Cartoonist Hal Foster's long-running comic strip about Prince Valiant, a medieval Scandinavian hero, comes to life in this engrossing 1954 costume drama directed by steady journeyman Henry Hathaway (True Grit), who keeps the film from leaning too far into self-parody or strained seriousness. Robert Wagner is modestly appealing in the title role (under a Dutch-bob haircut), and he's surrounded by some fascinating veteran actors in other key roles: Brian Aherne as England's King Arthur, Sterling Hayden as Sir Gawain (Valiant's mentor at the Round Table), James Mason as the charming Black Knight (who plans on doing away with the founder of Camelot), and a fetching Janet Leigh as Princess Aleta. Boasting a handsome widescreen transfer, but no extras, this early CinemaScope effort is a strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)
Prince Valiant
Fox, 100 min., not rated, DVD: $14.98 Volume 19, Issue 4
Prince Valiant
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