The Black Arrow (1948) Adventure Film _ Starring Louis Hayward , Janet Blair

The Black Arrow is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Louis Hayward and Janet Blair.[2] It is an adaptation of the 1888 novel of the same title by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Black Arrow


Directed byGordon DouglasScreenplay byRichard Schayer
David P. Sheppard
Thomas SellarBased onThe Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses by Robert Louis StevensonProduced byEdward Small
Grant WhytockStarringLouis Hayward
Janet BlairCinematographyCharles Lawton Jr.Edited byJerome ThomsMusic byPaul Sawtell

Production
company

Edward Small Productions

Distributed byColumbia Pictures

Release date

June 30, 1948

Running time

76 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$1 million[1]

Plot

Sir Richard Shelton returns home after the War of the Roses and discovers that his father Sir Harry Shelton has been murdered. His uncle and Harry's half-brother, Sir Daniel Brackley, claims that Sir John Sedley, a Lancastrian and former friend of Harry's, murdered him over tribal grudges, and that in turn, Sedley was executed and his lands seized for Brackley's expanding kingdom on behalf of the Yorks. Three other associates of Brackley, all previously trusted mentors of Shelton, back up his story. However, Sir Richard receives messages sent via black arrow from "John-Amend-All", hinting that Brackley is responsible, and that he and his cronies are marked for death.

Sedley's daughter Joanna is assigned to be a ward of Brackley's, and she reluctantly takes residence at the castle. Still believing Brackley's story, Richard and Joanna are initially cold to each other. But during transport, one of Brackley's friends, Sir Oliver Oates, is killed by another black arrow containing a message, and Richard begins asking questions. He soon learns that "John-Amend-All" is in fact a living Sir John Sedley, who survived his execution thanks to intervention from his friend Lawless, who has also fired all the black arrows. Richard and Joanna attempt to escape through castle caverns, but the exits have already been blocked in advance, and Hatch, his former fight instructor, confronts him. Richard subdues him, and forces him to reveal how to open a door to the moat. He gets away but Joanna cannot follow.

Now living among Sedley and Lawless, Richard contemplates that if he and Sedley can speak before the Duke of Gloucester, Sedley's name can be cleared. However, Brackley has put a bounty on Richard, captures Sedley, and schedules a marriage with Joanna in order to obtain her family's property for certain. The Duke is to attend the ceremony, so Richard and Lawless plot a way to help Sedley escape. Their plans are initially thwarted as Lawless, to get past several guards, has gotten drunk with them and cannot carry out the tasks. Eventually, both men are imprisoned with Sedley, but Richard is able to outwit their guard and get Lawless out. From a perch near the chapel, Lawless fires an arrow that kills Appleyard, Brackley's right-hand man; they are caught again, but the wedding is delayed.

Richard appeals to the Duke and asks for trial-by-combat to settle the matter with Brackley; Sedley and Lawless agree to the Duke's terms that if Brackely wins, they will be executed, but if Shelton wins, they will be freed. During the fight, Brackley manages to break all of Richard's weapons and topple him from his horse, but in an opportune moment, Richard is able to kill Brackley with his own black lance.

Cast


Louis Hayward as Sir Richard Shelton

Janet Blair as Joanna Sedley

George Macready as Sir Daniel Brackley

Edgar Buchanan as Lawless

Rhys Williams as Bennet Hatch

Walter Kingsford as Sir Oliver Oates

Lowell Gilmore as Duke of Gloucester

Halliwell Hobbes as Bishop of Tisbury

Paul Cavanagh as Sir John Sedley

Ray Teal as Nick Appleyard

Russell Hicks as Sir Harry Shelton

Leslie Denison as Sir William Catesby

Billy Bevan as Dungeon Keeper

Harry Cording as Guard (uncredited)