Guilty Pleasure: a rather weak film that’s nevertheless enjoyable
Joshua Logan’s handsome but dull, big-budget production of the King Arthur mythology was a big commercial flop, despite the high-caliber cast: Richard Harris as the King, Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Guinevere, and Franco Nero as Sir Lancelot.
The Broadway musical, by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (“My Fair Lady”), starred Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, and Robert Goulet in the leads.
The book is rather weak, though some of the songs are good. But the main reason to see the picture is the production design by Aussie prodigy John Truscott, then only 29, who won an Oscar. (Truscott had designed the London stage production).
Oscar Nominations: 5
Cinematography: Richard H. Kline
Art Direction-Set Decoration: John Truscott and Edward Carrere; John W. Brown
Costume Design: John Truscott
Scoring of Music (Adaptation or Treatment): Alfred Newman and Ken Darby
Sound: Warner Sound Department
Oscar Awards: 3
Art Direction-Set Decoration
Scoring
Costume Design
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Cinematography Oscar was Burnett Guffey for “Bonnie and Clyde.” The Sound award went to Norman Jewison’s “IN the Heat of the Night,” which also won Best Picture and Best Actor.
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