Kino Lorber on March 7 added a vintage epic to its Studio Classics line: 1935’s The Crusades, one of Cecil B. DeMille’s famed string of religious epics that began and ended with The Ten Commandments in 1923 and in 1956.
The film, released theatrically by Paramount Pictures, is available on Blu-ray Disc at a suggested retail price of $24.95.
Starring Loretta Young, Henry Wilcoxon, C. Aubrey Smith, Alan Hale, and Ian Keith, The Crusades was hailed by the New York Times‘ Andre Sennwald as “two hours of tempestuous extravaganza” with “the kind of excitement that pulls an audience irresistibly to the edge of its seat.”
The film combines religious fervor with a stirring love story. Christians in Medieval Europe are planning war against the Saracens, who have taken over the Holy City of Jerusalem. In order to obtain supplies for his soldiers, England’s king, Richard the Lion-Hearted (Wilcoxon), is forced to marry a princess (Young) he has never met. The two are soon involved in a treacherous battle for survival of the Holy City — and of their love.
Bonus features on the Blu-ray Disc include a new audio commentary by filmmaker Allan Arkush and film historian Daniel Kremer, the original theatrical trailer, and optional English subtitles.