The story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere is played out amid the pagentry of Camelot. The plot of illegitimate Modred to gain the throne and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, whom she at first abhors, threaten to topple Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights who would use their might for right. Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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During the opening credits, like the Broadway production, the studio orchestra plays a potpourri overture that features the "Camelot March" and the title song. The action begins in early morning darkness as a chorus sings a few lines from "Guenevere." Arthur (Richard Harris) talks to his unseen teacher, Merlyn (Laurence Naismith), asking him why everything that has happened to them happened. Before a battle begins at dawn with Lancelot (Franco Nero) and his Joyous Gard knights, Arthur, talking as much to himself as to Merlyn, tries to determine where he went wrong. Merlyn appears and urges the mighty King to think back to one of the most important days of his life. Almost all of the rest of the film is a flashback. It first flashes back to Arthur as a youngster (Nicholas Beauvy); he is walking in the woods in the early morning when he encounters Merlyn, who calls Arthur "Wart." Then suddenly, Merlyn interrupts to chide Arthur for going too far back in his memory. The important day Arthur is supposed to remember, Merlyn says, is the day he met Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave).

The following scene shows Arthur in a large snow-laden tree watching people pass on the road beneath. From his perch, Arthur sings "I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight?" He imagines that his subjects are pondering what he is doing in the final hours before his arranged marriage. Arthur admits that even though he has faced battle bravely, he's terrified of facing his bride-to-be. As the song ends, a procession approaches ("Camelot March") carrying Guenevere. She is not at all thrilled that her wedding is an inconvenient marriage of convenience. In despair, Guenevere sings "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood." The lyrics question how she missed the normal life of a maiden and all its simple pleasures like knights tilting for her and "kith not kill their kin" for her. The procession halts for a rest so the royal hairdresser can prepare Guenevere to meet her mate. While everyone is busy, Guenevere sneaks away into the woods. She kneels in the snow and prays (sings) to St. Genevieve, her patron saint. Arthur, who is listening from a nearby tree, steps on a rotten branch and falls to the ground. Startled, Guenevere starts to run away, but Arthur promises he won't harm her and asks her not to leave. When Guenevere expresses her reluctance to go through with this arranged marriage, Arthur claims Camelot is unique and in the song, "Camelot," describes the joys of life in his kingdom, including an extremely equitable climate. He claims it is an excellent place to live happily forever. When some of Arthur's attendants and Guenevere's entourage find them, Guenevere is shocked to discover that Wart is the King. Once all the attendants withdraw, Arthur tells Guenevere the story of how, at the age of eighteen, he pulled the sword from the stone and became king. He admits he never wanted to be king, but when he saw her for the first time, he wanted to be the wisest, most heroic, most splendid king who ever sat on any throne. Arthur offers to find someone to accompany her back home, but she slowly and tenderly sings a short reprise of "Camelot," which was her way of agreeing to marry him. As they enter the city, a chorus sings a reprise of the song, which continues through their wedding ceremony.

Four years later, Arthur laments to Jenny that England is made up of a mess of ill-begotten kingdoms ruled by immoral lords. He tells her that might shouldn't always mean right. After a considerable amount of thinking to himself and talking to Jenny, Arthur formulates the idea of creating a new order of chivalry where might is only used for right. Jenny is skeptical that knights would ever agree to do peaceful things, so Arthur decides to make it a great honor to be in the order. To avoid jealousies and superiority, Arthur further decides to use a round table so there is no head. Then in a reprise of the melody of "Camelot," Arthur and Guenevere sing about spreading the word of this new order of knighthood. As the song continues to play in the orchestra, heralds and carrier pigeons are dispatched to carry the news.

Soon the first recruits arrive at Camelot. When news of Arthur's new knighthood order reaches France, Lancelot du Lac sings a short reprise of "Camelot" from his castle walls as he fervently anticipates going to England to join Arthurs order. That short reprise segues into the song "C'est Moi!" Lancelot, who is far from modest, intends to use his considerable invincibility to serve the Round Table. He claims to be so pure, so godly, that if he had been Eve's partner they would still be in Eden. During the song he embarks on his journey to England. When he nears Arthur's castle, he dismounts, kneels and praises Arthur for creating a new order of life.

Suddenly, a horseman rides by so closely that Lancelot topples over. He quickly gets up and challenges the horseman to a fight and knocks him off his horse; it is King Arthur. Once Lancelot realizes that he almost killed the King, he begs Arthur's forgiveness, but Arthur congratulates Lancelot for his fighting skills. Arthur wants to knight him immediately, but Lancelot begs to be allowed to prove himself first. A bit embarrassed, Arthur tells Lancelot that since it is the beginning of May the Queen and the Court have "gone a-Maying." Lancelot is incredulous that knights are doing such civilized things as attending picnics and gathering flowers.

Guenevere and the Knights and Ladies of the Court are thoroughly enjoying the spring weather. In "The Lusty Month of May," Guenevere recommends defiance of gentility in deference to giving in to ones amorous whims. The Knights and Ladies join her song and perform a spirited dance. At the end of the song, the revelers see an elderly man in rusty armor in the woods. He appears to be lost, so they offer assistance. The old man introduces himself as King Pellinore (Lionel Jeffries). He has mislaid his kingdom and can't find his way back. When Pellinore learns he is in Camelot, he remembers having spent a lovely day there years ago with a young lad name Wart. Guenevere informs Pellinore that Wart is now King Arthur of England and her husband. The Queen invites the old fellow to spend the night so he can see Arthur again. Pellinore quickly accepts; he hasn't slept in a bed since he left whatever the name of his kingdom was.

Shortly after Pellinore leaves, Arthur arrives and introduces Guenevere to Lancelot. When the King asks Lancelot to explain some of the plans they have been discussing, Lancelot can't believe a woman would find the details of chivalry interesting. Guenevere assures him that she never tires of anything chivalrous. Lancelot proceeds to explain a training program for knights, but quickly points out that he would never expect any of the knights to live by his exalted standards of physical and spiritual perfection. When Lancelot claims to have achieved physical perfection, Guenevere doubts his boasts. She also questions his spiritual quest since he obviously has no humility.

When Arthur and Lancelot depart, Guenevere begins to plot to have the three best jousters challenge Lancelot. The Queen sings "Then You May Take Me to the Fair" while she visits with Sir Lionel, Sir Sagramore and Sir Dinadan (Gary Marshal, Peter Bromilow, & Anthony Rogers respectively) individually to incite each of them to teach Lancelot a lesson. Pellinore doesn't trust anyone who doesn't drink, doesn't have a lady and talks to nobody but God and the King. He can hardly wait to see if the Frenchman's claims of physical prowess can withstand the three knights in the joust the next day. When Pellinore retires for the evening, Arthur discovers that the Queen has agreed to allow the three Knights to carry her kerchief in the tournament. Exasperated, he begs her to withdraw her permission, but she refuses unless he commands as King.

When she exits, Arthur curses Merlyn for not teaching him how a ruler rules a Queen. He paces and sings "How to Handle A Woman" as he tries to remember Merlyn's advice pertaining to women. He finally remembers: "The way to handle a woman is to love her." The following day the jousting arena has a circus-like atmosphere. Lancelot easily defeats all three knights and appears to kill Sir Lionel with his jousting lance. Jenny rushes to Lionel's side. Lancelot cradles his defeated rival in his arms, weeps, bows his head in prayer and begs over and over again for the lifeless body to live. Suddenly, Lionel gasps for breath. Guenevere walks over to Lancelot and kneels before him with her hand over her heart, weeping over his rescue of her from the guilt of having caused Sir Lionel's death. Lancelot then kneels and kisses her hand. The look on Arthur's face suggests that he instinctively senses his wife's and Lancelot's mutual attraction. As Lancelot rises and walks away, the entire crowd kneels in homage to him for resurrecting Sir Lionel. The next few scenes show Guenevere sleeplessly thinking about Lancelot, Lancelot in torment as he thinks about Guenevere, and Arthur talking to Pellinore about being in love. When Lancelot comes to Jenny's room expecting to find Arthur, he can't hide his feelings for her and she confesses her feelings for him. Arthur interrupts when he arrives to inform Lancelot that he has proved himself worthy of being knighted.

After a very regal knighting ceremony, Arthur walks into an adjacent room where he ponders what to do about the problem he senses. He readily admits that if he could choose any woman on earth, it would be Jenny. He also admits that if he could choose any man on earth as his brother, his son, or his friend, it would be Lancelot. He loves both of them, but he feels they must be punished for betraying his trust. At first, Arthur wants vengeance, but when his temper subsides, he realizes that it would not be civilized to destroy what he loves. He also begins to sense their pain and torment. Since they are both completely devoted to him and the Round Table, Arthur resolves that they will face whatever the future holds together. The Intermission comes at this point with Entracte music featuring an orchestral version of "Camelot."

As the action commences again, Lancelot bests another knight in a sword fight. The defeated knight accuses him of having been the Queen's lover for years. Lance demands the knight defend his accusation, but the knight stands by his statement. Later, Lance and Jenny sneak into a secret garden for a clandestine meeting. Lance assures her that Arthur knows about them and, therefore, will never leave the castle without one of them with him. Lancelot realizes that he should leave at once and never return, but in "If Ever I Would Leave You," he sings that the right moment never comes. Jenny feels a great deal of shame and guilt, but can't help remembering their past (while the orchestra plays more of the song, the film shows several significant scenes of their romance which apparently spans years; when Lancelot sings again, there are appropriate scenes for the seasons of the year that match the lyrics to the song). At the end of the song, they are back in the present and they embrace.

Pellinore tells Arthur if he does not face the truth his Round Table is doomed (the King has been banishing every knight who accuses his wife and Lancelot of adultery). Suddenly, they are interrupted by a pompous young fellow named Mordred (David Hemmings). Arthur seems to be shaken when he learns the man's name because he realizes the young man is the son of a woman with whom he had a one-night stand, Queen Morgause of Orkney, making him Arthur's illegitimate son. Arthur invites Mordred to become a Knight of the Round Table, but the unpleasant youngster quickly admits to detesting swords, spears and horses and he is suspicious of virtues.

Mordred has come to Camelot after discovering he is Arthur's bastard son in hopes of gaining the throne for himself. Lancelot advises Arthur that Mordred is trying to destroy the Round Table and is raising an army consisting of the banished knights, but the King is already aware of Mordred's deceitfulness. Lancelot wants to kill him, but Arthur forbids it. Arthur continues to hope that somehow he can make his only son worthy of the throne. After Lancelot leaves, Arthur tells Jenny he needs to talk about trivial things. This wish leads into the song "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" When Arthur says the simple folk find relief in whistling, he and Jenny try it, but quickly give up in frustration. Then when Arthur describes a young lad who sings when he is sad, they launch into a happy madrigal-style song. That doesn't work either. Next, Arthur says he had heard that the simple folk dance a fiery dance until their minds are blank. So they spin and twirl, but dancing is no more of a cure than whistling or singing. By the end of the dance they are distraught that these peasant remedies haven't work to relieve their strain Arthur can't escape the problems of ruling England and Guenevere can't forget Lancelot or abandon Arthur. In the following scene, Mordred's army arrives to battle the remaining Knights of the Round Table. During the fight, the Round Table itself is broken into pieces. Arthur and Lancelot watch helplessly in disbelief. Arthur leaves while the fight continues and goes into the legendary forest where Merlyn schooled him.

The song "Follow Me" is sung by an off-screen chorus as the King rediscovers some of the woodland creatures that Merlyn had taught him about many years before. When he pretends to be Wart again, he imagines that Merlyn is there. Arthur and Wart, who is suddenly standing in front of Arthur, ask Merlyn for a remedy for sadness. Merlyn tells him (or them) to learn something. A little later, Merlyn turns Arthur (or Wart) into a fish and a hawk to help him learn (the film audience doesn't actually see a fish or a hawk). Arthur's lesson is interrupted by Mordred's arrival in the forest. Mordred continues his wickedness by slyly accusing the Queen and Lancelot of deception and infidelity. To test Lancelot's and Guenevere's loyalty, Mordred convinces Arthur to remain in the forest all night. Mordred returns to the court to tell them that Arthur will be hunting all night and will return by mid-morning the next day. Shortly after Mordred delivers his message, Lancelot visits Guenevere in her chambers and begs her to go away with him. Even though she loves Lancelot, the Queen still loves Arthur and is determined to stay with him as long as he wants her. Under those circumstances, Lancelot promises never to ask her to leave again and promises to never come to her again. Jenny similarly swears and she and Lancelot sing "I Loved You Once in Silence." As the song concludes, they kiss and walk together wrapped in each other's arms.

Mordred and several knights confront them and accuse them of treason. Lancelot manages to escape, but Guenevere is captured. As Lancelot rides away, he encounters Arthur, who is attempting to return to the castle before something happens. Arthur immediately senses the truth and Lancelot covers his face in shame. When Arthur returns to the castle, he stands by helplessly as Guenevere is lead away to prison. An unseen chorus sings "Guenevere," which narrates what happens in her trial and sentencing to be burned at the stake. As preparations for her sentence are being carried out, the chorus questions if Lancelot will be able to save her. Early in the morning Guenevere is marched to the stake. Everyone except Mordred hopes for her rescue. Mordred, on the other hand, mocks Arthur by saying, "Let her die, your life is over. Let her live, your life's a fraud. Kill the Queen or kill the law."

Just as the fire is touched to the wood, Lancelot and the knights of the Joyous Gard arrive. Arthur is tremendously relieved! Mordred is pleased to see Lancelot and his troops slaughtering Arthur's knights. Lancelot rescues Guenevere and heads for the channel to take her to France. Lance sends a note asking Arthur to meet him in the forest at sunup (this section returns to the film's opening when Arthur is in pre-dawn darkness). Lancelot and Guenevere offer to return to England to face their punishment, but Arthur will not allow Guenevere to be burned at the stake or Lancelot to be beheaded. Instead, he urges Lance to take Jenny to Joyous Gard where she will be safe. Lancelot informs him that she has joined a convent. Arthur bids them goodbye, and seems to have forgiven them.

As Arthur returns to his camp to prepare for battle, he encounters a young boy named Tom - the future Sir Thomas Malory, who really existed and who wrote "L'Morte d'Arthur", the definitive text on the King Arthur legend in 1471. The boy has only heard stories of the Knights of the Round Table, but those tales have inspired him to want to become a knight. Arthur is encouraged that the ideals of Camelot and the Round Table live on in this young lad. So he orders the lad to return to England to perpetuate the ideals of chivalry and tell future generations that once there was "a fleeting wisp of glory called Camelot" (Arthur sings his orders in a reprise of "Camelot"). When Pellinore arrives with Arthur's sword, Excalibur, Arthur knights Tom and orders him to return home and carry out his orders. Arthur feels victorious. What he accomplished with the Knights of the Round Table and his civilized government will be remembered. As the closing credits scroll across the screen, a chorus sings a climactic reprise of "Camelot." The Exit Music consists of an instrumental version of "Camelot."

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bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
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I wish I had seen the original Broadway production of Camelot. As a lad the Broadway cast album was a treasured staple in our house, played over and over again by my parents. Can you imagine a cast led by Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and introducing Robert Goulet as Lancelot?

So why couldn't Warner Brothers sign the original cast from Broadway for the movie? Robert Goulet had in fact come to Hollywood and didn't set the world on fire, but the other two were already big box office names by 1967. Julie Andrews had won an Oscar for Mary Poppins and just did the Sound of Music. And Richard Burton was one half of the most noted show business couple of the Sixties with his wife Elizabeth Taylor.

Jack Warner, usually a smart guy, said that he didn't think that anyone would believe that two guys like Arthur and Lancelot would put a kingdom at risk for the love of Mary Poppins. So Julie wasn't even asked and Vanessa Redgrave got the call. She's certainly sexy enough, but she opted for the Rex Harrison talk/sing in doing Guinevere. If you have the video or DVD of Camelot play that and then listen to Julie Andrews sing from the original cast album. My favorite song from the score is I Loved You Once In Silence and Julie Andrews is at her best singing that song. Vanessa doesn't come close.

Ditto for Richard Burton and Richard Harris. Though in the case of Harris I think he was toning it down a mite for a clearly handicapped co-star in the vocal department. Harris later in his life toured extensively in various productions of Camelot as Arthur, virtually taking over the role originated by his close friend Burton.

The biggest hit from the Camelot score was If Ever I Would Leave You, sung by Robert Goulet. In 1961 you couldn't get away from that song being played on the radio right in the midst of all the rock and roll. Goulet also toured in various stock companies of Camelot and like both Burton and Harris revived it on Broadway. I don't think anyone ever asked Franco Nero to tour.

But Redgrave and Nero certainly created their own screen magic, they got involved with each other on the set. But folks this is a musical and musically they don't measure up.

David Hemmings takes over the role of Mordred from Roddy McDowall who did it on stage. His Mordred is a clever schemer, but a coward as well. For myself the best Mordred ever portrayed on screen was in Knights of the Round Table by Stanley Baker. Baker's interpretation of Mordred is light years from Hemmings, he's a schemer, but he's definitely no coward.

I love the score of Camelot and when it was filmed I only wish the singing was half as good as the Broadway show.

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peacham from Pa.
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a fine atmospherc sreen adaptation of lerner and loewe's classic. Richard Harris is quite simply magnificent as arthur,the best actor to play the role on stage or screen. redgrave is compelling,although julie andrews singing is sorely missed. the film adds more of a tragic feel,not like the original broadway version which had more humor. lerner himself rewrote his stage production after the film screenplay. franco nero is mis cast as lance ,even his dialoge was dubbed!! but david hemmings comes across quite well as mordred, too bad his song (along with 5 others) was cut. yes, at times it gets a bit long but its well worth it for the final inspiring scene when arthur passes on the camelot story to young tom of warwick. Harris is at the heart of this film and he keeps you glued to the screen.

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jojofla from Tampa
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Now that movie musicals are in vogue again, maybe somebody at Warner Brothers will give the green light to remake this Lerner & Loewe spectacle that was poorly filmed in 1967.

This version is really a shame, considering how beloved the original 1960 Broadway musical is. Lerner & Loewe wrote some of their best songs for this show: "If Ever I Would Leave You", "Camelot", "What do the Simple Folk Do?" and "Fie on Goodness". But when making the film, producer Jack Warner chose tone-deaf actors, one of the worst directors in the medium, and had Alan J. Lerner rewrite his script, stressing the drama over the comedy (to the narrative's detriment) as well as throwing out half the score (including, sob, the show-stopping "Fie on Goodness"). Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave ARE great actors, and in their dramatic scenes, they are quite effective, but they most certainly are NOT singers, especially poor Ms. Redgrave (although, her orgasmic rendition of "The Lusty Month of May" has to be seen to be believed). Franco Nero, a beautiful, beautiful man, has a great opening with "C'est Moi", but then goes downhill from there. David Hemmings manages to bring some mirth to the film, but he's only in the last third, and by that time it's nearly too late (plus, they cut his only song!).

On the plus side, the film DID deserve the 3 Oscars it won: Best Scoring (if you take the voices out, the music sounds magnificent), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, and Best Costume Design (the flick IS sumptuous). And the cinematography is rather breathtaking at times. (If you do watch it, try to see it on DVD, where it's letterboxed.)

So, if anybody from Warner Brothers, or any other studio for that matter, is reading this, give it another go: go back to T.H. White's original source novel and Lerner's original B'way script, keep ALL the songs intact, and hire actors who are proven singers, say, Ewan McGregor (he demonstrated his pipes in Moulin Rouge!) as Arthur, Kate Winslet (who scored a British top 10 hit last year) as Guinevere, and Hugh Jackman (who got his start in a West End production of Oklahoma!) as Lancelot. Please....

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didi-5 from United Kingdom
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One of the reviews I once read of this marvellous film dismissed it as 'kohl and overacting'. No way. It has so many scenes that live in the memory as I write, not having revisited the movie for quite some time. The wedding sequence with all its lights; Guinevere, beautiful in her wonder of the magical land where leaves 'blow away altogether, at night, of course'; If Ever I Should Leave You (not sung by Franco Nero, as I understand, really, but you'd never guess); How To Handle A Woman ('what's wrong, Jenny? where are you these days? I don't understand you ...'); creepy Mordred; and the ending (run, boy, run) which is terrific. I have heard Burton as Arthur and have to say I was disappointed. They made the right casting choice for the movie. A pity some of the songs got cut (except it would have been even longer then, good for us who like it, intolerable for those who don't). Also interesting to compare with other Lerner/Loewe movies with their themes of magic, understanding, and change (My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Gigi and Paint Your Wagon). As they sit together as a body, Camelot is one of the best.

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gaityr from United Kingdom
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CAMELOT is, of course, the story of King Arthur (Richard Harris), his Queen, Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave), and Sir Lancelot (Franco Nero), the best and brightest knight of Arthur's treasured Round Table. To Arthur's infinite sorrow, his queen and love falls hard--irrevocably so--for his friend and ally, and he is forced to choose between indulging the hatred that overwhelms him as a man, and the nobility that accompanies his stature as a king. Choosing the latter, Arthur must live with the whispers of 'poison in the court' as the other knights bristle at Lancelot's stolen kisses with Guenevere. All this while the king clings to his flame of hope, the idea of establishing a civil court to establish law and order where once there was violence and bloodshed. When Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred (David Hemmings) devises a plan to get Arthur out of the castle and the knights into Guenevere's room to trap the clandestine lovers, 'Jenny' and 'Lance' are found out... even as they're pledging to part in order to honour their love and loyalty to Arthur. The eventual demise of each of the three main characters, which I'm emphatically *not* going to reveal but you might suspect anyway if you know any Arthurian folklore, is heartrending and quite well played-out.

'Tis a tale rich in ironies, this tale of Camelot, and in the end a story about two ideas--that of an ideal i.e. the peaceful lawful Camelot as envisioned by Arthur, and that of love. Neither are 'real' in the sense of being tangible, can't be seen or felt or heard, and yet both are worth fighting to the death for. They can bring a king to his knees, but they can also make heroes of men. It's a shame that the film doesn't do handle this too well; whenever it sets out to do so, it becomes a tad overdone. Take for example the quandary Arthur finds himself in--should he turn a blind eye to the adulterous pair's trysts? Arthur's dilemma is expressed by a soliloquy superbly delivered by Harris. It's a great piece of acting and a solid writing job--it's just not something that works on film, even in a musical (when one is more inclined to accepting an actor directly addressing or serenading the camera than with other film genres). The point is made *too* overtly, and the film and characters suffer as a result.

It probably isn't helped by the fact that the majority of the lush, beautiful shots in the film (see the 'Lusty Month Of May' number) are marred by some equally jarring shots that seem completely out of place, or just wrong. During the montage of shots to Nero's solo 'If Ever I Would Leave You', there is one sequence in which Guenevere enters Lancelot's room--it would make a perfectly lovely shot if done in an understated fashion, making the point that it is Guenevere who comes to Lancelot and not (always) the other way around. Unfortunately, in an attempt to create 'romance' (something that doesn't need overt manufacturing if the actors are capable of generating that atmosphere sans special effects), both actors are subjected to a wind machine, and end up looking like the melodramatic lover-idiots of a Mills & Boon dramatisation. Arthur's chat with young Tom as well is great in the conception, and suffers in the execution--something is lacking from that scene (I think the ability to underact by Gary Marsh as the boy), and it spoils what would otherwise be a great message and ending. (The too many 'Run, boy, run!'s also wears on the nerves after a while.) CAMELOT is caught uncomfortably between being a stage production and a film, and that shows in how it rigidly keeps to the 'Overture/Intermission/Entr'Acte/Ending Music' structure... while *annoucing* it with captions!

Whatever problems there might be with direction and execution, however, there can be no faulting of the score and songs written with the distinctive stamp of songwriting team Lerner and Loewe. Every song has its own charm, but I particularly enjoyed 'Camelot' (a sweet and fitting theme tune for the love between Arthur and Guenevere, and Arthur and his kingdom); 'Then You May Take Me To The Fair' (Guenevere's deviousness put to glorious song); and 'If Ever I Would Love You' (with smashing lyrics but spoilt somewhat by Nero). The actors, or at least the two leads Harris and Redgrave, do a creditable job by these songs... Harris in particular. He is consummately King Arthur, the vulnerable man and the noble king, and he brings the character off (dodgy blue eyeshadow or no!). The role of Guenevere is a tough one to make sympathetic, and even now I don't know whether I like her... but I do know that Redgrave did as good a job as can be expected with a woman who falls *instantly*( in love with her husband's best friend after trying her best to get him killed in (not one but three!) jousts. Neither Harris nor Redgrave are singers by profession, and it's rather a shame that Julie Andrews (who created the role of Guenevere on Broadway) didn't reprise her role for the film, but neither of them hinder the beauty of the Lerner/Loewe music. I'm afraid the same can't be said of Nero, whom I thought annoying as the puffed-up prat Lancelot. Watch and you'll notice that he emotes, in between a bad attempt at a French accent, by flaring his nostrils. Hardly attractive, especially in close-up!

CAMELOT is far from a perfect film or even a perfect musical. (That adjective can probably be applied only to the score, and that has nothing specifically to do with the film.) It would have been interesting to see it onstage, or to have the main Broadway cast reprise their roles in this version--yet the film *does* have its own quaint charm. The costumes are breathtaking, for certain, and Harris really works very very hard at trying to make the film one worth seeing. For his performance, despite the rest of the film and the uneven writing for his character, it almost *is* worth it. And I cannot deny that the ending still made me cry. So don't take it from me alone that CAMELOT isn't a great film--there *are* many things about it to like. But be warned that liking it, as I do, doesn't translate into loving it. 7.5/10

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marquise_007 from United States
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It's hilarious that one reviewer here on IMDb singles out Franco Nero as the best singer out of the three leads. He obviously wasn't aware that Franco Nero didn't do his own singing ad was in fact dubbed by Gene Merlino! Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave did do their own singing.

Overall, Camelot has a melodious score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and some first rate production values but it drags in spots. It's also very much a product of the 1960s as "The Lusty Month of May" is turned into some sort of pseudo hippie medieval love-in.

As for the performances Harris is a little too fey for my tastes as King Arhur. Vanessa Redgrave, although a good actress lacks the beautiful vocal renderings Julie Andrews gave the part and Franco Nero is hopelessly wooden as Lancelot. David Hemmings is a delightfully devious Mordred and almost steals the film from the rest of the cast.

Camelot is ultimately a very good example of the over-produced, over-stuffed musicals the studios were turning out during this period.

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EmperorNortonII from San Francisco, California
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The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has endured for centuries, and has inspired many movies. One of them is the musical "Camelot," based on the stage production by Lerner and Loewe. Richard Harris stars as King Arthur, with Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Guinevere and Franco Nero as Sir Lancelot. The story follows the classic legend, Arthur creating the perfect land of Camelot, but suffering betrayal by his queen and favorite knight. The eyes are presented with a lavish sight of dazzling scenery, lush locations and beautiful costumes. There are memorable songs, such as "If Ever I Should Leave You," "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" and of course, "Camelot." This epic offers a lot for both the eyes and the ears.

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pachl from Illinois
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I'm not big on musicals. When people break out into song, it just seems so awkward. You become acutely aware that you are watching a movie.

Camelot, on the other hand, is so professionally and cleverly done, that the songs seem to be a natural part of this beautiful, magical world. Instead of bogging down the action or interrupting the plot, the songs propel the plot forward.

It is a brilliant way to allow the characters to say things they could not get away with in regular conversation. For example, Lancelot could never recite lines of dialog revealing himself as pompous and arrogant as his song, "C'est Moi" (Besides bragging about his greatness and incredible perfection, he declares himself "The godliest man I know", among other outrageous assertions). How could Guenevere better portray how absurdly selfish and self-involved she really is if she couldn't sing about "the simple joys of maidenhood" which include her desire to have love-struck, heartbroken knights jump to their death.

There are so many things to admire about this movie: action, drama, intrigue, romance, great music and astounding lyrics. I love listening to songs such as "C'est moi" and "What Do The Simple Folk Do?" In the entire history of musicals, there has never been anything to approach the sheer genius of Camelot. Since I'm not a big fan of musicals, I would never run out and buy the soundtrack to one. But I have the soundtrack to Camelot! In 38 years of listening to it, the songs have never lost their appeal.

(The following is not really a "spoiler", but it reveals some general plot elements from the end of the movie, so don't read this if you don't know how this movie ends!!!) Camelot also has another amazing distinction. Think of all the sad scenes you have ever seen, then compare it with Guevere's final scene in Camelot. It is the true Classical Greek meaning of the word "tragedy". Because Guenevere contributed to her own downfall, and since everything she loved is irreparably lost, there is no hope for redemption. It is a sad and bitter end for her.

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Saint Barbie from United Kingdom
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I am a huge, huge fan of musicals, especially the overblown kitsch ones with wobbly sets from the 1960s and 70s, so I really thought I had found my dream in Camelot.

Not so.

Even if, like me, you actually enjoy a camp classic once in a while, Camelot is such an unwatchable stinker that you'll be fast-forwarding in wide-eyed disbelief well before the intermission.

Camelot is a truly dreadful musical, with a totally forgettable score and one of the clunkiest scripts I've ever sat through. Richard Harris presents King Arthur as a drooling, retarded, camp flibbertigibbet, prancing about in purple eyeliner like a profoundly stupid and tone-deaf child. Franco Nero plays Lancelot as a vain, preening Muscle Mary, whose sexual tension with Arthur so overshadows any hint of romance with Guenevere that the entire film briefly promises to take a far more interesting direction.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Redgrave plays Guenevere as a spoilt, tiresome and vaguely sadistic halfwit. Stick a bodice and a garland of mayblossom on Paris Hilton and you'd get roughly the same effect. I nearly tore out my own eyes in horror during her ghastly rendition of "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood", a song that seems to have been written with the sole purpose of torturing anyone with an IQ over 60.

At the end, when Guenevere was rescued by Lancelot from being burned at the stake, my friends actually booed.

The thing that is most striking about watching Camelot these days, apart from a sharp pain in your frontal lobe, is the degree to which it provided all the material for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All the elements of the Holy Grail are right here: Arthur is a prig, Lancelot is a comically violent moron, all the supporting characters are either Brave Sir Robin or Wise Sir Bedevere, some of the songs are virtually identical (though significantly worse), Merlin is a dead ringer for the Old Man From Scene 24, etc etc. These parallels almost redeem the film, but really you'd still be far better off just watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Worst of all, this dire mess goes on for three interminable hours. I don't believe anyone with a soul could actually get through it alive. I really did want to love it, but this isn't so bad it's good; it's so bad it's terrible.

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rdh7182373 from Westchester, New York
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I first saw "Camelot" in 35mm Technicolor and Panavision in 1967 and thought it was very entertaining. This was the cut 2 1/2 hour version that played general release.

Then I attended a festival at the Cinerama theater in Manhattan in 1978 called "Brodway Comes to Broadway" and saw the original uncut 3 hour Roadshow version in 70mm and six channel stereo on it's deeply curved screen. I thought it was a sensational 'show' and it was fascinating to see all the scenes that had been cut or trimmed for the 35mm prints. I especially liked the sequence in the forest at the end when Arthur recalls Merlin's school house that was completely missing from the 35mm print.

However, I began to notice the flaws more this time around, mostly because Cinerema tended to magnify them. I noted that there were numerous scenes where the actors went out of focus including a long monologue by Arthur before the intermission. All of the zoom shots have problems. In fact I recall one guy in theater shouting 'focus' to the projectionist even though it wasn't his fault. There were also a lot of continuity goofs like the dog that comes and goes during the song "Simple Joys of Maidenhood". Pelinore shows up in a montage before he appears in the actual story. The endless close ups where Vanessa Redgrave's nose runs was a bit grotesque on the enormous curved screen. Richard Harris's mustache and beard looks like it's coming off sometimes and Redgrave has a different hairstyle in every scene. In some wide shots, the actors are in the wrong position for the close ups. For a big budget musical designed for Roadshow presentations, this level of technical sloppiness was disturbing.

Now 28 years later I screened the film on my DLP on a 10 foot screen on DVD and found it rather disappointing. While the remixed 5.1 stereo sound is still impressive (although not as awesome as the six channel magnetic mix in 70mm), aside from the above problems the other thing I noticed this time around was Logan's inconsistent breaking of the fourth wall. I had no problem with Harris looking at the camera during his songs since the narrative is from his perspective. However, when Redgrave and Nero sing they look off screen at times and then look at the camera at other moments during the same song. Redgrave almost seems embarrassed when she glances at the camera during her numbers. Very poor screen direction.

So, in hindsight a mixed bag. Great songs, stereo and orchestrations. Some nice Technicolor photography and sets for the wide shots but a lot of out of focus close ups. Some good, even touching performances and scenes marred by outrageous overacting in other sequences. Worth seeing but it could've been a lot better.

Richard W. Haines

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Certifications:
Australia:G / Canada:G / Finland:K-8 / Netherlands:14 (orginal rating) / Singapore:PG / Sweden:11 / UK:U / USA:G (MPAA rating: certificate #23396)