The Black Rose
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For other senses of the term, see Black Rose, a disambiguation page.
The Black Rose was a 1950 20th Century-Fox film starring Tyrone Power and Orson Welles. It was filmed on location in England and Morocco. The film was partly conceived as a follow-up to the movie 'Prince of Foxes,' and reunited the earlier film's two stars.
'The Black Rose' has star power and splendid Technicolor photography as well as its beautiful and somewhat haunting soundtrack from composer Richard Addinsell.
The film's screenplay by Talbot Jennings was based on a popular novel of the same name by Canadian author Thomas B. Costain, published in 1945.
[edit] Plot
The story concerns 13th-century Saxon nobleman Walter of Gurnie (Tyrone Power), who, after sparking an unsuccessful rebellion against the Norman conquerors of his homeland, sets out to seek his fortune in the Far East. In the company of his friend Tristam (Jack Hawkins), Walter makes the acquaintance of megalomaniac North African warlord Bayan (Orson Welles). The "Black Rose" of the title is the beauteous Maryam (Cecile Aubrey), with whom Walter fell in love while both were the prisoners of Bayan.
Journeying farther east, Walter and Tristam arrive in China, where they are treated with deference - so long as they never try to leave. Eventually escaping his Chinese hosts, Walter returns to his native country.
Previously renounced by King Edward (Michael Rennie) because of his role in the a Saxon rebellion, Walter is welcomed back with open arms because of all the cultural and scientific wonders (including gunpowder) he's brought back from China.
