Knights of the Round Table (film)

Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 American historical Technicolor film made by MGM. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in Cinemascope made by that studio. The screenplay was by Talbot Jennings, Jan Lustig and Noel Langley from Sir Thomas Malorys Le Morte dArthur, first published in 1485 by William Caxton.

With the land in anarchy, warring overlords, Arthur Pendragon Mel Ferrer and his halfsister Morgan LeFay Anne Crawford meet as arranged by the sorcerer Merlin Felix Aylmer to discuss how to end the bloodshed. Morgan maintains that as she is the only legitimate offspring of the late king, the throne belongs to her, but Merlin puts the adversaries to a test to determine Englands rightful ruler. Merlin leads them to Excalbur, a sword embedded in an anvil, and says that according to legend, whoever can remove the sword shall be Englands true sovereign. Morgans knight champion Modred Stanley Baker tries in vain to extract the sword, but Arthur removes it easily. Mordred accuses Merlin of witchcraft, and a hearing is arranged with the Council of Kings at the circle of the stone. After advising Arthur that he must prove himself worthy of the throne by his deeds, Merlin instructs him to return the sword to the stone.Meanwhile, the French knight Lancelot Robert Taylor and his men ride toward the circle of stone, hoping to offer their services to Arthur. On the road, Lancelot encounters a young woman named Elaine Maureen Swanson, who quickly falls in love with him. They are waylaid by Modreds men, and Lancelot bravely does battle with all of them. Arthur arrives and joins in the battle. Lancelot, claiming he needed no help, challenges Arthur, unaware of his identity. After a long, exhausting fight, Lancelot finally asks his opponents name, and when he learns that it is Arthur, he breaks his sword against a tree and kneels before him. They are joined by Elaines brother Percival Gabriel Woolf, who asks to be Arthurs knight errant. ........

Source: Wikipedia