Quentin Durward (1955) – Nostalgia Central

In 1465, Scottish knight Quentin Durward (Robert Taylor with an accent which is all wrong for the part) travels to France to meet Isabelle, Countess of Marcroy (Kay Kendall), on behalf of his elderly uncle, who, for political reasons, the Duke of Burgundy (Alec Clunes) intends she marry.

Isabelle has no desire for the marriage to take place and fleees to the court of King Louis XI (Robert Morley) for protection. The devious King sees the opportunity to use her as a pawn in his long-standing battle with Burgundy.

A man of honour who may have sworn too many oaths (his code of chivalry is frequently mocked as irrelevant), Durward finds himself and Isabelle being manipulated in a deadly game by the Duke and King Louis.

More importantly, Durward himself is smitten with the Countess.

Adapted loosely from Sir Walter Scott’s classic novel of romance and chivalry in Medieval France, the MGM film was not successful at the box office and received generally negative reviews.

It’s overly long and tedious at times, but the swashbuckling knife and sword fight between Quentin and the villainous Walter De La Marck (Duncan Lamont) while hanging from bell ropes in a burning castle is well worth the wait.

An excellent supporting cast includes Wilfrid Hyde-White as the King’s barber, and George Cole as Hayraddin, the gypsy spy who befriends Quentin Durward.

Quentin Durward
Robert Taylor
Isabelle, Countess of Marcroy
Kay Kendall
King Louis XI
Robert Morley
Hayraddin
George Cole
Charles, Duke of Burgundy
Alec Clunes
Count William De la Marck
Duncan Lamont
Count Philip De Creville
Marius Goring
Master Oliver
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Gluckmeister
Eric Pohlmann
Bishop of Liége
Harcourt Williams
Count De Dunois
Michael Goodliffe
Duke of Orléans
John Carson
John, Cardinal Balue
Nicholas Hannen
Lord Malcolm
Moultrie Kelsall
Petit-André
Frank Tickle
Trois-Eschelles
Bill Shine
Lord Crawford
Ernest Thesiger

Director
Richard Thorpe