King Richard and the Crusaders

David Butler

In 1191, King Richard the Lionheart, along with several other European monarchs, is in the Holy Land intent on retaking Jerusalem from the Saracens. There is much infighting and outright treachery in the European encampment however. Two nobles in particular, Sir Giles Amaury and Conrad of Montferrat, want to eliminate the English king and attempt to have him assassinated. Severely wounded and on his death bed, Richard is brought back to health by a Saracen doctor recruited by one of his loyal knights, Sir Kenneth of Huntington. The king recovers from his wounds but when he hears that Sir Kenneth wishes to marry Lady Edith Plantagenet, the knight is banished only to be taken in by the very doctor who treated the king and who has an altogether different identity.The film begins with King Richard the Lionheart George Sanders planning to attack the Saracens and defeat their leader, Emir Hderim Sultan Saladin Rex Harrison. Little does Richard know, though, the Castelaine knights who are supposed to follow him have other plans of their own. Giles of Conrad Robert Douglas, a Castelaine supporter, sets up an assassination attempt of the King using a poisoned Saracen arrow in hopes that the arrow will kill the King, frame the enemy, and allow Giles of Conrad to promote one of his own to overtake the Saracens and be the victorious ruler of the land. The assassination attempt fails and King Richard is discovered to still be alive, just before a new leader is about to be named. At this time, Sir Kenneth of Huntington Laurence Harvey enters King Richards camp, blaming Giles of Conrad and the Castelaine knights for the assassination attempt. Kenneth announces his loyalty to the King, but the King dismisses his thought that his own knights would assassinate him. The King then sends Kenneth to lead the Queens caravan as a scout to prove his loyalty to the Kingdom. ........

Source: Wikipedia