Cinema and the 9th Art stand apart. It must be recognized that the passage from the box to the screen rarely meets the expectations of the spectator. An often thwarted hope. The adaptation of Tintin and the secret of the Unicorn is unfortunately a glaring example, despite or because of Spielberg at the helm. Prince Valiant with one or two « L » depending on the version, has been very little adapted to the cinema. This tape which we owe to Harold Foster was released on February 13, 1937 in the color weekend supplement of several American national dailies. Prince Valiant is a northern character from the Arthurian Gesture. If there are many references, the hero does not participate directly.
Valiant is Prince of Thule. His adventures will focus particularly on his meeting with Queen Alita with whom he will have three children. Close epic adventures for some of the heroic fantasy. The cinema will only keep the chivalrous quest for the character. It is 1954 when Henry Hathaway’s film with Robert Wagner is released in the title role. Remember the years of « chivalry » in Hollywood: The Black Rose by the same Henry Hathaway (1950), The Knights of the Round Table by Richard Thorpe (1952), and the same year with the same director Ivanhoé, The Knight of Roi de Rudolph Maté (1954), still in 1954 Richard Coeur de Lion directed by David Butler, for the most significant. It was not until 1997 for a new version of Prince Valiant. Directed by Anthony Hickox, with, unfortunately, a riot of « green funds » to offer only a very pale remake of the version of 54.
Unlike Ivanhoé, Lancelot and even Richard the Lionheart who will make British television happy, Prince Valiant will not have its hour of glory on the small screen. Only the animation adaptation was proposed in the youth section. The Legend of Prince Vaillant (1993) broadcast in the United States on the Family Channel and on the BBC for Great Britain. Special feature of the animation: the series of 65 episodes remains faithful to the graphics of Harold Foster who was not the first comer. We also owe this designer the very recognizable Tarzan visual. Note that we can find the Prince in a role-playing game released in 1989.
Do not spoil the fun, box of popcorn in hand in front of your TV to watch the cake. Atmosphere cinema room of the Saturday evening of yesteryear!
DVD (13 €) at FNAC