A strange new knight named Sir Galahad (George Reeves) marches into Camelot, wins a jousting tournament, and is invited to join the Knights of the Round Table by King Arthur (Nelson Leigh) himself. Alas, pressed into guard duty over the mystical sword Excalibur, Galahad is knocked out and the sword stolen. Galahad comes under suspicion, and vows to recover Excalibur and return it to Arthur before its absence causes the destruction of Camelot. Other suspects include the Saxon king Ulric (John Merton), the Black Knight, whose identity is unknown, Morgan le Fay (Pat Barton). and even Merlin the Magician (William Fawcett). With lots of swordsplay, an enchanted forest whose branches grab at victims, and a mysterious Lady of the Lake, you'd think Sir Galahad would make a rousing serial, but for the most part it's routine and unexciting. There are a couple of decent cliffhangers, however, such as when Galahad falls before a stampede of horses, is trapped by a moving wall of spears, and is nearly crushed by a spiked iron ball. But these highlights are few and far between. Reeves, the subject of the film Hollywoodland, seems uncomfortable at times. Rick Vallin plays Sir Gawain.
Verdict: One suspects that if Republic had done this it would have been a lot better. **.
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