Double-dipping on semi-literate historical adventure, Darryl F. Zanuck kept Tyrone Power & Orson Welles working on location in Europe, but switched from b&w for the Renaissance Italy of PRINCE OF FOXES to TechniColor 13th Century England (and the Far East) on ROSE. The earlier pic, directed by Henry King, used more Hollywood tech & talent, while Henry Hathaway used Brits. To his advantage in cinematographer Jack Cardiff, lighting with painterly style unusual for 20th/Fox at the time*; less so in Richard Addinsell’s unmemorable score. ROSE does have the stronger supporting cast (Jack Hawkins, Michael Rennie, Finlay Currie, Robert Blake, James Robertson Justice) while both films strike-out on their respective female leads. Here, Cécile Aubry (a caravan hostage for Power to save & fall for) is less minx than French chipmunk. (In her big love confession she suddenly looks like Judy Garland, of all people! Prominent forehead, wide-spaced puppet-like doe-eyes, thick lower lip for chewing on.) If only the story were half as involving as FOXES. Alas, no match for Borgia intrigue here as Power’s near-noble Saxon (he’s illegitimate) leaves Norman England in a huff to seek fortune in far off ‘Cathay,’ making like Marco Polo with Jack Hawkins as sidekick. Welles, jobbing to raise cash for his stunning version of OTHELLO/'52, has a fine time behind ‘Oriental’ makeup and a more ambivalent role than he had in FOXES, this film's natural DOUBLE-BILL.
Another DOUBLE-BILL: Director Hathaway playfully sends up the whole genre in PRINCE VALIANT/’54.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Color & crispness spectacularly raised in HD remastering.
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