Prince Valiant (1954)

Living in exile in Great Britain from their native Scandia, the dethroned King (Donald Crisp) sends his son Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner) to the court of King Arthur (Brian Aherne) to train for knighthood. Based on the popular comic strip, the screenplay by Dudley Nichols sounds like a comic strip to the point that you almost expect to see the dialogue appearing in balloons as the actors speak! But even given its comic strip roots, one cringes for poor Robert Wagner in a hideous wig floundering with the simplest of dialog.  When he snaps, "Traitor!" to James Mason as Sir Brack, he comes across as an angry child wanting his toy back! Sterling Hayden as a knight of the round table doesn't even try (his attitude suggests, "I'm not going to act and you're not going to make me!"). Fortunately, James Mason gets into the swing of things and Janet Leigh makes for a fetching damsel. The action quotient varies, the storming of the Viking castle is a slog but the final duel between Mason and Wagner is wonderfully staged. The galloping score is by Franz Waxman. Directed by Henry Hathaway. With Debra Paget, Victor McLaglen, Barry Jones, Jarma Lewis and Mary Philips.