Sword of Freedom

1958 United Kingdom

Edmund Purdom starred as Marco del Monte, a 15th century painter, also a master swordsman, living in Florence where he leads a fight against the oppressive ruling family, the Medici's, and their political henchman, Machiavelli (Kenneth Hyde).

ITC's Italian version of their own immensely successful Robin Hood, who was both aided and opposed by very similar characters. For help there was a Maid Marian in the form of Angelica (Adrienne Corri), a former pick-pocket turned model and a gentle-giant Little John type called Sandro (the wonderfully named Rowland Bartrop), while evil Prince John was Duke de Medici (Martin Benson).

Quite clearly aimed at cashing in on the current trend for swashbucklers with one eye on the lucrative American market, the series went into production in 1957 under the working title 'Sword for Hire' and was then called 'The Blade' until Sword of Freedom was settled on. The series included scripts from blacklisted American writer Ring Lardner Jnr.

Share on...

Facebook X E-Mail Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit

Published on February 5th, 2019. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

The Jack Jackson Show

Also released in 1958

Music, quick-fire comedy and soundbites that influenced a generation of DJs

La Femme Musketeer

Also tagged Swashbuckling Series

D'Artagnan's daughter Valentine and the three sons of her father's three legendary musketeer comrades must team up to rescue King Louis XIV's fiancée who's been kidnapped

Robin of Sherwood

Also tagged Swashbuckling Series

Action adventure series featuring the further adventures of Robin Hood.

Educating Archie

Also released in 1958

As strange as it may seem now, Archie Andrews was a ventriloquists dummy that first hit the big time on Radio!

The Larkins

Also released in 1958

Classic sitcom about a family that is ruled over by their overbearing mother.

Dial 999

Also released in 1958

Police series made with the cooperation of Scotland Yard, which threw a spotlight on real police methods of the time.

Ivanhoe (TV Movie)

Also tagged Swashbuckler

UK/US co-production of Sir Walter Scott's classic romantic novel with an all-star cast.

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Also tagged Swashbuckling Series

Tales of English nobleman Sir Percy Blakeney whose alter-ego of The Scarlet Pimpernel was an ally to the French aristocracy facing the guillotine.

Treasure Island

Also tagged Swashbuckler

The first TV serial adaptation of RL Stevenson's classic story.

Trending

Currently the most visited pages on Television Heaven

The Beatles (Cartoon Series)

1965 United States

Animated series featuring 'The Fab Four'

Jane Eyre

1963 United Kingdom

After a harsh childhood, orphan Jane Eyre enters service at Thornfield Hall, where Charlotte Brontë’s resilient heroine meets Edward Rochester, the brooding master she serves as governess in the BBC’s atmospheric 1963 adaptation

The Liver Birds

1969 United Kingdom

Two feisty flatmates navigate love, work, and friendship in 1970s Liverpool. The Liver Birds—witty, warm, and wonderfully of its time. A true British sitcom classic!

Out of Town

1963 United Kingdom

A series of delightful expeditions through the English countryside

Here Come the Double Deckers!

1970 United Kingdom

A delightfully chaotic blend of British charm and American gloss, Here Come the Double Deckers! is a children’s television series from the early 1970s that has earned a modest but fond place in the hearts of those who remember it

The Flipside of Dominick Hide / Another Flip for Dominick

1980 United Kingdom

Dominic Hide, a time-travelling observer from the year 2130 has an agenda. Going back back 150 years in search of his great-great-grandfather is illegal. And things become further complicated when he falls in love.

The Protectors (1972)

1972 United Kingdom

'There is a small group of private detectives who are able to work more efficiently because they are operating outside the law.'

The Big M

1967 United Kingdom

When a businessman dies in his office, allegedly before revealing why he sought help, private detective Johnny Treherne investigates a protection racket, uncovering betrayal, corruption and murder while fighting to clear himself of suspicion

The Sweeney Vs Miami Vice

Articles 1958 United Kingdom

Mackintoshes vs Linen Blazers: Why Regan would arrest Crockett before breakfast (and why Crockett would look too good to care)

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

1968 United Kingdom

In this acclaimed 1968 BBC adaptation of Anne Brontë’s radical novel, a mysterious widow seeking refuge at Wildfell Hall conceals a painful past involving an abusive marriage and challenging Victorian conventions in a powerful story of courage, independence, and survival

Clever Dick - Dick Emery's Comic Creations

Articles 1958 United Kingdom

Dick Emery's characters were some of the best remembered on British television for a number of years. This article looks at how he created these characters utilising his natural flair for mimicry.

Mr Pastry

1958 United Kingdom

From Clumsy Capers to Timey-Wimey Tales: Richard Hearne, TV’s first clown created mayhem and disaster - was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and was once considered to take control of the TARDIS!

The Romper Room (UK)

1964 United Kingdom

UK version of the popular children's programme where children were invited into the studio to play. Romper Room captivated kids from the age of 3 to 6 for 13 years on Anglia Television and had a waiting list of around a thousand kids

The A-Team

1983 United States

A group of ex-Vietnam Commandos band together to form an unlikely partnership in order to assist the victims of injustice, whilst on the run themselves for a crime that they did not commit.

Sheila Steafel

Biographies 1958 United Kingdom

Sheila Steafel captivated audiences as a versatile character actor, her unique features a canvas for the roles she embodied, each glance infused with playful mischief or an insightful sparkle

1 / 0

BG_005

bg001

bg002