Adventures of Sir Galahad
Encyclopedia
Adventures of Sir Galahad is the 41st serial
released by Columbia Pictures
. It was based on Arthurian legend and, notably, was one of the very few serials of the time with a period
setting that was not a western
.
, trying to emulate his father Sir Lancelot, wants fervently to be admitted to the Knights of the Round Table order. When he defeats Sir Bors
and Sir Mordred
in tournament, King Arthur
agrees to knighthood if he can guard Excalibur
for one night. Unfortunately, during that night the sword is stolen by a mysterious personage known only as the Black Knight. Possession of Excalibur makes the holder invincible and without it the sovereignty of Arthur is endangered, then Galahad is refused knighthood until the sword is found. Galahad, aided by Sir Bors, is hindered in his quest by Ulric, the Saxon
King, who invades England, and by Merlin
the magician
, who harasses our hero at every turn. Galahad suspects that the Black Knight is a traitor within Camelot
who seeks the throne in alliance with the Saxons, while Morgan le Fay
, Arthur's half sister and also a magician, helps him fight both Merlin's magic and the Saxons.
Source:
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. It was based on Arthurian legend and, notably, was one of the very few serials of the time with a period
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
setting that was not a western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
.
Plot
The Arthurian film cycle started with the Adventures of Sir Galahad serial. In this version, the youth GalahadGalahad
Sir Galahad |Round Table]] and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic, and is renowned for his gallantry and purity. Emerging quite late in the medieval Arthurian tradition, he is perhaps the knightly...
, trying to emulate his father Sir Lancelot, wants fervently to be admitted to the Knights of the Round Table order. When he defeats Sir Bors
Bors
Bors circa 540s-580s, is the name of two knights in the Arthurian legend, one the father and one the son. Bors the Elder is the King of Gaunnes or Gaul during the early period of King Arthur's reign, and is the brother of King Ban of Benoic. Gaunnes is the Fredemundian dynastic kingdom of Neustria...
and Sir Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
in tournament, King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
agrees to knighthood if he can guard Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
for one night. Unfortunately, during that night the sword is stolen by a mysterious personage known only as the Black Knight. Possession of Excalibur makes the holder invincible and without it the sovereignty of Arthur is endangered, then Galahad is refused knighthood until the sword is found. Galahad, aided by Sir Bors, is hindered in his quest by Ulric, the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
King, who invades England, and by Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
the magician
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
, who harasses our hero at every turn. Galahad suspects that the Black Knight is a traitor within Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
who seeks the throne in alliance with the Saxons, while Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
, Arthur's half sister and also a magician, helps him fight both Merlin's magic and the Saxons.
Cast
- George ReevesGeorge ReevesGeorge Reeves was an American actor best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman....
as Sir Galahad. In the opinion of Cline, Reeves makes this a superior serial to Son of the GuardsmanSon of the GuardsmanSon of the Guardsman is a 1946 Columbia film serial. It was the 31st of the 57 serials produced by that studio.Son of the Guardsman is a rare serial with a period setting, in this case 12th century England...
, another period serial made by the same studio. - Nelson LeighNelson LeighNelson Leigh was a prolific motion picture actor of the 1940s and 1950s.-Career:...
as King Arthur - William FawcettWilliam Fawcett (actor)William "Bill" Fawcett was a character actor in Hollywood B-films and in television. His career extended from 1946 until the early 1970s. He is probably best remembered for his role as the cantankerous, rusty-voiced Pete Wilkey of the Broken Wheel Ranch on the NBC series Fury, co-starring Peter...
as Merlin, the Magician - Hugh ProsserHugh ProsserHugh Prosser was a Hollywood actor who appeared in over 90 films between 1936 and 1953.A native of Illinois, Prosser was a versatile supporting performer particularly adept at playing unscrupulous villains, but also satisfactory in character roles and the occasional sympathetic part...
as Sir Lancelot - Lois HallLois Hall-Biography:Hall was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the daughter of Lois Grace , a teacher, and Ralph Stewart Hall, a businessman and inventor...
as Lady of the Lake - Charles King as Sir Bors
- Pat Barton as Morgan le Fay
- Don HarveyDon C. HarveyDon C. Harvey was an American television and film actor. Harvey was born in Kansas, United States.-Career:Harvey appeared in 180 films and television programs between 1945 and 1963....
as Bartog, Ulric's Aide - Jim Diehl as Sir Kay
- Marjorie Stapp as Queen Guinevere
- John Merton as Ulric, the Saxon King
- Pierce LydenPierce LydenPierce Lyden was an American actor best known for his work in television and film Westerns.-Early life:Pierce Lyden was born in a sod house on a ranch near Hildreth in rural Franklin County, Nebraska, on January 8, 1908. Son of a horse buyer for the U.S...
as Cawker - Rick VallinRick VallinRick Vallin was an actor who appeared in over 150 films between 1938 and 1966.Born Eric Efron in Russia, Vallin came to America while still young. He started his Hollywood career with an uncredited part in the film Freshman Year...
as Sir Gawain - Leonard PennLeonard PennLeonard Penn was an American film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.-Career:...
as Sir Mordred - Ray Corrigan as One-Eye – the Innkeeper
- Frank EllisFrank Ellis (actor)Frank Ellis was an American film actor. He appeared in over 480 films between 1917 and 1954. He was born in Oklahoma and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* Elmo the Fearless...
as Outlaw - Al FergusonAl FergusonAl Ferguson was an Irish-born American film actor. He appeared in nearly 300 films between 1912 and 1956.He was born in County Wexford, Ireland and died in Long Island, New York.-Selected filmography:...
as Captain of the Guards - Rusty WescoattRusty WescoattRusty Wescoatt was an American supporting actor who appeared in over 80 films between 1947 and 1965, according to the Internet Movie Database. He was born in Hawaii....
as Bartog's Hefty Thug - Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
as The Black Knight (voice)
Chapter titles
- The Stolen Sword
- Galahad's Daring
- Prisoners of Ulric
- Attack on Camelot
- Galahad to the Rescue
- Passage of Peril
- Unknown Betrayer
- Perilous Adventure
- Treacherous Magic
- The Sorceror's Spell
- Valley of No Return
- Castle Perilous
- The Wizard's Revenge
- Quest for the Queen
- Galahad's Triumph
Source:
