
Adeadlytournamentforaprincess'hand,amystic"goldendeer,"babiesswitchedatbirth,araised-by-lionsquasi-Tarzan;everythingbuttheproverbialkitchensinkwasthrownintothisextravagantfantasyadventure.Loin-clothedfoundlingArminio(MassimoGirotti)leavesthejunglehegrewupinuponreachingadulthood,unknowinglycommencingthefulfillmentofaprophecythatwillhavehimregaintheroyalthronethatishisbirthright.RevivingtheinvinciblemusclemanheroofpopularItaliansilentfilms,THEIRONCROWNalsoanticipatedthe"swordandsandal"crazeoriginatingfromthatcountryinthe1950s,moredirectlytriggeredbytwointernationalhits:AlessandroBlasetti'sown1949FABIOLA(releasedin1949)and,notquiteadecadelater,HERCULESwithAmericanbodybuilderSteveReeves.THEIRONCROWNwonthe"MussoliniCup"forBestItalianFilmattheVeniceFestivalbutwasn'treleasedintheU.S.untilyearsaftertheendofWorldWarII.Thoughlittle-rememberedtoday(comparedtosomeofthefilmsitpartlyinspired),itsurvivesasavigorousifgoofygemofall-stops-outescapism.Here,itispresenteditinitsoriginallanguagewithEnglishsubtitles,minustheclumsydubbingofpoorlyre-editedversionsthatwereseenfordecadesoutsideItaly-DennisHarvey







