Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow" is NOT another Robin Hood tale even though there are similarities. It takes place a later period following the War of the Roses (in black and white no less).
Louis Hayward swashes his buckle as the dashing Sir Richard Shelton who returns from the wars to find that his father has been murdered and his uncle Sir Daniel Brackley (George Macready) has taken over his father's estate. Brackley explains that the murderer Sir John Sedley (Paul Cavanaugh) has been tried and executed. We learn later in a flashback that Sir John had been rescued by his cohort Lawless (Edgar Buchanan) from the bow man's arrow and is living in the nearby forest with a group of oppressed citizens.
The KIng appoints Sir Daniel as the guardian of his ward Lady Joanna Sedley (Janet Blair) who at first doesn't see eye to eye with Sir Richard. Sir Richard learns that there were four witnesses to his father's murder: Sir Daniel, Sir Oliver Oates (Walter Kingsford), Hatch Rhys Williams and Appleyard (Ray Teal) both of whom were Sir Richard's teachers in his youth. Gradually, Sir Richard begins to doubt Sir Daniel's story and suspects him of the murder.
Sir Richard and Lady Joanna both suspect Sir Daniel as the real murderer and Sir Daniel becomes nervous and attempts to jail Sir Richard. With Joanna's help, Sir Richard escapes the castle but is wounded in his flight. Joanna remains but is distraught to learn that Sir Daniel plans to marry her with the Duke of Gloucester (Lowell Gilmore) the future King in attendance.
The wounded Sir Richard is taken by Lawless to the outlaw camp where his discovers Sir John very much alive, Lawless explains that he has been utilizing black arrows as a means of avenging Sir John on the four witnesses. Appleyard is killed while escorting Joanna to Sir Daniel, Hatch is slain by Sir Richard in a fight and Sir Oliver is killed by accident at the wedding ceremony of Joanna and Sir Daniel all with black arrows.
Sir Daniel catches Sir Richard trying to rescue Joanna before the wedding and jails him. In the presence of the Duke of Gloucester, Sir Richard challenges Sir Daniel to a "Trial By Combat" which is his right as a knight of the Crown. In a bloody combat featuring a joust, a sword fight and an attack by mace, Sir Richard finds his match in his evil Uncle until............................................................
Louis Hayward makes a believable hero and George Macready is as always a slimy hiss-able villain. Lowell Gilmore's Duke of Gloucester is anything but the evil Richard III that he would later become. Janet Blair seems out of place as the heroine. Edgar Buchanan, stepping away from westerns, makes a good sharp shooting bowman with a little comedy relief on the side. Seeing veteran character actors Ray Teal and Rhys Williams in tights was hilarious. And watch for silent comic Billy Bevan as the dungeon jailer.
Louis Hayward swashes his buckle as the dashing Sir Richard Shelton who returns from the wars to find that his father has been murdered and his uncle Sir Daniel Brackley (George Macready) has taken over his father's estate. Brackley explains that the murderer Sir John Sedley (Paul Cavanaugh) has been tried and executed. We learn later in a flashback that Sir John had been rescued by his cohort Lawless (Edgar Buchanan) from the bow man's arrow and is living in the nearby forest with a group of oppressed citizens.
The KIng appoints Sir Daniel as the guardian of his ward Lady Joanna Sedley (Janet Blair) who at first doesn't see eye to eye with Sir Richard. Sir Richard learns that there were four witnesses to his father's murder: Sir Daniel, Sir Oliver Oates (Walter Kingsford), Hatch Rhys Williams and Appleyard (Ray Teal) both of whom were Sir Richard's teachers in his youth. Gradually, Sir Richard begins to doubt Sir Daniel's story and suspects him of the murder.
Sir Richard and Lady Joanna both suspect Sir Daniel as the real murderer and Sir Daniel becomes nervous and attempts to jail Sir Richard. With Joanna's help, Sir Richard escapes the castle but is wounded in his flight. Joanna remains but is distraught to learn that Sir Daniel plans to marry her with the Duke of Gloucester (Lowell Gilmore) the future King in attendance.
The wounded Sir Richard is taken by Lawless to the outlaw camp where his discovers Sir John very much alive, Lawless explains that he has been utilizing black arrows as a means of avenging Sir John on the four witnesses. Appleyard is killed while escorting Joanna to Sir Daniel, Hatch is slain by Sir Richard in a fight and Sir Oliver is killed by accident at the wedding ceremony of Joanna and Sir Daniel all with black arrows.
Sir Daniel catches Sir Richard trying to rescue Joanna before the wedding and jails him. In the presence of the Duke of Gloucester, Sir Richard challenges Sir Daniel to a "Trial By Combat" which is his right as a knight of the Crown. In a bloody combat featuring a joust, a sword fight and an attack by mace, Sir Richard finds his match in his evil Uncle until............................................................
Louis Hayward makes a believable hero and George Macready is as always a slimy hiss-able villain. Lowell Gilmore's Duke of Gloucester is anything but the evil Richard III that he would later become. Janet Blair seems out of place as the heroine. Edgar Buchanan, stepping away from westerns, makes a good sharp shooting bowman with a little comedy relief on the side. Seeing veteran character actors Ray Teal and Rhys Williams in tights was hilarious. And watch for silent comic Billy Bevan as the dungeon jailer.