Robert Taylor as "Lancelot" from 1954's "Knights of the Round Table

[Flynne]

To those people who have heard this story before (or even worse been subjected to my PowerPoint presentation on the subject) - my apologies for the background info.

For years I wondered why Mego made an Ivanhoe figure in jousting armor:
http://www.megomuseum.com/legend/knights/ivanhoe.jpg

Clearly the headsculpt is Robert Taylor, who played Ivanhoe in the 1953 MGM film of the same name, but the armor the Mego figure wears is nowhere to be found in the film:

http://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/files/6/6/test3.bmphttp://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/files/6/6/Ivanhoeonset.bmp

Then I saw MGM's 1954 follow-up to "Ivanhoe" from Director Richard Thorpe, "Knights of the Round Table", also starring Robert Taylor, this time as "Lancelot of the Lake". As soon as Lancelot came on the screen I realized what Mego had done:

http://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/files/6/6/test1.bmphttp://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/files/6/6/test2_541359.bmp

I wanted to make a Lancelot figure from KOTRT as Mego might have made it, so all of the parts, except for the plume and red coathardie pieces, are vintage Mego parts. So after taking the helm, boots, head, shield, and lance from Mego's Ivanhoe, and combining it with the chaimail sleeves and pants from Mego's Black Knight figure, adding a new custom made red coathardie, and finishing it off with the sword and sword belt from Mego's Lancelot, I got this:

http://megomuseum.com/mmgallery/files/6/6/Lancelot1.JPG

The picture makes the red coathardie look more pale red than it is in person, and I need to get a better red plume for the helm. Also the lion rampant on the chest needs some redesign to be brighter, and I would like to loosen up the sleeves to add the shoulder armor from Mego's Black Knight. But my wife told me I am a perfectionist, and that I should put those corrections in a future version of the figure (since she knows I am just going to keep remaking it until I am happy with it) and just post it here. Needless to say I did as I was told :)

I'll probably make another run at this custom, but I have several others on my plate before I can come back to it, so I guess it will have to do for now.

Thanks,
Derek

[thunderbolt]

Pretty cool, I like that better than the Mego one.

[toys2cool]

wow he looks great dude :grin:

[BlackKnight]

He looks alot Better than the Mego Version.
Congrats Man,.. great stuff.

[monkey tennis]

"...I have to push the pram a lot"
http://www.geocities.com/fang_club/camelot_knights_dancing.jpg

[mego73]

Looks great!

[misterdroid]

Wow. That's perfect. Amazing. Nice detective work also!

[Hulk]

I always enjoy your knack for authenticity. Excellent job sir!

[Dave Mc]

Cool Derek! I wondered how long it would take you to create this. I knew you would ever since seeing your power point on this at the meet.

One area that seems to be missing is armor around the neck. What about adding the neck peice from BK, then perhaps a little material from a CTVT Knight jumper to give that loose chainmail look that comes from the helmet and flows down to the neck armor? Perhaps that's too detailed for Mego, but it would look cool!

[The Toyroom]

What a super job!

[Flynne]

One area that seems to be missing is armor around the neck. What about adding the neck peice from BK, then perhaps a little material from a CTVT Knight jumper to give that loose chainmail look that comes from the helmet and flows down to the neck armor? Perhaps that's too detailed for Mego, but it would look cool!
I've thought exactly the same thing. I tried to make it as I believed Mego might have made it, but the neck area is terribly bare as it is now and something of a glaring ommision. I've been thinking of doing exactly as you suggest, except that I would cut down the Black Knight's gorget to more of a point than the rounded shape it currently has, and then attack some spare chainmail material to the inside of the helm. I think it's more than I think Mego would have done if they had produced the figure, but I also think it will look darn cool.

Then of course there's a custom of his mount "Berrick" to consider, and then perhaps I might be done with this. But that too is done the road a bit.

Thanks for all the kind words, folks. They are much appreciated.

[hobub]

Excellent job!! I agree on the neck piece.

I think next up you should tackle Errol Flynn's Captain Blood!
or Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. Lots could be done with Mego's Flynn sculpt. Someone needs to do a long hair custom of it for Blood and a movie accurate Hood.

[megocrazy]

We should have a place here to put pics of where Mego got some of their design ideas such as these. These are obviously the reference photos they used in the design. I have never seen these pics but often wondered why only one knight got a jousting lance. This answers the question. There must be some for stuff like the Starsky and Hutch line as well as others. BTW great job on the custom Derek!

[MegoScott]

That's so great. You are an uber geek and I salute you!

[Flynne]

I have never seen these pics but often wondered why only one knight got a jousting lance. This answers the question.
But the question it doesn't answer is why Mego designed two jousting horses for two characters (Ivanhoe and the Black Knight) but only gave one a lance. That's a kind of one sided tilt, don't you think? Of course the catalog page that features them does show BK with a lance identical to Ivanhoe's:
http://www.megomuseum.com/legend/knights/75-legends01.jpg


That's so great. You are an uber geek and I salute you!
Why thank you, kind sir! It's one of the few places that my love of Megos collides with my love of Medieval Cinema and Musicals, and finally my University degree field of Medieval History. It's a weird and obscure intersection to be sure, but it's where you'll fin me. :) I find the whole Super Knights line throughly fascinating from beginning to end, and often nearly assault other people with my enthusiasm for it.


I think next up you should tackle Errol Flynn's Captain Blood!
or Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. Lots could be done with Mego's Flynn sculpt. Someone needs to do a long hair custom of it for Blood and a movie accurate Hood.
Oh, I have an "Adventures of Robin Hood" corrected Robin Hood coming down the pike at some point. However, I do not believe Mego's sculpt of Robin Hood is Errol Flynn as Robin (though oddly the sculpt looks more like Errol out of his makeup and wig):
http://www.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php%3Fid%3D5705&usg=AFQjCNHtKdkdQvc9epkFJ1YOTXh8wH85Vghttp://www.tailored.com.au/uploaded_images/errol-765651.jpg
http://www.megomuseum.com/legend/accessory/rh/rhhead.jpg

Clearly the dagged top and colors are somewhat evocative of Errol Flynn's version of the character, but I think the source for Mego's Robin lies elsewhere as well. However that is an entirely different PowerPoint presentation :)

I think my next one in the movie version line will be either Robert Taylor as "Quentin Durward" (and kudos to you if you have any idea what I am talking about) or Richard Burton as King Arthur from the musical "Camelot", also starring Julie Andrews and Roddy McDowell:
http://www.xmoppet.org/play/camelot/camelot2.jpghttp://www.achievement.org/achievers/and0/large/and0-014.jpg

Look familiar? :)
http://www.megomuseum.com/legend/accessory/ll/llhead.jpg

[Meule]

Very cool :hokay:
BTW, you can get an 8" scaled Roddy head from Georg. I had him shrink it for my Bookworm custom

[fallensaviour]

Now that is a stunning job!!!
He looks amazing.I can't wait until you show us the rest.

[kingdom warrior]

Great Job! I like the improvements!

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Terrific. I found the background and pictures very interesting too...thanks.

[K]

I didn't know any of that background. Very cool! Thanks for sharing...and nice figure!

[Goblin19]

That's great. I love the outfit.

[darklord1967]

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor!

Fantastic work, Derek.

Beautiful presentation of a lovingly crafted and thoroughly researched figure.

Congrats, good buddy! Best wishes!

Roberto DARKLORD Williams