Richard the Lionheart (TV series)
Richard the Lionheart | |
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Also known as | Riccardo Cuor di Leone (Italy) Richard Löwenherz (West Germany) |
Genre | Adventure Family History |
Written by | Stanley Miller Paul Tabori David Nicholl Mark Grantham |
Directed by | Ernest Morris |
Starring | Dermot Walsh Robin Hunter Alan Haywood Iain Gregory Sheila Whittingham Trader Faulkner |
Opening theme | "Richard the Lionheart" |
Ending theme | "Richard the Lionheart" |
Composer | Bill Le Sage |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 39 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Edward J. Danziger Harry Lee Danziger |
Producer | Brian Taylor (associate producer) |
Cinematography | Walter J. Harvey |
Editors | Peter Pitt John S. Smith |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | Danziger Productions Ltd. |
Distributor | Independent Television (ITV) (1962-1963) (UK) (TV) |
Release | |
Original network | Independent Television (ITV) (UK) |
Picture format | 16 mm film 1.33 : 1 Black and white |
Audio format | Mono |
Original release | 20 November 1961 14 October 1965 | –
Richard the Lionheart was a British ITV television series which ran during 1962 and 1963, and was aimed at a younger audience.[1]
It began with the death of King Henry II, and put forward the traditional view of King Richard the Lionheart as a hero, and his brother Prince John (played by Trader Faulkner) as the villain.
Richard was played by Irish actor Dermot Walsh who said, "he was not always all one would like to see as a man. We have concentrated on his good side." Richard was perhaps a product of his time. A man brimful of contradictions. A brilliant general, but a poor ruler. A sensitive poet and singer.[2]
The producers claimed that the series was based on fact as far as possible; though as little was known of Richard's personal life, "we have taken some liberties here and there," so said associate producer Brian Taylor in a TV Times article indicating the start of the series.[3]
Other regular characters in the series included Sir Gilbert (Robin Hunter), Sir Geoffrey (Alan Haywood), Blondel (Iain Gregory), Leopold of Austria (Francis de Wolff) and Queen Berengaria (Sheila Whittingham).
According to BFI Screenonline "despite the treadmill efforts of the production... this routine swashbuckler, presenting an atmosphere of knightly conduct versus villainous skulduggery, was saved from total tedium by the presence of recurring players Trader Faulkner, a sneering Prince John, and Francis de Wolfe as the delightfully monstrous Leopold of Austria."[4]
A single DVD was released by Stratx Digital Media on 6 June 2016. The DVD contains five episodes; Long Live The King, School For a King, Crown In Danger, The Pirate King and The Challenge. The picture quality for the most part is watchable, however the sound at times is flawed.
Cast[]
- Dermot Walsh as Richard The Lionheart
- Robin Hunter as Sir Gilbert
- as Sir Geoffrey
- as Blondel
- Trader Faulkner as Prince John/King Philip of France/Ubaldo
- as Queen Berengaria
- Francis de Wolff as Leopold Of Austria
- Max Faulkner as De Fleury
- as Conrad of Montferrat
- Ian Fleming as Lord Chancellor
- as Banister
- Glyn Owen as Hugo
- John Longden as Sir Thomas
- Elwyn Brook-Jones as Count Rolf
- as 1st Courtier
- Conrad Phillips as Guy of Lusignan
- Anton Rodgers as Sir Kenneth
- Marne Maitland as Saladin
- as Marta
- Garard Green as Captain
- Peter Reynolds as Sergeant Michael
- Colin Tapley as Chamberlain
- Julie Alexander as Lady Rosalie
- as Baron Fitz-Rheinfrid
- Jennifer Daniel as Lady Edith
- as Abdul
- Prudence Hyman as Queen Eleanor
- Steve Plytas as Ulric
- Susan Shaw as Princess Alice
- Robert Rietti as Father Ignatius
- as Second Prince
- Brian Cobby as Captain
- Lisa Daniely as Catherine
- as Duke of Aumerle
- as Old Arab
- Humphrey Lestocq as La Motte
- John Scott Martin as King William
- as William
- as Duke of Berri
- as Abbas
- Derrick Sherwin as Alan
- John Bay as 2nd English soldier
- John Bennett as Kermal
- Martin Benson as Forked Beard
- as Theodore
- Eric Dodson as Nur
- as Sir Miles
- John Gabriel as De Glanville
- Tom Gill as Fitzcormac
- Olaf Pooley as Pilgrim
- as De Bohm
- Nigel Green as Hermit
- Ralph Michael as Sheriff of Nottingham
- Walter Randall as Second Sailor
- Daphne Anderson as Lady Guinevere
- as 2nd Courtier
- as Lady Blanche
- as Sergeant-at-Arms
- Kevin Brennan as Bertram de la Marche
- as Steward
- as Royal servant
- as Maid
- as Sir Roland
- Hugh David as 1st Knight
- as Guard
- Peter Elliott as Simeon
- as Steward
- as Tom the tracker
- as Lady Stephanie
- Willoughby Goddard as Arnold de Chatillon
- as Physician
- as Salivar
- as Steward
- as Herald of Scotland
- as Monk
- Peter Illing as Stephen de Tours
- as Sir Percy
- as 2nd Guard
- Oliver MacGreevy as 1st Guard
- Andreas Malandrinos as Gatekeeper
- Zena Marshall as Zara
- Francis Matthews as Sir Humphrey
- Jack May as 2nd Knight
- Ferdy Mayne as Merlin
- as Knight
- as Ali
- as Mother Maria
- as Priest
- George Pastell as Gamal
- as Villa
- Hubert Rees as Chamberlain
- Nadja Regin as Shirin
- Dominic Roche as King Henry II
- as 1st English soldier
- as Landlord
- Harold Siddons as Morgan
- as Lady-in-waiting
- as Noble
- as Archbishop
- Alister Williamson as Red Hugh
- as Harbour Master
- as Guard
- as First Thief
- Tom Busby as First Sailor
- Richard Caldicot as Baron Fitzgeorge
- as Jewish Woman
- Noel Coleman as Sir Roland
- as Stable Boy
- Clifford Earl as First Soldier
- as Farah
- Nora Gordon as Innkeeper's Wife
- Walter Gotell as Prince Otto
- Neil Hallett as Lemuel
- as Second Arab
- Joan Haythorne as Queen Eleanor
- as Rose
- as First Prince
- Ronald Howard as Robin Hood
- Jane Hylton as Megan
- Jill Ireland as Marianne
- Jennifer Jayne as Mary
- Ann Lancaster as Second Onlooker
- Howard Lang as First Shepherd
- Philip Latham as Brian McFergus
- as Gangleader Demere
- as Sailor Guard
- John Mahoney as Tailor
- as Guard
- as Girl
- as Sir Hugh
- Bill Nagy as Meredith
- as Sir Thomas
- as Nubian
- as Captain
- Ellen Pollock as Lady Melinda
- Robert Raglan as Father Benedict
- as Third Onlooker
- as First Arab
- Margaretta Scott as Duchess
- as Second Shepherd
- as First Onlooker
- Donald Tandy as Herald of France
- June Thorburn as Diane
- Leon Cortez as Innkeeper
- as Second Soldier
- as Nora
- as Arthur
- as Captain
- Colin Bean as Yeoman
References[]
- ^ BFI Screenonline: Richard the Lionheart. Accessed 9 March 2014
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 3). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
- ^ Thomas Film Classics. "Richard The Lion Heart - Action Adventure". Shop.thomasfilmclassics.com. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ^ The Danzigers at BFI Screenonline
External links[]
- 1960s British drama television series
- 1960s British children's television series
- Cultural depictions of Richard I of England
- Cultural depictions of Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Black-and-white British television shows
- English-language television shows
- Television series set in the 12th century