whatever else you can say about richard i and the lion hearted he be a mighty warrior in battle . in fact he love war and battle so much he spend very little time rule his own kingdom . remember that his kingdom be not just england and but a good deal of what be now france and it be estimate that he may have spend at most and six month on the british isle . not that his brother john be any bargain . but richard and his war cost his people a great deal in taxation . england be in medieval chapter 11 after he be do . yet his legend a a warrior life on and perpetuate greatly by cecil b. demille and this film . it a typical demille product characterize by topflight spectacle and action scene and some arcane dialog and the kind that be use when demille be learn his trade from david belasco in the early 20th century . demille send out for his leading lady and over to fox for loretta young . i be sure ms. young be more than happy to star in the crusade a she and irene dunne and and rosalind russell be the three catholic star of the screen . young play berengaria of navarre who have the dubious distinction of be the only queen of england never to set foot on english soil . berengaria and here and in real life and be a political pawn in an arranged marriage . richard be suppose to marry princess alice of france and play here by katharine demille . but for the real story of who richard would have marry in a love match and check out the lion in winter . berengaria survive her husband by about 30 year . i be sure in real life she be one lonely person . demille tried hard to make his good friend henry wilcoxon a star and both here and in cleopatra . wilcoxon a an actor do far good away from c. b. than with him . he probably best know for play the vicar in mrs. miniver . it hard to sympathize with richard . even in this favorable treatment of him and he come across like a blundering fool . he go to the crusade in the first place to get out of marry alice because any promise would be absolve if he go on crusade to reclaim jerusalem for christendom . and after that it one blunder after another . remember in patton george c. scott remark how much he enjoy all the combat and how karl malden chides him for just that . the plain truth be that be what get richard go in the morning . sex with whomever do not measure up to a good battle . ian keith a saladin come off far well . he be a genuine warrior hero defend his kingdom and a chivalrous a person a the christian knight claim to be . and politically he spin ring around richard . so do the wily conrad of montferrat a play by joseph schildkraut . another reviewer describe him a unctuous . that the word that fit him best . in fact in a late role in the shop around the corner and schildkraut practically patent unctuous for the screen . the spectacle be grand and the battle of acre be one of the most ambitious screen undertaking up to that point . but a victorian script and a fool for a hero defeat this film . i would recommend the recent kingdom of heaven for a more accurate depiction of the cruades . i would even recommend king richard and the crusader with george sander a richard and rex harrison as saladin a be good .