The stories of King Arthur have inspired filmmakers to make movies ranging from the heroic to the humorous, and some of the famous ones will be screened at the University of Rochester as part of the "Camelot 2000 Film Series."
The series has been organized in conjunction with the Camelot 2000 Conference Oct. 26 through 28 at the University, which will be attended by top Arthurian scholars from the around the world. The film showings are sponsored by the Department of English and the UR Cinema Group and will run Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Gowen Room of Wilson Commons on the River Campus and are free, except where noted. Parking is available at the University after 7 p.m. on weekdays.
The series is designed to show a range of films that have been inspired by the Arthurian legends-particularly those pertaining to Arthur himself, Merlin, Lancelot, and Guinevere-to demonstrate how those legends have become a vital part of popular culture. The films also exemplify some of the ways in which each age adapts the tradition of Arthurian narrative that began in the Middle Ages to its own concerns and values.
The schedule includes:
Oct. 10--Double feature presentation.
Sword in the Stone (1963). Based on T.H. White's novel The Sword in the Stone, this Disney film presents an animated version of the events of Arthur's youth.
Also playing is Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court (1979), originally titled A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur's Court, a title that suggests its debt to Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Some of the standard Warner Brothers cartoon characters play roles as knights and nobles.
Oct. 17--Camelot (1967). This film version of the Broadway musical tells the story of the love triangle of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot and is based on T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
Friday, Oct. 27--Double feature presentation. Both movies are being shown in Hoyt Hall and admission to each film is $2.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), 7 p.m. Archaeologist Indiana Jones joins with his father Dr. Henry Jones to keep the Holy Grail from falling into the hands of the Nazis.
Also playing is Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), 9:45 p.m. The famous British comedy troupe creates the funniest movie set in medieval times.
Nov. 14--A Connecticut Yankee (1931). A radio repairmen is knocked unconscious by an armored figure while trying to fix a radio for a slightly crazed customer who believes he is listening in on discussions from Arthur's Round Table.
Dec. 5--Knightriders (1981). A troupe of modern knights jousts on motorcycles at Renaissance fairs in an attempt to maintain their freedom and their values.
Dec. 12--First Knight (1995). Based on a story by 12th century French author Chrétien de Troyes, the film recounts the romantic aspects of the Arthurian legend in a new and very American version.