The Flame and the Arrow

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During the 23rd Academy Awards for the films from 1950, it was nominated for Best Cinematography (Color) for Ernest Haller though the award went to Robert Surtees for King Solomon's Mines. A second nomination for the film for Best Musical Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture was received by Max Steiner. Still, the award went to Franz Waxman for Sunset Boulevard. Now however Allenby at Baggett's suggestion comes in and takes Gebert away from a wounded Lancaster. Up to this time Lancaster has lived isolated in the mountains. Now he finally decides to join the rebels in revolt against Allenby and the Empire. Nothing like a little child stealing to provide motivation. Talvi acts immature sometimes and he is meant to be many years old. He acted like a horny teenager not a century old elf!

Beautifully photographed in colour by the great Ernest Haller the movie has all the hallmarks of Warner's high production values. Adding greatly to the picture's proceedings is the wonderful Italianate score by Max Steiner! His ebullient music, like the picture, is a total delight especially his infectious and hum inducing main theme for Dardo scored for mandolins and orchestra and the gorgeous love theme for the scenes with Dardo & the lady Anne. There's a splendid driving battle theme too! Steiner's music was nominated for an Acadamy Award but lost out to Franz Waxman's darker "Sunset Boulevard".It is though Burt Lancaster that is the central focus of the film. His first 'independent' production he knew if he did not carry it well it would have failed. Every time he is on the screen he is the focus of attention and fortunately he is on very often. Whether exchanging insults, engaging in acrobatics or romance he is hitting the target every time. He is ably supported by Virginia Mayo as his leading lady. A underrated actress with a attractive and strong physical presence. Lets be frank, does anyone believe that DARDO would fall for some skinny twit like Audrey Hepburn (or today Angelina Jolie) no way. We did not believe that when Sean Connery did in ROBIN AND MARIAN!

Lancaster is marvellous to watch! Performing all his own stunts his high flying antics are a joy to behold. No other actor, before or since, would prove to be so agile and provide such a spirited performance! His athletic prowess is outstanding and little wonder he was Warner's first choice to play the great native American athlete Jim Thorpe in their biographical "Jim Thorpe-All American" (aka "Man Of Bronz") in 1952. Although he did a kind of follow-up to "The Flame & The Arrow" two years later with the more comical "The Crimson Pirate" it is a shame he then ceased doing this type of movie as we could have tolerated him in quite a few more of them. We keep coming up with these Double Bill promotions – what about this one for two great adventures stories :- There was one thing that looked very unrealistic, although it may have been accurate: Dardo's love interest Anne (Virginia Mayo) wears pants in some scenes, and even wears shorts in some scenes. I can't imagine that any woman in medieval Europe would have worn pants, let alone shorts. But maybe she really did dress like that. Whatever the deal was, Virginia Mayo is as hot here as she was in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". One of the more enjoyable swinging-from-the-chandelier-with-a- -sword adventures made a la Erroll Flynn. A lively pace, loads of action, a witty-if-fluffy script, an enchanting score, good performances, and above all an incredible number of acrobatic stunts make this utterly enjoyable. Lancaster had been a circus acrobat before he got into films, and managed to work every stunt he could do into the script. He even balances and poses on the top of a 20-foot pole, for real. I'm still amazed that a guy that big could be so good.

I especially love the elfin language about the two flowers and the bees. There is a deeper meaning about love in the elfin language. The action is colourful if occasionally underpowered, the sets are fine, especially the castle interiors. Lancaster claimed to do all his own stunts but that seems very unlikely given the evidence and editing seen here, nevertheless it's his drive and energy which keeps the action moving. Mayo is fetching in her elaborate robes although her character seems too feisty to suddenly capitulate to Dardo's less than magnetic charms. Robert Douglas as the dashing but double-dealing Marquese and Frank Allenby as the tyrannical count are both very good in support. While visiting a small town, Sofia, Annika noticed a man and three women in their twenties. Intrigued by the way they were dressed, Annika followed them into the bookstore. She only found out that they were from Derbedrossivic, before she escaped when one of the women mistakened her for another person. I am not familiar with the musical score from the film but it must have been pretty exceptional to be released as a record at that time Annika said that she has met his kind (a womenizer) before and knew how to deter them. Yet she fell for Talvi who is the type she doesn't go for!

And Burt has the charisma going full blast in this film. As well he would have to, otherwise why would the peasants be following him. It's an expansive part and no one could be as expansive as Burt Lancaster when the part called for it.

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The Flame and the Arrow is a sweet romance between Annika and Talvi. Both are from different worlds. One from the human world and the other from the fae world. The final scene involves Dardo and Piccolo pretending to circus performers and in a Trojan Horse maneuver gain access to the castle where they use their acrobatic skills to defeat their oppressors. The studio claimed Lancaster did all of his own stunts and offered money if someone could prove otherwise. As it turned out, there were claims that some of the stunts were done by a stunt double but those claims were eventually thrown out of Court. I loved all the characters he did. They all felt real to me and unique. I would defiantly listen to this narrator who I found to be really good. The Flame and the Arrow" is a colorful adventure film with a great closing shot: Lancaster swinging in a series of circular movements on metalwork high above the courtyard of an old castle...

My thanks to a couple of prior reviewers for this film in mentioning that Burt Lancaster had an athletic circus career prior to Hollywood. I didn't know that, but it confirms what I thought I saw in the picture, that Lancaster must have been doing a fair share of his own stunts. There were a couple of flips and rolls I wouldn't have expected but it sure looked like he wasn't using a stunt double, so one has to appreciate the gymnastic ability involved. I would not recommend this book because I found it to be very slow. Nothing exciting happened in my opinion until we got closer to the end. BELOW – I have cropped the picture a little to see how it would have looked on the screen – although a still photographer is in the foreground – doing a good job I am sure

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Allenby and Douglas prove to have the best parts as confirmed villains. But Lancaster along with Mayo as the love interest don't fare as well, as their fate seems wholly improbable (one scene in which Dardo survives hanging on the gallows with a special harness proves to be the most absurd moment in the entire drama). I love Talvi for being so smug, confident with a bit of mischief whenever he talked to Annika. He is quite a protective and caring character. There are just so many good qualities about Talvi. From his past of what Annika knew about him, Talvi really grew from the shallow character he was before meeting Annika. Want to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Dardo, a Robin Hood-like figure, and his loyal followers use a Roman ruin in Medieval Lombardy as their headquarters as they conduct an insurgency against their Hessian conquerors." THE FLAME AND THE ARROW is one (1) of those films that every ten (10) years we see and are pleasantly surprised how well it holds up. It is also amazing how it appears and disappears. In the 60's it was on quite frequently, the 70's not so. American Movie Classics (AMC) showed it often in the 80's and it came out on VHS. Now it is been buried again so a new generation of viewers are going to have to wait till it comes out on DVD. I have just watched my 80's VHS recently so this is based upon it. Good thing this was a long book because there's a whole different parallel world to be described. This isn't one of those wordy "have-to-mention-every-object" scripts but one full of movement, characters and new situations. I get some feel of a YA read but there is graphic sex at the adult level... Not too much though (darn). No heavy violence or language (unless you consider "shit" a no-no.