The Black Rose (1950) User Reviews (57)

High Adventure And Romance

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 26 January 2010]

After finishing his run in Mister Roberts in London, Tyrone Power stuck around to film Thomas Costain's novel The Black Rose. Costain was a popular novelist of historical themes and high adventure. The latter is what The Black Rose has plenty of.

Power is the illegitimate son of a recently deceased lord who left him some money to the distress of his wife Mary Clare and son Laurence Harvey because in effect in the will he acknowledged the affair that produced Power. In addition Power is still possessing those old prejudices of the original Saxon inhabitants against the Norman conquerors. A lot of people are telling Power to get over it, but he won't.

In fact he takes off for adventure in the Far East with similarly minded Jack Hawkins who's most handy with an English longbow. A fact that impresses Mongol lord Orson Welles who gets Power and Hawkins into his service. Welles has intentions of conquering China, an ambitious task that has failed most in history.

The title refers to Cecile Aubry the French accented daughter of a Crusader who is in Welles's harem. But she likes what she sees in the two exiled Englishmen. She's supposed to be English and that might throw a few people, but one must remember England at the time occupied a good deal of what is France. I'm sure Costain better explained it in the novel.

Power is properly heroic, but also cynical at the same time. It takes a dose of Jack Hawkins's reawakened patriotism for Power to see where his duty lay.

The real historical characters of King Edward I and Roger Bacon appear in the story. Edward I nicknamed Longshanks is played by Michael Rennie and it's far more favorable and civilized picture of Edward than Patrick McGoohan did in Braveheart. Henry Oscar plays Roger Bacon who was Power's teacher at ancient Oxford and one of the most brilliant minds of his time.

Henry Hathaway one of the best action directors ever keeps the whole thing moving well. The book is a great deal more complex than what you see on the screen, it would probably make a good mini-series. The color cinematography is some of Jack Cardiff's best work.

For those like myself who like the romantic Tyrone Power, The Black Rose is a medieval tale of high adventure and romance and not to be missed by Power's still powerful legion of fans.

Beautifully produced adventure

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 9 December 2006]

Tyrone Power stars in "The Black Rose," a 1950 adventure film also starring Jack Hawkins, Orson Welles, Cecile Aubrey, and Michael Rennie. Power plays Walter of Gurney, an Oxford scholar who hates the ruling Normans, takes off for Cathay with his friend Tris (Jack Hawkins). They wind up traveling with General Bayan (Orson Welles) and hiding a young girl, Maryam, known as The Black Rose.

The film is based on Thomas Costain's novel, and thanks to Tyrone Power, I became a fan of Costain's and read many of his books as a teenager. Very romantic, they'll get you through puberty. I seem to remember a lot of hotter encounters between Walter and Maryam, though the film does contain some romance.

"The Black Rose" was made at a time when 20th Century Fox and all of the other Hollywood studios were going through major changes since the government had broken the alliance between the studios and theater chains. Even with their problems, there is no expense spared on "The Black Rose." It is a sumptuous production, done on location and in color, with a top cast even in the minor roles: Herbert Lom, Laurence Harvey, Robert Blake, and famously, the voice of Peter Sellers dubbing the role of Bedoya.

The acting is uniformly good. Orson Welles played Bayan to fund one of his film projects. Normally he phones these performances in, using his formidable technique to get him through - he probably did the same here; sometimes it's hard to tell. He's excellent and underplays, being smooth in his role rather than barbaric, and he and Power have good screen chemistry. Off the screen, the two went back to the early '30s in New York when both were cast in a tour of Romeo and Juliet - this tour is captured in a roman a clef, "Quicksilver" by Fitzroy Davis. During the filming of "The Black Rose", director Hathaway needed some time away from Welles and, after being harassed by him in the company dining room, had a table set up in another room for himself, his wife, Tyrone Power and Linda Christian, so they could eat in peace. Welles became convinced they were getting special food and showed up. "We don't want special food," Hathaway informed him. "We want quiet." But Welles got his own table in this area, and the Powers and the Hathaways headed back to the main dining area.

Jack Hawkins is immensely likable as Tris. Cecile Aubrey, who would abandon her career and become a very accomplished screenwriter in France, is the gamine here. Some may find her a little too young-looking and a little too bubbly, but she is quite lovely as the childlike Maryam. Actually, she reminded me a little of Power's first wife, the French actress Annabella. Power is excellent as the adventurous Walter. One thing interesting about Power is that he never asked for scripts to be changed to reflect his age, and 20th Century Fox gave him scripts during this period that called for him to play characters anywhere from 10 to 15 years younger than he was, which in this movie is 36. It doesn't detract here; it's more obvious in "Rawhide," when he's supposed to be a green kid, and in "The Sun Also Rises." During their long working relationship, Zanuck apparently never thought of Power as anything but the young man he first hired in 1935. Walter is the kind or role the actor was sick of playing; he would shortly begin doing more stage work and form his own production company.

This is a sweeping adventure that many boomers will recall from "Saturday Night at the Movies" - like Power's swashbucklers, it's one of the previous generation's Saturday afternoon at the movies type films that young people remember fondly. I certainly do and am grateful for all the historical fiction I read as a result. Thankfully, this and other heretofore unreleased Power films will soon be available in a DVD collection.

Vivid Adventure; Unusual; Jack Cardiff's Work Plus Jack Hawkins

[silverscreen888 · 7/10 · 27 July 2005]

This is a feature film about which viewers cannot even begin to agree. Some believe it to be a major production with award-winning costumes, good actors, a vivacious leading lady, a clever story-line and colorful thirteenth-century adventures. Others deny all these judgments and assertions. The only thing that all its fans agree upon is that the movie was unusual, worth-making and worth discussing. The novel by Thomas B. Costain is clever and perhaps not-entirely-historical. It is a fictionalized biography and a recreation of an era that sets two Saxons against their Norman overlords at a time when this may have been an old-fashioned attitude; but this gives Walter of Gurnie an excuse to leave his homeland and his studies, with a companion, Tristram Griffin, master of the English longbow, to take service with Bayan of the Hundred Eyes, General to the Great Khan of China.. The other elements in the plot line are thus Bayan's inscrutable personality--he and Walter play chess and debate; Griffin's prowess with a weapon that astonishes the Easterners who see him employ it; and the two men's love for a disguised girl who is forced to flee and joins their caravan, she who is the titular "Black Rose" of the piece. The screenplay by adventure writer Talbot Jennings (developed from Costain's logical but slightly creaky novel) is perhaps a very good one; it is my assertion that with a bit more money and a better leading lady, the film might be more famous and even more appreciated. It deserves an updated remake, in my view. The director of the piece was veteran Henry Hathaway; he makes the events seem both realistic and important, never stooping to trickery to try to inject excitement at the points where none is indicated by the script. Richard Addinsell composed the music for the film, and William C. Andrews provided the art direction. The costume designs by Michael Whittaker I find to be quite serviceable and good for the period, but not extremely exciting. The cinematography by Jack Cardiff is as beautiful as it always is; the film looks as good as budgetary constraints permit in either B/W or color, which is quite a feat. it is played as an adventure; I believe it could be refashioned as a dramatic work; but what we have here is an engaging and rewarding script and production. Tyrone Power is a bit too-old for a student, but he is attractive and vivid in the lead. Jack Hawkins steals the film due to his charisma, energy and award-level interpretation of Tristram. Orson Welles is interesting and enigmatic as the general. As the Black Rose, Cecile Aubrey is adequate, often charming and able to get the basics of her very youthful part across but not much more. Michael Rennie, Finlay Currie. Herbert Lom, Mary Clare, Henry Oscar as Roger Bacon and Laurence Harvey are also featured. I like the film, and have good memories of reading the novel and seeing it years ago. It holds up well, due to its solid construction; but I yearn to remake it as a drama worthy of the very-interesting story-line even moreso. Watch for the great archery contest--surely the visual highlight of this adventure production.

A rousing, old-time action adventure!

[JSPrine · 7 October 1999]

This is one of those movies that makes you feel like a 12-year-old sneaking into the local movie palace on a Saturday afternoon.

If you like exotic locales, rousing action, a lot of humor and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, you'll probably enjoy this film as much as I do.

Orson Welles ("Bayan of the Thousand Eyes") is the real star, though Jack Hawkins, as usual, is terrific. This movie is a delight, and it stands the test of time. Best of all, it leaves you with a contented smile on your face.

I rate it a solid 8.5 out of 10.

Entertaining motion picture about oriental and medieval feats in superb Technicolor

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 18 October 2005]

It is set in XII century , during the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) , son of Henry III , with a strong rivalry between Norman and Saxon people . Two young Xasons (Tyrone Power and Jack Hawkins) decide to leave England crowned by King Edward (Michael Rennie) and since 1066 when the Hastings battle took place ruled by the Normans . They are going to Orient along with a beautiful girl called Maryam (Cécile Aubry , though Leslie Caron was offered first the character , which was eventually given to Aubry) escaped from avaricious merchants (Herbert Lom , Alfonso Bedoya whose voice was dubbed by Peter Sellers) . As they arrive in Mongol territory governed by Gengis Khan and they enlist to General Bayan's (Orson Welles) troops that want to conquer China . During war they are imprisoned and will suffer numerous dangers , adventures and risks ; besides , they will learn great number of Chinese inventions , such as : compass , silk , powder , among others .

It is a spectacular adventure with plenty of emotions , action and romance . This exciting picture blends far eastern adventures and medieval scenario . This is one of the most amusing oriental adventure movies ever made and extremely well produced in awesome Technicolor photography . This juvenile romp is utterly fun and entertaining . Tyrone Power (who died in Spain filming ¨Salomon and Queen of Saba¨) and Jack Hawkins are firmly teamed , they make a first-class duo as the adventurer pals . Magnificent Orson Welles who interpreted for getting the financing ¨Othello¨ and other yarns that remained unfinished due to poor budgeted backing . Orson played several exotic personages (The Tartari , Saul , Cagliostro , Macbeth , Cesare Borgia). Here appears known supporting actors , but very secondaries , thus : Robert Blake (as Mahmoud) , Laurence Harvey , Henry Oscar (the friar named Roger Bacon) , James Robertson Justice and many others . Glimmer and splendid cinematography by classic cameraman Jack Cardiff (Black narcissus) and sometimes filmmaker (Dark of the sun) . The film was professionally directed by Hollywood veteran Henry Hathaway who subsequently shot ¨Rawhide¨ , a fundamental western also with Tyrone Power . The flick will appeal to fanciful far Eastern saga enthusiasts and Tyrone Power fans .

An earnest Tyrone Power, a succulently hammy Orson Welles and an adventure from Norman castles to Chinese palaces and back again

[Terrell-4 · 6/10 · 3 February 2008]

And what's a black rose? We're told it is the name given to the clove, the most precious of spices. In this case, the clove is Maryam, played by Cecile Aubry. She was a small French actress, discovered, it is said, by producer Darrell F. Zanuck, and who looks no older than 14. She has a small mouth which is filled with tiny teeth and a plump tongue, and she occasionally jumps about to express enthusiasm. If Vera-Ellen and Charlie McCarthy had ever had a child, it would look a lot like Cecile Aubry. The movie, The Black Rose, is no stinker, but it suffers from Aubrey in the role. Unfortunately, it also suffers because Tyrone Power, playing Walter of Gurnie, a young scholar in his early twenties, looks every bit the 39-year- old man he was. The one insuperable drawback to the movie is its disjointed nature. We move from Norman England 200 years after William the Conqueror, to the middle-east and then on to a Mongol army moving and battling its way toward China, then to the imperial court of China itself, and finally back to England. We have a movie which is part historical adventure, part travelogue, part uneasy romance and, with Orson Welles playing the Mongol general Bayan with false eyelids, chubby cheeks and greasy skin, part succulent ham. The movie features some great scenic set-ups, interesting acting in one or two of the secondary parts, particularly by Jack Hawkins, and a nice look at a marching mongol horde, but on balance I think it is one of Power's weakest romantic-adventure films.

Walter of Gurnie, the illegitimate son of a Saxon lord who had married a Norman woman, is a hot-headed Oxford student who has left his studies when he heard his father has died. He hates, with good reason, the Normans. One night he joins a band of fellow Saxons led by Tristram Griffin (Jack Hawkins), an excellent bowman, in an attack on the castle which had been his father's. He planned to free some Saxon hostages held by his step-mother and her son, as well as to claim the boots his father had left in his father's will. In this will his father had publicly acknowledged him as his son. As a result of the attack, Walter and Tris must flee, and Walter decides they should go adventuring to Cathay to win gold, jewels and fame. Along the way he meets the great Mongol general, Bayan of the Hundred Eyes, who takes an interest in the two. Walter and Tris also are tricked into hiding a young woman, Maryam, who is one of dozens of maidens being sent to the Great Khan and who are traveling with Bayan's army. After battles and marches, archery contests, chess games and a walk along the rope of death, Walter is sent to the Chinese court to explain how powerful Bayan is and why the Chinese should surrender the imperial city. Now we have luxurious surroundings, manicured gardens, treacherous mandarins, jewels sewn into coats and a harrowing escape in which Walter and Maryam are separated. Finally, we're back in England, where the king honors Walter for his bravery and for bringing back the knowledge of the Chinese. All seems settled except for his lost love for Maryam. Will they be reunited? And how? See the movie.

Tyrone Power was Zanuck's champion swashbuckler. Power was, for me, a very earnest actor. In his early years he had great good looks. As he aged, his face thickened a bit, his eyebrows grew dense and his five-o-clock shadow must have been a real challenge for Fox's make-up artists. He was an actor who longed to show he could do more than prance around the scenery with a sword in his hand. In two movies, Nightmare Alley and Witness for the Prosecution, he fought for the chance to show he could handle unpleasant roles, and he did very well. Yet for the most part he stayed safely playing conventional star heroes. He died of a heart attack when he was only 44. He was filming, what else, a dueling scene for one more big, expensive and forgettable adventure movie.

For those who enjoy reading sweeping historical adventures, you might like the source book, The Black Rose by Thomas B. Costain. It's one of those big, fat novels that goes from adventure to adventure. Costain probably is barely remembered now. He was a Canadian journalist who, in his early sixties, unexpectedly struck it rich as a popular novelist. For ten years he wrote best selling fiction and well-respected popular histories. His fiction is packed with well-researched history and his histories read like well-written novels. The Black Rose is still a good read.

THE BLACK ROSE (Henry Hathaway, 1950) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 18 December 2006]

I know this was shown on Italian TV during my childhood but I'm not sure whether I had watched the film in its entirety - after this viewing, I certainly didn't recollect much of anything and, therefore, consider it as a first!

Anyway, I decided to catch up with it now as an accompaniment to star Tyrone Power's most popular vehicle - THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940). Unlike that one (shot in black-and-white on studio sets), however, this was splashed with color and had the benefit of location photography: still, it's a much inferior spectacle, and the main reason for this is that the plot itself singularly lacks excitement - despite being basically an amalgam of Ivanhoe (starting off in medieval England with our Saxon hero opposing the Norman rulers) and Marco Polo (he eventually travels to the Orient and brings back samples of their exotic heritage). Also, despite the imposing presence of Orson Welles as a fearsome but noble Mongol warrior, there's precious little action in this two-hour film (though it's never actually boring)!

Despite the Fox banner, this was a British-based production and, consequently, the supporting cast and technical credits are nothing to sneeze at - the former including such stalwarts as Jack Hawkins (an unlikely but amiable bowman and Power's sidekick), Michael Rennie, Finlay Currie (as Power's proud and cantankerous grandfather), Herbert Lom, James Robertson Justice and Laurence Harvey (impossibly young as a Norman prince), as well as Alfonso Bedoya (whose voice was allegedly dubbed by Peter Sellers!) and child actor Robert Blake; behind the camera were such talents as legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff, composer Richard Addinsell and production designer Paul Sheriff. The weakest link in the film is clearly leading lady Cecile Aubry, who struggles too hard to be winsome but results only in being irritating most of the time (not surprisingly, her career wasn't a long-lasting one).

While certainly watchable and generally entertaining in itself, Power was better served by some of his other historical epics (among them the film that directly preceded it, PRINCE OF FOXES [1949], another - though more modest - collaboration with Orson Welles).

Tyrone Power in lesser-known medieval saga

[Dr_FIcta · 7/10 · 21 November 2019]

As other reviewers have observed, this is a difficult movie to rate with a single number. In some ways it is quite effective in its atmospheric period depiction. Yet in other ways it suffers considerably, especially in its plotting, editing, and scriptwriting.

We'll start with the negatives, most particularly the spectacularly ineffective performance by Cecile Aubry (in the title role, no less!). Not only is her speech at times practically unintelligible, but she has absolutely no emotional chemistry with her supposed love-interest--Power. The utter failure of this relationship to develop convincingly is the film's single biggest weakness (although that is not entirely the fault of Aubry). With regard to cinematic verisimilitude, many previous reviewers have emphasized Tyrone Power's miscasting in terms of age, and to a lesser extent, his thoroughly anachronistic American accent. To me, however, those failings are less severe than the complete lack of credibility as to language in general. Amazing how many people along the silk roads of the Middle East (and even all the way to Cathay) spoke idiomatic English! Yes, it's true that such a problem is difficult to solve (indeed, even such an acknowledged master-epic as "Lawrence of Arabia" suffers from it), but some films (e.g., "The Third Man") confront this problem a lot more successfully than others. I suppose it's an aspect of cinematic suspension of disbelief that we'll just have to accept-but one doesn't have to like it. Another serious problem results from scripting and editing, which, among other things, cuts out the protagonists' entire trip from their departure out of England to somewhere around Arabia. Both continuity and opportunity for dramatic development are lost thereby.

On the other hand, certain aspects of this film render it a worthwhile viewing experience. First, the location scenery and Cardiff's color cinematography are first-rate, contributing to the film's overall atmosphere. Second, with the exception of Aubry, the characterizations are generally well drawn (e.g., Lom, Rennie, Welles). Power is his usual likable self, and Hawkins, as always, adds value to the film through his mere presence. Third--and notwithstanding the criticisms of a couple of previous reviewers--Addinsell's film score is actually pretty effective. I am especially struck by the plaintive, haunting scoring for double-reeds toward the beginning of the film, evoking (along with the accompanying visuals) a long-past time.

In sum: the first half of the movie is both engaging and entertaining (albeit a bit talky), but the plot becomes increasingly implausible and unarresting in its latter stages, such that long before the end one might be tempted to abandon it entirely.

Sound and boredom signifying nothing

[jromanbaker · 4/10 · 13 June 2020]

This is a boy's film and I have grown up a little. Maybe I watched it on Talking Pictures, an English ' old ' film channel. and my main interest was in seeing Cecile Aubry the leading actress in Clouzot's masterpiece, ' Manon ' ( a film hard to find now but for those who understand French worth hunting done. Disgracefully it has not gone on to DVD in the UK. ). Now for the film. It is long, long, long and there are stretches of utter boredom, such as the Saxon versus Norman tiresome conflict. It is not exactly a pro-French film. More things change more it is the same thing on that issue, sadly !! Cecile Aubry wasted in Henry Hathaway's painting by numbers direction. Tyrone Power was too old for the role and Jack Hawkins valiantly tries to keep up with the absurd plot. On the plus side visually it deserves a 4 rating and no doubt it pleased the audience with its Technicolour in 1950, and Orson Welles even in a bad role puts the rest of the cast to shame. Just to add to the stupidity of it all Cecile Aubry plays an English woman with a heavy French accent and Tyrone Power has a heavy American accent. They should have cast Laurence Harvey who is in this saga in the main role and saved Cecile Aubry from the burden of the film by casting someone else. The film is a lengthy, wordy shambles.

Underrated little jewel from the 50s

[roeschter-220-321816 · 7/10 · 23 January 2015]

The movie is a childhood memory, and a well remembered one. I think its a underrated little jewel from the 50s, well executed for the time and set in an interesting historical period. I appreciate the movie for being the only (western) adventure movie set in Mongol expansion period I ever came across and it got me interested in this particular historical period for live. Although not very accurate on historical details it gives an overall good impression of the time. Orson Welles playing Mongol general Bayan as quick-witted, educated and tolerant, though ruthless, forms the acting highlight of the movie. Although other roles don't stand by their acting the collection of characters presented is quite amusing. The movie stands out from other adventure movies of the period by avoiding a clear hero and villain patterns, most characters are ambiguous. The plot is the weakest point of the movie, covering a storyline spanning years and stretching from England to China it simply tries to compress too much into its 120min. Watching it as a lineup of historical scenes during quite fascinating times makes it enjoyable nevertheless.

A Waste of a Cool Title

[richardchatten · 3/10 · 21 March 2020]

Last and least of Tyrone Power's three Technicolor swashbucklers for Fox is already struggling before we meet Cécile Aubry in the title role and you know the film is doomed.

At a cost of £4 million at least it helped fund Orson Welles' 'Othello' shooting nearby in Morocco (in which some of the costumes also reappeared!); but the best performance as usual is from Jack Hawkins.

Tyrone Power & Orson Welles In Medieval Melodrama

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 8 April 2001]

Two young Saxons, bitter over the Norman predations in their homeland, travel to far Cathay to win their fortunes. Their dangerous journey becomes infinitely more complicated when they provide unwilling refuge for an enticing girl known as THE BLACK ROSE.

Filmed expansively in England & North Africa, 20th Century Fox gave this film excellent production values, with great masses of surging extras & plenty of swashbuckling flurry. The plot is outlandish, based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain, but this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of watching the action or hearing the (often) intelligent dialogue. While not as cerebrally fulfilling as the previous year's PRINCE OF FOXES, the film is still able to hold its own for pure entertainment.

At 36, Tyrone Power may be unconvincing as an Oxford undergraduate, yet he still fills his hero's role with dash & passion. The Technicolor camera isn't always kind to his aging good looks, and he's up against a powerful congregation of talented co-stars, yet Power never fails to offer anything less than a satisfying performance.

Jack Hawkins is every bit Power's equal in screen charisma, making his role as the longbowman sidekick absolutely vital to the story. A lesser actor would have been swamped by Power's star prerogative, but Hawkins holds his own admirably. Entrancing French actress Cécile Aubry is very fetching as the girl the heroes reluctantly rescue. With her big eyes & intense manner, she provides the film with its most tender moments.

Appearing as the formidable Mongol general Bayan, the inimitable Orson Welles fills a rather modest role with his megawatt personality. Body swaggering, voice booming, he effortlessly filches every scene he's in, entertaining the viewers & obviously amusing Power & Hawkins as well. While not as significant as either Cesar Borgia or Harry Lime - his two great roles of that immediate period - Welles still wrings every bit of cinematic pleasure out of Bayan, as if he were saying, `There! Look what I can do with even a small part!' The film's biggest drawback is his abrupt departure from the story line.

The rest of the cast is peppered with fine British actors - James Robertson Justice, craggy Finlay Currie, Michael Rennie, Herbert Lom, & Laurence Harvey. Mary Clare as a Norman countess & Madame Phang as the Chinese Empress both give tiny, vivid portrayals. Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Torin Thatcher as a rebellious Saxon. Young Robert Blake plays a Moslem servant boy. And that's Peter Sellers dubbing the voice for the oily Lu Chung.

Now for an historical reality check: by the time of the film's action, roughly 200 years after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the difficulties between the Normans & the Saxons had long since dissipated. The Norman government did much to modernize & civilize England; this trend continued under King Edward I, whose reign commenced in 1272 and who appears briefly in the film.

Regardless of what the plot states, the Mongols had long before captured Cathay (China). Genghis Khan had largely completed this task and ruled a huge empire stretching from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean by the time of his death in 1227. Tyrone Power's cinematic journey seems to owe much to that of the historical Marco Polo from Venice, who arrived at Shando, the capital of Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan, in 1275.

Final film of Cecile Aubry!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 22 May 2018]

Narrated by Michael Rennie. Director: HENRY HATHAWAY. Screenplay: Talbot Jennings. Based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain. Technicolor photography: Jack Cardiff. Technicolor consultant: Joan Bridge. Music: Richard Addinsell. Music conductor: Muir Mathieson. Art directors: Paul Sheriff and W. Andrews. Film editor: Manuel Del Campo. Special effects: W. Percy Day. Costumes: Michael Whittaker. Sound: Buster Ambler. Western Electric Sound System. Made at London Film Studios, Shepperton, England, and on locations in North Africa. Producer: Louis D. Lighton.

Copyright 24 August 1950 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 1 September 1950. U.S. release: 8 August 1950. U.K. release: 25 September 1950. Australian release: 8 September 1950. Sydney opening at the Regent. 10,910 feet. 120 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Two 13th century Saxons, with a hatred for the Normans, leave England for China where they team up with a vicious Mongol warlord.

NOTES: Negative cost: $4.5 million. Number 14 at Australian ticket windows for 1950, the film was also one of the top 25 attractions at the U.S./Canadian box office for the year. In the United Kingdom, however, where both Power and Hawkins were major money-spinning stars, the film failed to place among the champions.

Michael Whittaker was nominated for an Academy Award for his color costume designs, losing to Samson and Delilah.

Final film of Cecile Aubry, the star of Manon. I'm told she retired from the screen after marrying a Moroccan prince who met her whilst visiting the film set.

VIEWERS' GUIDE: Extraordinarily, the current film censor's classification is "G" for general exhibition. You'd think the movie would at least rate a "PG" for occasional medium-level violence. I would go further. Adults only. It's not just that the violence is occasional, it's the way it's presented. The movie is permeated with a vicious tone of casual cruelty which makes the violence seem even more forceful than what is actually depicted.

INITIAL COMMENT: In many ways, a typical Hathaway film with exciting action episodes and effective use of natural backgrounds. The plot has a Boys Own Paper quality but it is more literate in the telling than it is in the synopsis and the characters are vividly brought to life by a fine cast of seasoned players. Hathaway feels that he was unsuccessful with Welles and Aubry but to my mind Welles has a compelling screen presence even when he is not trying as here.

Aubry makes a charming and unusual Hollywood heroine in that she has a strong personality that belies her youthful appearance. The only colorless player is Mr. Power who gives his usual efficient but unremarkable performance. The film has been lensed on a lavish budget, the sets and the color photography are never less than breathtaking."

UPDATED COMMENT: Alas, my initial enthusiasm was not borne out by a current viewing. True, a viewing on TV, and you just can't hope to match the impact of a movie designed for the cinema screen when that picture is reduced to lounge-room dimensions and shown to an audience of two.

All the same it's curious that I now find myself in agreement with my contemporary colleagues.

Dull historical romance is handsomely produced but poorly scripted...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 4 October 2006]

Thomas B. Costain gave us CAPTAIN FROM CASTILLE, a much better historical romance than his THE BLACK ROSE, and Fox has spared no expense in bringing this version of his novel to the screen. It's handsomely photographed by Jack Cardiff in England and North Africa as it spins the tale of two Saxons (TYRONE POWER and JACK HAWKINS) who join a tribal war party enroute to meeting a Tartan general in the Far East (ORSON WELLES, in swarthy make-up), during a period in the 13th century of great unrest between Normans and Saxons.

The plot thickens once they reach the Orient where a girl known as The Black Rose (CECILE AUBRY) is hiding out and needs rescuing from Power and Hawkins. All of the desert scenes are filmed in Morocco to great effect, but the script never allows any of the characters to come alive. Power struggles manfully with a part that seldom allows him to swing into action, while Jack Hawkins (as a skilled bowman who can hit his targets accurately) has a little more to do than Power and does it well. He's particularly effective in a scene involving his marksmanship while the Tartan general watches, the penalty for losing being losing his head.

But all the other events provide nothing but the eye candy of seeing Tyrone Power and his fellow players wearing colorful costumes. As an action adventure, this one fails to deliver the goods and there is a less than robust background score by Richard Addinsell.

Trivia note: Power does not even attempt a British accent while Hawkins, of course, already has one. Cecil Aubry should have been dubbed or replaced by someone who could be understood.

Summing up: Too much talk, too little action for an historical romance of this kind.

romance,action,thrills,scenery,surprise ending

[Monlaraman · 29 May 2004]

I saw this movie when I was twelve and identified with the young girl. I may have been young, impressionable, but involved with her character. I fell in love with Tyrone Power.I also felt Orson Welles was very handsome and knowledgeable. I thrilled to the thought of being in her place. I watched avidly the scenery as the film progressed for I was unable to travel as my family was not well off. I often dreamed of visiting foreign countries.I loved their beautiful costumes.I knew very little of the world and soaked up every moment.The Black Rose had many particulars of movies of today, romance,action,thrills,suspense,scenery,and a surprise ending. I believe any young girl of twelve to fourteen would love it today.I hope to see it again soon on Turner Classic Movies.

One of the worst romantic pairings ever!

[Hay8there · 6/10 · 5 February 2023]

Overall, this is a fairly good picture with beautiful color and the reliable male actors all performed as expected. The movie has a satisfying historical plot and fascinating scenery but the movie goes so wrong once the heroine is introduced. According to Ben Mankiewicz she was an important French find. Unfortunately, she is extremely irritating and acts like a very young, irresponsible child. She is not a good match for the much older Tyrone Power and it's very hard to believe he could possibly have any real affection for her. Despite enjoying Tyrone Power and Jack Hawkins immensely, the French chipmunk-cheeked girl made us fast forward to the ending.

big English epic

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 24 August 2021]

It's the 13th century, some 200 years after the Normans conquered England. There is residual friction between Normans and Saxons. Walter of Gurnie (Tyrone Power) is the illegitimate son of the recently deceased Earl of Lessford. He's a Saxon but his father's widow is a Norman. He receives only his father's boots but it's his most beloved possession. He gets into trouble with the Normans and has to flee England with his bowman friend Tristram Griffen. They set off on a long trip looking for Cathay. They join a caravan loaded with gifts for the Kublai Khan under the protection of General Bayan (Orson Welles). Maryam is an English girl known as the Black Rose being sent as one of the gifts.

Maryam never seems English to me. She's played by French sexpot Cécile Aubry. I put it down to her never been in contact with many English people. Then there is Orson Welles and his yellow-faced acting. Old cinema can be disturbing but one must be careful retroactively imposing moral standards. In the grand scheme of things, other old films have done much worst. There doesn't seem to be any expense spared in this production coming out of England. The story is a step slower than it should be. It needs more big epic action. The characters need to be more compelling. They do pile on the Chinese inventions like there's no tomorrow in this movie. In the end, this needs a big epic signature battle to make this more than a passing adventure movie.

the black rose

[mossgrymk · 6/10 · 13 September 2021]

First saw it 60 years ago on Ben Hunter's Movie Matinee and I remember liking it, especially Orson Welles' good/bad warlord (I was twelve at the time and just starting to appreciate ambiguity). Now, at seventy two, I'm afraid to say I find it way too slow and long for a good action/adventure film, especially one directed by the usually fine practitioner of the genre, Henry Hathaway, and Welles' performance now strikes me as too mannered and modern, like he's Charley Kane in a 13th century Mongol soldier's body. Give it a C plus.

An atypical swashbuckler

[gazelam · 7/10 · 5 November 2006]

Having seen this a number of times as a late-night or Saturday-afternoon movie growing up, I caught it again yesterday on television, and was pleasantly surprised. As other posters have commented on it's faithfulness to the book or as a historical setting, I won't comment on that.

Probably due to an excellent cast, the movie manages to transcend many of the (at least now accepted) clichés and is very successful. Having Welles and Powers in leading roles obviously allows them to sell the story line in a very convincing manner. I am a big fan of swashbuckler movies, but this goes beyond the bravado with good character development. The large-scale shots were magnificent. Lots of extras, animals, etc. I was drawn into the story and quite dazzled by the cinematography.

Although there is nothing profound here, this is an easy film to enjoy.

The strange rose

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 4 March 2019]

My main reasons for seeing 'The Black Rose' were my love for classic film, my high appreciation for historical adventures and romances and a more than capable cast that included the likes of Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, Finlay Currie and Jack Hawkins. Although viewers seem to be divided when it comes to critical opinion, 'The Black Rose' did sound like it could be enjoyable if done right when taking the above into account.

'The Black Rose' though turned out to be one strange film and not an easy one to rate. Not an awful film and just about made watchable by some assets done well, but it is a rose that never really blossoms, a romance that never properly ignites and an adventure that never properly blazes. So generally was left a bit cold by 'The Black Rose' as much as it pains me to say it, being someone who wanted to like it considering that it was hardly one of those doomed from the start sort of films.

It is the production values that particularly make 'The Black Rose' watchable. It is a gorgeous film to look at, particularly noteworthy is being lavishly photographed with colour that is both vibrant and atmospheric. The production design is handsomely evocative and the costumes likewise, found it interesting finding out that two wardrobe men had to help Welles into his fur coat because it was so heavy. Richard Adinsell's music score rouses, sweeps and haunts, complementing more than competently.

Power is too old for his role but throws himself into it gamely and is hardly charisma void, he is also earnest without being overly so. The best performance overall came from Hawkins, an immensely likeable presence as the most interesting character and the one with the most humanity. He and Power work really well together. Couldn't help though being entertained by Welles, it is a bizarre role and played with a lot of ham yet Welles really looks as though he was enjoying himself while not being too out of kilter and it was a lot of fun to watch and livened things up quite a bit. Currie and Michael Rennie give good supporting performances.

However, most of the dialogue ranges from very bad to painful in a script that is far too heavy on the talk and was in serious need of a tightning up. It also fails to bring any depth or development to a vast majority of the characters, excepting Hawkins. Cecile Aubry gives for me one of the blandest and most increasingly irritating love interest performances seen by me in quite some time and her complete lack of chemistry with Power makes the romantic element fall flat.

Not that the rest of the storytelling is much better. Aside from a very rushed and incomplete-feeling ending, the pace never comes to life. With too little action/adventure elements, and what there is is as unexciting as can be, the film does feel very dull and structurally it is pretty uninvolving as well. Henry Hathaway's direction is not incompetent but is rather undistinguished and uninspired.

In summary, a strange film that didn't really work for me. 5/10

The Black Rose as a movie

[bawdybill · 7/10 · 8 October 2009]

I can't believe I'm the only one who has read the book!. And, boy, was it different. Read before the movie was made, too.

But, as to the movie and considering how the film industry takes all kinds of liberties when transferring story to film it was a pretty good spectacle. Older folks will recall the "spectacles" with their "casts of thousands" etc. Okay. Jack was an alright Tristam, but in the book he became outlawed in England and died as such (from starvation, as I recall); the girl was oriental and followed Walter back to England separately. As I recall, all she could say was "Walter" and "London", but it got her back to Walter and the folks at Gurnie who had all turned merchants and were producing linen paper, etc. from tricks Walter learned in the far east.

The book was so much better than the movie, especially since your can cast your own stars (if you want) and the author usually gives you pretty good descriptions of his characters. Sadly, no one in the movie comes close to my idea of what the characters looked like.

Very disappointing

[thebb1951 · 3/10 · 30 September 2007]

The Black Rose is an extremely uninvolving film, due both to its unfocused script and the miscasting of Tyrone Power and Cecile Aubrey. Power is far too old to play an Oxford student who has dropped out of college. A 20 year old in the part might have made the hot-headedness of the character acceptable, but Power was 36 when he made this, and watching him behave this way simply made me think he was immature or nasty and vindictive. Cecile Aubrey is truly awful. She comes across as a child, and has no sex appeal or chemistry with Power. It's doubly curious that she's called "The Black Rose" but has blonde hair and a light complexion. Orson Welles has some enjoyable moments as the warlord, and Jack Hawkins is solid as the best friend. There is some nice production value, but there are no battle scenes that actually take place on screen. This is a movie in which things just happen, but not because the characters are driven to make them happen. All in all, it's rather dull and definitely not recommended.

One of my favorite movies from my childhood

[ecohen49 · 9/10 · 5 May 2000]

A fine classic adventure story with a beautiful and exotic heroine. When I was a boy, I fell in love with Cecile Aubrey. I watched this film whenever it was shown on TV, and that was in the days of black and white. I didn't even know the movie was filmed in color. The characters and story line will hold your interest from first to last. Catch it if you can.

Odd movie. Good, slow.

[gazzo-2 · 6/10 · 19 June 2009]

What a strange movie. Check this cast-Tyrone Power playing a 36 year old college student(!), Jack Hawkins as Little John, Orson Welles as a Genghis Khan type(!?) enroute to sack China and/or bring some tribute to Kublai Khan, Herbert Lom(!!) in a cameo as a caravan-head, Michael Rennie in a two-season wrap-around cameo as King Ed, and some 14 year old blonde French lass who was shockingly 22(!) at the time-you could fooled me.

I donno quite what to make of it-nice desert filming, odds and sodds casting, a war is on but all you ever see is some smoke billowing off in the distance of some 'burning city', they wind up in China and then have to sneak out. Hawkins ends up dead-but you are also left hanging as to whatever happened to the girl.

Those last two scenes-King Ed forgives him for everything he said, Power does his Marco Polo bearing gifts and kick starting the rennaisance in the UK some 200 years early--ooo here's gun powder! here's the Printing Press! here's the compass!, only to be met by two armor-plated Mongol knight doubling as Western Union reps(!) all the way from China(?!), bearing the girl and a message from Orson.

Like I said, very, very strange. It's worth seeing just because, but-don't expect to see a war movie, that's not this.

**1/2 outta ****

a little bit dull,....sorry

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 2 March 2006]

While I love the books of Thomas Costain (who wrote the original story), I was surprised how lukewarm I felt about this movie. Plus, combining that with such actors as Tyrone Power, Orson Welles and Jack Hawkins, I really expected to love this film. And, this could be some of the reason I scored this movie so low. Perhaps someone who never read the novel or wasn't a Tyrone Power fan would forgive its slow pace, occasionally sappy dialog and less-than-inspiring plot. All I know is that I really needed to push myself to stay focused on the movie. In fact, I tried watching this film a couple times before I finally sat through it.