmings .... Mordred
Lionel Jeffries .... King Pellinore
Laurence Naismith .... Merlyn
Pierre Olaf .... Dap
Estelle Winwood .... Lady Clarinda
Gary Marshal .... Sir Lionel
Anthony Rogers .... Sir Dinadan
Peter Bromilow .... Sir Sagramore
Sue Casey .... Lady Sybil
Gary Marsh .... Tom of Warwick
Nicolas Beauvy .... King Arthur as a Boy

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Merlin

The Crew

 

 


Directed by
Joshua Logan

Written by
T.H. White

(novel The Once and Future King)
Alan Jay Lerner


Produced by
Joel Freeman
Jack L. Warner

Original music by
Ken Darby
Frederick Loewe

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Production Design by
Edward Carrere
John Truscott

Art Direction
Edward Carrere

Set Decoration
John W. Brown


Costume Design by
John Truscott

Gordon Bau .... makeup artist
Jean Burt Reilly .... supervising hair stylist
Joel Freeman .... production supervisor
Arthur Jacobson .... assistant director
M.A. Merrick .... sound
Dan Wallin .... sound
Edward Carrere .... set designer
Ken Darby .... music associate
Joel Freeman .... assistant to producer
Moss Hart .... play director
Jack Hayes .... orchestrator
Pete King .... orchestrator
Alan Jay Lerner .... lyricist
Gus Levene .... orchestrator
Alfred Newman .... conductor
Trude Rittman .... music liaison
Buddy Schwab .... musical staging associate
Leo Shuken .... orchestrator
John Truscott .... scenery designer
Dr. Daniel Vandraegen .... speech consultant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merlin

The Songs

 

 

The
Overture

What a pleasure to have The Overture available to us.  For years, the pre-credit music was not used for it seemed irrelevant to the story but, I believe a great overture can quickly set the mood for the experience.  The brief Overture to Camelot is no exception.  It is a frantic melody that suggests the regal story top come.

 

 

The
Main Title

Fade in on a mysterious forest, the opening credits and the title song, Camelot, wonderfully orchestrated and executed.  So, the movie starts and we are immediately catapulted to the end.  Offscreen voices sing of the fallen queen, Guenevere as we are introduced to Arthur, looking tired and old...

 

 

I Wonder
What the
King is Doing Tonight.

Arthur, looking alive and young long before the previous battle scene, sings of his anxiety for his upcoming arranged marriage to someone named Guenevere.  The lyrics, as many are in the show are very creative and playful. The forest is now covered with a blanket of soft snow.  Even the trees appear to be made of glass as the light of the setting sun spreads marvelous colors on all that surrounds.  Harris' first song is a well done and a nice contrast from the misery of his previous scene.

 

The Simple
Joys of
Maidenhood

Coincidentally, Guenevere is being carried through to her wedding right under Arthurs feet.  She sings in a timid voice of her own concerns for the arranged wedding.  The production values are once again superb, but the camera work during the song does not take advantage of that.  Much of the song is done in an extreme close-up.  Vanessa Redgrave is beautiful to look at and the white costuming creates a great symbiosis with her surroundings.  But, still, the close-ups are just too darn close and long...
The Simple Joys of Maidenhood

 

 

Camelot

Arthur has fallen from the tree to meet Guenevere. She thinks he is a common thug who is ready to kidnap her. Aware that she is his future wife, he tries to woo her into opening herself up to her new life by singing the title song.  Her defenses are down and she begins to appreciate "Wart's" tale.  To avoid recognition when she asks Arthur's name, he told her his nickname, "Wart."  The look and feel of this number is great with a touch of overzealous acting by Harris.  His 'youthful' performance comes across very fake.  Why he would swivel back and forth like a 4 year old is very strange.  At the end of the piece, it is revealed to "Jenny" that Wart is actually her intended groom, the king.  She succumbs to his charms and repeats the last verse of the song, now ready to enter his world.
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Camelot
(reprise)

Offscreen voices reprise the title song to accompany beautiful footage of the future queen on horseback being introduced to Arthurs people.  Then we see Arthur and Guenevere walking down the aisle to be wed surrounded by hundreds of candles.  This whole montage is a visual high point in the story.

 

 

C'est Moi

The main title once again underscores an impressive montage of images.  All the knights are invited by King Arthur to join him at his round table (round so nobody sits at the head) and to use "Might For Right."  The montage shows many young knights receiving the invitation from the kings men.  The song ends in France where Lancelot Du Lac celebrates the invitation.   He then proudly sets out for Camelot to take his place as King Arthur's right arm. The whole time singing a song about his confidence, C'est Moi.  Interestingly, the song is sung in real time while the visuals cut time and space, providing an efficient compression for storytelling.  Franco Nero looks good in his armor but his vocal dubbing (song and speech) is often laughable.
C'est Moi

 

 

The Lusty
Month of
May

Guenevere is now frolicking around with several libido driven couples, singing about that feeling somewhere between love and Waffle House: Lust.  The number culminates in a big dance number that speaks as heavily of 1960s as it does of medievel England.  Once again marred by long close-ups early on, this one compounds it by becoming one of the most excessivly huge and probably expensive dances that ever did not move a story forward.  In fact, this is the start of a 180 degree turn in Gueneveres character.  She is at first introduced as a lovely headstrong woman who understands her husband and backs him up in their endevors.  Now, we see her waffle, flirting with the other knights.  This is the type of stuff that will make Camelot fall...
The Lusty Month of May

 

Then You
May Take
Me to
the Fair

This is a delicate scene, and very difficult to carry off.  I don't believe the film succeeded in that.  Guenevere playfully coerces three knights to challenge Lancelot to a duel, her goal being a more humble Lancelot.   In most stage productions, Guenevere comes accross as a star-crossed lover with little choice in her fate. Unfortunately, I feel on film it comes across as blatant manipulation with a very dishonorable goal.  So, the song is fun but continues to move Guenevere from a loving character to a firm villain.  Her following scene has her selfishly manipulating her husband, and that secures this villainry even more.

 

 

How to
Handle
a Woman

Attached to the previous scene, the castle is really crumbling now...  If Arthur were on the Jerry Springer show, the audience would throw a chair at him for loving Jenny at all.  But, the song is beautiful and Harris does a very nice reading.  Ironically, this is where you would think extreme close-ups would be acceptable, yet they are few...
How to Handle a Woman

 

Entr'Acte

So, the first Act is complete and ironically for a musical, it is the monologue that culminates act one that is the most rewarding.   Harris' performance is wonderful as he takes us by the hand and shows us his thoughts and emotional arc.  This leads to the first view of his round table surrounded by knights... A gorgeous sight.  Now, we are back from intermission and the Entr'Acte plays a beautifully orchestrated "How to Handle a Woman."

 

If Ever
I Would
Leave You

This beautiful song changes perceptions again.   This time, we see Lancelot as a man so in love, he is willing to sacrifice all he believes in.  Guenevere, though, remains as a borderline harlot.  I wanna stress, this is not something that happens in stage interpretations, its the intimacy of the film and Redgrave's indifferent smirk that makes it happen.  So Lance sings his constant devotion to the queen.  Strangely, the entire song is repeated under an overblown visual montage of Lance and Jenny's romance... Something that would have been better left up to the viewers imagination.  It even goes so far as to show Guenevers outfits in the "Springtime, Summer, Winter or Fall" phrase, each appropriate to the season mentioned.  A cool occurence for a fashion show, but a dramatic musical?
If Ever I Would Leave You

 

What Do the Simple Folk
Do?

Lancelot arrives in the kings chambers to discuss the arrival of Arthur's bastard son, Mordred.  In an important moment, he sits and Arthur adjusts his seating so he is atop his chair back... He must be up higher than Lancelot...  He now comes very close to telling Lance and Jenny he is aware of their affair and that the three must get through and passed it.  Lancelot leaves Jenny and Arthur alone where they sing together.  They quickly grow to enjoy each others company in a way they haven't since before Lancelot's arrival.  The song grows as do the emotions...  the scene ends with much sadness and regret.

 

Follow Me

Arthur returns to the forest where Merlyn used to instruct him  The song is used for underscoring of his journey and experiences.   The flashback we see is interesting but hardly fits in with the pace, tone and feel of the story that is being told...  Once again, on stage this problem does not occur, the magical touches are scattered throughout....
Follow Me

 

I Loved You
Once in
Silence

Lancelot and Guenevere say their final farewell forevers to each other (although forever turns out to be about 3 minutes...  The song is given the constant close-up treatment and which places it firmly into the unexceptional category and Vanessa Redgraves flimsy singing voice does not carry a powerful love song which places the song even further over towards the mundane.  The number is used to force the lovers to get caught in each others embrace, which catapults the film into its final act...
I Loved You Once in Silence

 

Guenevere

Guenevere is captured and charged with treason under King Arthurs new laws.  Arthur has a difficult choice to make, kill Guenevere or kill his new law.  He chooses to kill Guenevere for the other would turn his entire life into a fraud.  So the gest he can hope for is for Lancelot to rescue their love and save her from a fiery fate.  The song Guenever on stage is a very dark and powerful piece used to walk the audience through the rescue.  On film, it serves as just an introduction to the big event, an expensive time filler.  The lyrics are now borderline ridiculous with the people calling for Lancelot to save Jenny as if he were Mighty Mouse.
Guenevere

 

Camelot
(Reprise)

It seems all is lost.  Arthur is back where the film started, about to attack Lancelots castle having lost his wife, his best friend, his self-respect and the round table.  Then a young man, Tom of Warwick, approaches the king and offers his services as a knight.  Arthur gets an idea to have Tom of Warwick tell the glorious story of King Arthur and teh Knights of the Round Table.   All of Arthurs deeds are now guaranteed to be remembered, and that is enough for Arthur to be fulfilled as the film comes to an end.  He sings this with Young Tom as he sends him on his way to tell the tale...

 

 

 

Merlin

From Stage to Screen

 

The story of a successful man with a heart of gold who is jilted when his love runs away with a younger fellah.  That sounds like the plot to Camelot, but is actually my own personal story of why I own Camelot in my movie collection.  I was dating a girl (definately not a Guenevere) who was in love with all things Camelot.  I bought this movie and we watched it often.  Should I have been suprised when one day she did not show up at home and in fact had moved in with a younger fellah? (He was definately no Lancelot either.)  But, set my story in Medievel times and what've you got...

 

...Camelot, from the creative team of Lerner and Loewe had a shaky transition from stage to screen.   Initially, the stage production has a strange story structure.  Each scene contains one or two songs with the exception of two very long plot exposition scenes which are songless.  It is also rare for the main character's goals to be challenged and compromised and still claiming an upbeat ending.  These elements rarely work on stage and it does not help the screen version with some 'unique' casting.

Like the film version of South Pacific, Joshua Logan stumbles through direction of the show for the same reasons his stage productions were so brilliant.  Many times, the film is shot in extremely uncomfortable close-ups and the overall pacing is uneven.  The casting itself brought about much controversy.  The casting of Richard Harris as Arthur upset many who wanted Richard Burton to reprise his role.  These fans are usually way off the mark in their demands, always assuming that Burton (or whomever they are championing) was overlooked for the role.  Many times, the person is unavailable or in many case, wants way too much money or control of the film production.  But that control may have been a good thing if it would have stopped the production from hiring Franco Nero whose dialogue had to be completely dubbed.  Which brings up an even more peculiar question, Why wasn't Vanessa Redgrave's schoolgirl singing voice dubbed.  I'm sure Marni Nixon could have brought some much needed strength to the role.

So, Camelot has been hailed by some as the worst movie musical of its decade.  I cannot rightly agree with that, in fact, there are some wonderful elements.  Great performances, wonderful art direction, beautiful orchestrations among them.

 

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Glenn Whelan here...

 

 

 

 

Merlin

The Castle Keep

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