“The Crusades”

Southland Times, Issue 22730, 5 November 1935, Page 5

“The Crusades”

SOME VARIED VIEWS. London audiences whose laughter at the Americanism “Aw. It’s kinda rough, mileddy,” led to immediate cutting of De Mille’s latest film spectacle, “The Crusades,” have yet given this presentation a kinder reception than the critics. Some British critics have praised the lavishness of the sets and costumes, but others, notably Hannen Swaffer, have been direct in their denunciation of the film. Swaffer calls it crude, and complains that it is more a study of Al Capone in fancy dress, and an example of American art in turning kings into gangsters. Most American critics, however, praise the film, and Mollie Merrick describes it as a “super picture, a powerful spectacle, an event of vast importance, and a magnificent concept.” As “The Crusades” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are Hollywood’s last big features for 1935, the reception already given the De Mille picture is of special interest, particularly as it is being shown to American audiences at the high price of 10/- a seat and drawing capacity houses. Apparently London audiences also liked the film, although the critics had other views, and De Mille certainly chose a sound basis for “The Crusades” when he built his story upon the Prix de Rome story written by Harold Lamb. It is one of the most expensive pictures made at Hollywood, and is packed with scenes, players and incidents, including an impressive cavalry battle, and a spectacular siege of Acre. The cast is notable with Henry Wilcoxon as King Richard “The Lion Heart” of England, Loretta Young as the Princess Berengaria of Navarre, lan Keith as Saladin, and C. Aubrey Smith as the hermit.

Writing from Hollywood last month, after viewing the film, Mollie Merrick reported that, notwithstanding all the imposing pageantry, the historical scenes, and great camera compositions, the outstanding feature was the human and poignant love story between Richard and Berengaria, Loretta Young, as the lovely Princess being worthy of such a magnificent King. But, says Hannen Swaffer: _ “If you want to see a gangster’s drab in fancy dress, well, you can go and look at Loretta Young. She is beautiful, but all that is utterly untrue. In real life, Berengaria was neither clever, not beautiful.”

According to Swaffer, the film is the result of the American purity campaign having driven De Mille to find, in history, a gangster picture to which no bishop can object. He found “The Crusades” long and heavy, and proving only that gangsterdom existed long before Al Capone ran it with a cross reference filing system. “ ‘The Crusades,’ ” he says, “shows on the screen a collection of gangsters and their girls put into fancy dress just to make a film. The plot starts with a gangster called Richard 1., with a rival gangster in the King of France. Peter the Hermit walks all the way from Jerusalem to England and, although he possesses no oratory, he persuades all the gangsters to join in a crusade to save the Holy Land from Saladin, who, according to both history and picture, seems to have been the only decent fellow of the lot.”

Swaffer’s only praise is for the fine acting of Wilcoxon.