Making Each Precious Day One You'll Rue

So now I know what the 6th century looks like when re-imagined through the swinging '60s.

The VMFA was showing "Camelot" as part of their 60 films in 60 days, so I joined the boomer crowd to see the knights of the round table get groovy.

Don't get me wrong, the movie has some great songs and "If Ever I Would Leave You" has to be one of the most romantic songs ever written.

But let's face it, while Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave are fine actors, singing not so much. But at least they were singing, as opposed to Franco Nero who played Lancelot and had his voice dubbed.

Like all good old-school musicals, it began with the overture (and the word "overture" on the screen), teasing us to the Lerner and Lowe songs that were ahead.

In short, there's simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering
Than here in Camelot

Jumping into the story, it quickly became apparent that this film had been made in 1967. King Arthur wore a furry vest and giant belt buckle that would have looked right at home on Sonny Bono and Guenevere's hairdo was straight out of a '60s Glamour magazine.

Later on, Arthur wears what can only be described as a multi-color Nehru jacket.

Fashion aside, there was humor, too.

When Lancelot sets out from France to join the round table, he brings along a manservant who cooks dinner for him along the way.

And by cooking dinner, I mean he has meat on a stick over an open fire, pulls leaves off a nearby bush to sprinkle on and is, get this, wearing a chef's toque blanche while doing it.

Besides the fact that I seriously doubt that there were toques in the 6th century, there's the whole matter of woodland cooking wearing one. Hysterical.

But there wasn't a lot of humor in the movie and we were told why by a VMFA educator before the film started.

Although the play "Camelot" had come out in 1960 and been a favorite of JFK, by the time they made the film in 1967, he was dead and the country's mood was different, so a lot of the frivolity of the play was excised.

Luckily, they left in the frolicking from "The Lusty Month of May," where the court gathers flowers, eats berries and chases girls, because, according to Arthur, "Civilizations should have a few gentle hobbies."

During intermission, I spoke to the man nearest me, cracking wise about how very '60s everything looked. I'm pretty sure women weren't teasing their hair in the middle ages.

He appeared dumbfounded. "You ruined it for me!" he laughed. "That hadn't occurred to me but you're exactly right! Hell, I had facial hair just like Arthur when I was 17! Everything is so '60s looking."

How could you have lived through it and not recognize it when you see it, sir?

The woman on the other side of me chimed in, asking if I knew about the grand romance that had come out of this film.

Sure didn't.

Seems in 1967, Redgrave had been recently dumped by her husband and then fell in love with Nero on this film. She said they were together for years, had a son, separated and had other relationships but got back together and married in 2006.

Whoa. So unlike in the movie, Lancelot did get Guenevere in the end.

Oh, no, not in springtime
Summer, winter or fall
No, never could I leave you at all

I guess he couldn't. It's so romantic to hear that happily-ever-aftering doesn't just happen in the movies.