This is one of a set of adventure spoofs that turned Burt Lancaster's career around in the early 1950s. It is usually seen as a first try at what would be more successfully done in THE CRIMSON PIRATE (1952), but it also should be seen in the film HIS MAJESTY O'KEEFE as well. Unlike the other two O'KEEFE is not a costume picture set in an earlier century, but it is set in the Polynesian archipelagos, so it has a different setting from THE KILLERS or I WALK ALONE. Lancaster could dominate the setting where acrobatics were the key to centralizing attention to his role (in the film noirs he could be a muscle man, but the brains in those film plots belonged to slicker characters: Albert Decker, Kirk Douglas, Dan Duryea).
Lancaster's first costumer is set in the Italy of the 13th Century when the Germans were ruling parts of the north (not the Austrians who ruled in later centuries, but the Germans from what is now Germany). This is the period of the warfare of the Guelfs (the German party) vs. the Ghibbelines (the Italian party). It was actually a pretty thick civil war, and Robert Douglas's equivocal position with the German invaders shows something about the level or political high wire walking that had to be done (and Douglas is not doing it too well - he can't afford to because of the tax demands of the invaders).
The history of the Italian city states in the Renaissance is far from covered in motion pictures (outside of Italy, of course). Besides THE FLAME AND THE ARROW one has to think of those Shakespeare films set in or with Italy in the background (ROMEO AND JULIET and OTHELLO come to mind). There is DECAMERON NIGHTS (three stories by Bocaccio from THE DECAMERON - with Louis Jourdan and Joan Fontane enjoying themselves). The silent film ROMONA gives the story of Savanerola's reform of Florence (via George Eliot's novel) to us. The Borgias got covered by BRIDE OF VENGEANCE and PRINCE OF FOXES, and the papacy of Julius II was covered in THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY.
The last film has Michaelangelo in center stage with the Pope, courtesy of Charleton Heston and Rex Harrison, but it also had an actor playing Raphael briefly. Leonardo has yet to get on film (for some unknown reason he is not seen fit for characterization in a film biography). St. Francis of Assisi has managed to get into one film: BROTHER SON, SISTER MOON, wherein the imperious Pope Innocence III (Alec Guiness) admits that meeting St. Francis only brings him a sense of shame for his other-worldliness. Considering that Innocence III was the most powerful Pope of all time (he humiliated the Holy Roman Emperor once) that is a statement slightly hard to believe. Yet it is one of the few scenes dealing with Renaissance Italy on screen, and the only notable appearance of that Pope.
THE FLAME AND THE ARROW deals with Lancaster's attempts to reclaim his son, whom his first wife has taken to live with her in the castle of the ruling German Prince. Lancaster is assisted in his attempt by Virginia Mayo (his new love interest - his first wife has become the Prince's mistress), Nick Cravat, assorted villagers. Douglas occasionally seems willing to work with Lancaster and his band of freedom fighters, but when his own interest is at stake is willing to sell them out. The end comes in a battle by the locals against the invaders, wherein Lancaster has to take care of both Douglas and the German Prince. It ends quite excitingly.
My choice of the odd quote: Norman Lloyd, who usually played villains on screen (SABATEUR) had one of his funnier parts here. Always slightly smarter than most people, Mr. Lloyd sees a chance to turn a feast for the local German troops and the Prince into a brouhaha. A band of strolling actors are there for entertainment, and one of them has accidentally gotten into the way of a soldier who had some duty that has to be done now. The soldier picks the poor actor up and throws him against some scenery. The other peasants and actors are shocked and dismayed by this act of violence. Quietly, Lloyd goes over to the chief actor of the company and whispers the above line. Within moments a full scale, uncontrollable riot has begun. Nothing like messing with an actor!
Lancaster's first costumer is set in the Italy of the 13th Century when the Germans were ruling parts of the north (not the Austrians who ruled in later centuries, but the Germans from what is now Germany). This is the period of the warfare of the Guelfs (the German party) vs. the Ghibbelines (the Italian party). It was actually a pretty thick civil war, and Robert Douglas's equivocal position with the German invaders shows something about the level or political high wire walking that had to be done (and Douglas is not doing it too well - he can't afford to because of the tax demands of the invaders).
The history of the Italian city states in the Renaissance is far from covered in motion pictures (outside of Italy, of course). Besides THE FLAME AND THE ARROW one has to think of those Shakespeare films set in or with Italy in the background (ROMEO AND JULIET and OTHELLO come to mind). There is DECAMERON NIGHTS (three stories by Bocaccio from THE DECAMERON - with Louis Jourdan and Joan Fontane enjoying themselves). The silent film ROMONA gives the story of Savanerola's reform of Florence (via George Eliot's novel) to us. The Borgias got covered by BRIDE OF VENGEANCE and PRINCE OF FOXES, and the papacy of Julius II was covered in THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY.
The last film has Michaelangelo in center stage with the Pope, courtesy of Charleton Heston and Rex Harrison, but it also had an actor playing Raphael briefly. Leonardo has yet to get on film (for some unknown reason he is not seen fit for characterization in a film biography). St. Francis of Assisi has managed to get into one film: BROTHER SON, SISTER MOON, wherein the imperious Pope Innocence III (Alec Guiness) admits that meeting St. Francis only brings him a sense of shame for his other-worldliness. Considering that Innocence III was the most powerful Pope of all time (he humiliated the Holy Roman Emperor once) that is a statement slightly hard to believe. Yet it is one of the few scenes dealing with Renaissance Italy on screen, and the only notable appearance of that Pope.
THE FLAME AND THE ARROW deals with Lancaster's attempts to reclaim his son, whom his first wife has taken to live with her in the castle of the ruling German Prince. Lancaster is assisted in his attempt by Virginia Mayo (his new love interest - his first wife has become the Prince's mistress), Nick Cravat, assorted villagers. Douglas occasionally seems willing to work with Lancaster and his band of freedom fighters, but when his own interest is at stake is willing to sell them out. The end comes in a battle by the locals against the invaders, wherein Lancaster has to take care of both Douglas and the German Prince. It ends quite excitingly.
My choice of the odd quote: Norman Lloyd, who usually played villains on screen (SABATEUR) had one of his funnier parts here. Always slightly smarter than most people, Mr. Lloyd sees a chance to turn a feast for the local German troops and the Prince into a brouhaha. A band of strolling actors are there for entertainment, and one of them has accidentally gotten into the way of a soldier who had some duty that has to be done now. The soldier picks the poor actor up and throws him against some scenery. The other peasants and actors are shocked and dismayed by this act of violence. Quietly, Lloyd goes over to the chief actor of the company and whispers the above line. Within moments a full scale, uncontrollable riot has begun. Nothing like messing with an actor!