Camelot

Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1960 Broadway musical based on the King Arthur legend was a smash hit that also became a cultural touchstone, thanks to its idealist themes of justice, chivalry, and enlightenment, as well as its association with John F. Kennedy's brief presidency. But by the time Camelot reached the big screen in 1967, youth culture was challenging establishment Hollywood tastes, and the movie version—directed by Broadway veteran Joshua Logan—tried to straddle the gap, resulting in a compromised production that is a lumbering, ungraceful, three-hour spectacle. Richard Harris, famous for portraying rebellious, rough-hewn characters, plays King Arthur with a mix of regal dignity and working-class edginess, while Vanessa Redgrave brings youth and unapologetic sexuality to the role of Guenevere. By contrast, Italian actor Franco Nero is neither a charismatic romantic lead nor much of a singer, so his Lancelot is just one of the tone-deaf elements in the film. Lavishly mounted with Academy Award-winning sets and costumes, Camelot is clumsily directed and haphazardly edited, alternately lighthearted and heavy-handed—often in the same scene. While the film has its fans, it's one of the signature bloated productions that sank the movie-musical genre. Presented in a digi-book case with an Oscar-winning soundtrack sampler CD, Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by film historian Stephen Farber, a retrospective documentary, and two vintage featurettes. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)