Trial by Combat (US title: Dirty Knights' Work) is a 1976 British action adventure comedy film directed by Kevin Connor and starring John Mills and Donald Pleasence.
The film was also known as A Choice of Weapons.
Contents
Plot
A British organisation known as the Knights of Avalon is discontent that so many criminals can evade the law. So they decide to secretly hunt down these criminals, and battle and execute them with medieval weapons.
One day the founder of the organisation, Sir Edward Gifford, witnesses their actions, and they execute him too. His son, Sir John Gifford, decides to investigate his father's murder.
Cast
John Mills as Colonel Bertie Cook
Donald Pleasence as Sir Giles Marley
Barbara Hershey as Marion Evans
David Birney as Sir John Gifford
Margaret Leighton as Ma Gore
Peter Cushing as Sir Edward Gifford
Brian Glover as Sidney Gore
John Savident as Police Commissioner Oliver Griggs
John Hallam as Sir Roger
Keith Buckley as Herald
Neil McCarthy as Ben Willoughby
Thomas Heathcote as Tramp
Bernard Hill as 'Blind' Freddie
Diane Langton as Ruby
Roy Holder as William Renfield
Production
Filming took place over ten weeks from October 1975. Finance came from Warner Bros. Connor said the two American producers, Paul Heller and Fred Weintraub "were great, they left me alone to do the film. I may have gotten a few nudges to shoot faster, but by and large they didn't interfere with anything once we got the script. They didn't insist on more closeups or similar stuff you get with some producers. Again, I was very lucky to have good producers to give me the people I wanted and let me realize my vision."
Reception
The Boston Globe wrote "the scenes with Glover and Miss Leighton are about all this film has to offer."
The Miami Herald called it "predictably awful." The Guardian called it an "unspeakably inept farrago."