Nice adventure movie with stunning heroes/heroines, whole fast-moving scenes and great energy running through it. A spoiled young called Myles, Tony Curtis, goes to the royal court and is subsequently trained for knighthood. He is son of a deceased lord accused as a traitor. Myles results to be an excellent swordsman, rider and brave warrior who fights enemy and saves maids . Later on , he is out to thwart a nasty conspiracy led by a villain noble : David Farrar against King Henry IV : Ian Keith . Meanwhile , Curtis attempts to win the Hand of a beautiful Maiden , Lady Anne : Janet Leigh.

Typically Technicolor Universal International Pictures of the 50s , including spectacular and colorful scenes , comic-strip style , fair damsels in distresses , spectacular battles , glamorous costumes and many other things . Being loosely based on a popular novel written by the prestigious Howard Pyle . This exuberant movie is filled with battling bodies , invigorating vitality , romance and thrilling swordplay. Tony Curtis gives a sympathetic acting with his NY acccent as Myles , the son of a disgraced knight . At the time Tony Curtis played a number of swashbucklers and adventure movies as The Vikings , Purple mask , The prince who was a thief , Son of Ali Baba . He is well accompanied by his wife at the time , the beauty Janet Leigh , and the charming Barbara Rush playing his sister . Top-notch supporting performances from a great secondary cast , such as : Herbert Marshall , Torin Thatcher , Dan O'herlihy, Patrick O'neal , Craig Hill , Ian Keith , Rhys Williams , among others.

It packs a brilliant photography by Russell Metty who along with Irving Glassberg were ordinary Universal cameramen .The motion picture was profesionally by Rudolph Mate , though it has some flaws . He was a notorious cameraman and turning as a filmmaker in 1947 . He directed all kinds of genres as SciFi : When the world collide; Historical /Adventure as Seven seas to Calais, The Barbarians, 300 Spartans ; Westerns : In the Siege at Red River , The Mississipi gambler , The rawhide years ; and Film Noir : Union station , Second chance. The pictures themselves were for the most part undistinguished with his best work probably being the classic Noir DOA with Edmund O'Brian .Rating : 6/10 , acceptable and passable adventure movie . The movie will appeal to Tony Curtis fans .

My love for adventure/swashbuckler films was the main attraction in seeing 'The Black Shield of Falworth', and there are many ones out there. As well as seeing Tony Curtis in an early role and having Janet Leigh, Torin Thatcher and David Farrar in the cast, it was an opportunity too hard to pass up and it turned out to be a worthwhile opportunity.

'The Black Shield of Falworth' may not be an amazing or great film and there may be better adventure/swashbuckler films out there. It is however so much fun and it is very hard to be too hard on such a good-natured film that knows what it wants to be, who its target audience is and doesn't try to be any more than necessary. It is not a film to be taken seriously, this was something learnt from watching other early films of Curtis, and 'The Black Shield of Falworth' does very well in that respect without treating the audience/viewer like idiots or getting too silly.

Sure 'The Black Shield of Falworth' is predictable in how it's structured, what happens and the outcomes. Sure people looking for authenticity will be disappointed, with many anachronisms to be found. Sure it can get a little too campy.

Curtis may have some awkward moments and his accent jarring with the period somewhat.

However, 'The Black Shield of Falworth' looks great. Very colourful, handsomely designed and lovely use of early CinemaScope. The music is suitably peppy and fits well, while the film is ably directed and contains some truly exciting action (namely in the climactic moments). Curtis is an athletic and also dashing and likeable hero, and he is supported well by suave Herbert Marshall and radiant Janet Leigh and Barbara Rush. Torin Thatcher, enjoying himself a lot, and a suitably dastardly David Farrar steal the film though. The chemistry between the cast is great and it was clear that they were having fun and with knowledge what tone to take.

Regardless of what one's thoughts on the script is, the script doesn't sparkle and doesn't get too wordy that it bogs down the pace and action, of which it does neither. The pace is lively throughout and the story is told with constant energy and charm with the right amount of tension when necessary.

In conclusion, a lot of fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is an adaptation of Howard Pyle's "Men of Iron", and an unusually enjoyable film from start to finish. Ignore Tony Curtis's accent; it hardly matters to anyone that young and everyone in the film is bright, lively and suitable to his/her part. The direction by Rudolph Mate gives a light, sunny feel to the entire piece, and he keeps the action moving splendidly in my judgment. The storyline is classic. Myles and his sister Meg have been raised as peasants. One day they journey to Mackworth Castle and enter a new world, the world of noble landowners, quarrelsome young prigs and knights. Myles continues to search for the secret of his origins and finds it in the Library finally, the Black Shield of Falworth, shield of an attainted traitor--his father; of course he was innocent; and when Myles turns out to be a promising young knight of courage and natural skills, he is willing to be knighted in order to fight it out--at Prince Hal (the future Henry V's) plan--with the villain of the piece to claim his rightful heritage and wear the family symbol again. Along the way, he falls in love with the daughter of the household and his sister with his best friend in the dangerous and unruly body of young knights. In the cast along with Curtis and Barbara Rush as Meg are Janet Leigh, then Curtis's wife, as his love, Torin Thatcher in top form as the master of knights, David Farrar, Herbert Marshall as Mackworth, Dan O' Herlihy as Prince Hal, Patrick O'Neal as Walter Blunt (very good),and Craig ill as his friend Frances; others in the stellar cast include Ian Keith as Henry IV, Doris Lloyd, Rhys Williams, Maurice Marsac and others. Music was supplied by Hans J. Salter, and the screenplay adaptation of Pyle's novel is the work of Oscar Brodney. Irving Glasberg's cinematography is delightfully rich,the art direction by Alexander Golitzen and Richard H. Ledel very good indeed. Rosemary Odell's costume are worth the price of admission. But this is an in-depth adventurous look behind the grim tapestries that usually baffle the seeker into the late Medieval Age, There is humor in this film, much hard learning for the young knight-to-be, mystery, skillful dialogue and unusually well-developed characters. This is an enjoyable and memorable work that is bright and lively from start to finish.