FRANCO NERO (Gene Merlino as Lancelot's singing voice) - If Ever I Would Leave You (Camelot 1967)

[yuanfen1000]

Guinevere e Lancelot são duas personagens muito importantes em toda essa lenda de Camelot. De um lado, a grande rainha e mulher de Arthur, e do outro lado, Lancelot seu grande amor proibido. A figura da rainha é retratada como a mulher que se impõe num regime onde ela não tem vez. Uma mulher não podia escolher seu proprio destino que com o passar do tempo ela tornou-se uma mulher fria, uma pessoa infeliz!

[cscentrlTV]

This was one of Vanessa Redgrave's best performances. I mean - look at her face during this song. She knew how to emote.

[nannyjo03]

Wow... I never realized that Franco Nero didn't sing in this film. Wow. He is still music for the eyes, though.

[Lyontell]

What an incredible, romantic performance!

[gladstonegill]

he ws fuckin hot

[laura030857]

What a great movie ever!  I wish movies were made like this now.

[laura030857]

I can't stop playing this. It's so beautiful and touching. It's such a simple love song but says so much.

[laura030857]

This is the best love song ever written.

[vic45redd]

@laura030857 Agreed.

[oneexseal]

This has always been one of my best movies/musicals/excellent with harris, Redgrave, and Nero, they do not make them anymore like this one. Right behind this is Zefferellis' Romeo and Juliet, with Whiting and Hussy...

[TheQueposfan]

For the love of God, two people did not LOVE this song? What the................

[laura030857]

@TheQueposfan

Yes, we do because we have class and passion .

[greg4161]

Franco Nero certainly was a super stud!

[mooooosico]

my voice instructor told me to watch this. i didn't want to. but now i cant stop hitting replay. this must be pure magic.

[beezwings]

OMG! This music, Lancelot and the scenes of Guinevere's memories of the past make me just melt! I fell in love with this movie when I was 15 years old, and almost 45 years later I find it even more moving.

[supersuperrich]

BEST LIP SYNCH OF ALL TIME ! CHEERS TO FRANCO (& GENE) !!!

.....AND I LOVE VANESSA REDGRAVE/FAVORITE ACTRESS !

p.s. Shirley Jones had an amazing voice in her musicals. And perfect actress for those roles. It's all lost. No one has that / can portray that innocence these days.

[cowboybilly1]

My heart is lighter ! What a great person and the best singer on the planet !.

I worked with Robert Goulet on an episode of "WKRP"..reminded him of his Broadway apperance as Lancelot...My very kind regards to your father and thank you for replying.

Bill

[Dana888dana]

Very romantic leading man and the music is great but really couldn't have they found a much prettier actress? I can see Catherine Deneuve in this role - so many gorgeous actresses! Then it would have been even more believable!

[PhishNFilly]

This video means alot to me, Probably the most romantic song I ever heard.

[VIRIATO1942]

Perhaps one of the most beautifull romantic songs ( from a movie ) ever composed. The real singer's voice is magnificent but so are Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave in their roles !

What has happend to Hollywiood and America ? What has changed ?

No more musichall movies like "Camelot", "South Pacific", "My Fair Lady" etc...etc...does the fact that such kind of movies are no longer made mean that Americans lost romanticism and the USA is indeed in decadence ?

[rockhammer85]

Aw, Franco has such pleading eyes!

[frumaatholoid]

Oh god, I love this. I know that's not Franco Nero's voice, but this is one of the most romantic scenes in a movie, ever. They are both gorgeous and their chemistry is overpowering in this!

[tiredoldbag]

@frumaatholoid SO agree they ARE perfect - SO amazing they are now happy together :0)))

[Themiriamrosenthal]

I hope, that looks are not only responsible for love, but it is all stupid how they sing they can not live without each other if they end up in a convent to do penance for the rest of their life. Better not to commit this sin in the first place, but it seems unavoidable.

[graygooselime]

I love this song and Camelot is one of my favorite movies ever! I'm so happy they are still together

[lemonade1531]

This song always kind of bugged me. If their relationship gets found out (which it does), then they would both be killed (which they were supposed to be). But the only reasons Lancelot can come up with for staying with her are related to the fact that she's pretty. I don't understand why Guenevere would want to put her life on the line for somebody who only wants to stay with her because of her looks.

[charlexington]

@lemonade1531 Remember, Guinevere's character is extremely young and she, like so many humans, let passion overshadow any rational thought. Maybe she was naive and actually believed Arthur would let his love for her keep her from the flames. U r very cool to delve so deeply into G's psyche! Keep posting, pls.

[VIRIATO1942]

This must be one of the most romantic songs ever composed.

From the day I saw the movie I fell in love with this song and its lyrics.

No wonder Nero and Vanessa fell in love and had a love child.....it had to be real love !

I mean after a song like this who could resist it ?

[cowboybilly1]

As with all talent, they do it as directed...

[TheMatureAmerican]

Five Stars

[cowboybilly1]

I had the pleasure of working with Gene Merlino in the '70's..Cain's coffee commercials...the largest selling coffee in Arkansas and Oklahome ! Gene's the best, a life long, studio singer...He died recently.

RIP

Bill Williams. Director of Photography

[jfalconi3]

@cowboybilly1 does he have an italian accent as well or did he intentionally put that in for Nero's sake?

[JVMerlino1963]

@cowboybilly1 Um, actually, my father is not dead. :-) He is alive and well, having just turned 83 last month, and is living in Camarillo, California.

[JVMerlino1963]

@JVMerlino1963 Sorry, in case it isn't obvious, my father is Gene Merlino, who sang for Franco Nero in Camelot.

[lrhs993]

My favorite musical I adore this song and how he sings it with such feeling. I would melt if ever someone sang this to me. ( Sigh...)

[sarakaster]

franco and vanesse are married - there no better ending than this ;)

[Artsettimavn]

Franco Nero was the real "beauty" of this film. One of the most handsome men ever to appear on screen. Just amazing eyes.

[zany2x]

Love your voice, Gene Merlino!

[baj7557]

He is my favorite Lancelot (heavy sigh). I always had a feeling this was dubbed.

[baj7557]

He is my favorite Lancelot (heavy sigh).

[dieselheart001]

@ 3:51- gee, those castles are REALLY drafty!

[partlymedia]

I could never leave my dearest Anngail. I cannot even consider it as possible now.

Your Donny

[ribman55]

juancready, what an impressive vocabulary you have ! do you kiss your mother.sister or boyfriend with that mouth?

[slapmyfunkybass]

thanks for posting

[peaceopi]

This, my favorite of all musicals, contributed to my majoring in English with a specialization in Arthurian Legend. Still magical after all these years!

[greg4161]

Franco Nero was extremely handsome and charming in this film

[joeparkson]

Thank god they cast this box office powerhouse as Lancelot instead of Robert Goulet.

[dwarflover63]

This should really say Franco Nero as Lancelot , sung by Gene Merlino. I hope we are past the stupidity of musicals with non-singers dubbed by others. Really, with all of the singers in the world it shouldn't be a problem.

[rmtmiller]

Married after all these years and having a very handsome grown son.

[JuanMacready]

Vanessa was always an ugly whore.

[peaceopi]

@JuanMacready You were always a what?

[JuanMacready]

@peaceopi I said Vanessa Redgrave was always a fucking ugly whore. I hope she dies of LUNG CANCER.

[Ladypdragon]

@JuanMacready

You are one sick individual to say something like that about anyone, particularly Vanessa. She is a wonderful person and has had so much sadness in her life. You need to remember what goes around comes around.

[Ladypdragon]

@JuanMacready

I could say the same about you!! I think you have some serious mental problem to say this about anyone and if you don't well . . . . no, I think you do, lol

[Ladypdragon]

@JuanMacready

Hahahahaha well I've just read some of your posts on other pages and I now realise exactly what you are, a totally brain dead, weirdo whom people should feel sorry for. You obviously have no real brain power or thoughts of your own as you say the same things over and over again about everybody and anything you see/read/watch. I feel sorry for you :-)

[CrystalandCharity]

Beautiful. :)

[doublenickelgal]

So very romantic. Nice to know they are a couple again after 36 years. Can't wait to see them in Letters to Juliet.

[zizzy0093]

Fantastic! They don't make them like this any more!

[cjjmgt]

This is my favorite version. I wish i-Tunes would sell it.

[dahsuerk]

I thought he didn't like women!

[jadaphee]

I so wanted to be Vanessa Redgrave to Franco Nero's Lancelot when I was 12 and first saw this haha. Oh so lovely. They're ridiculously beautiful!!

[TheCatgirl6]

Ladies and gentleman, the parents of Carlo Nero.

[Baldenlong77]

Nero and Redgrave play reunited lovers in the new LETTER TO JULIET movie with Amanda Seyfried.

[ConfusedSponge]

beautiful.... gorgeous.... perfect

[criolla10]

An their love continues in real life......

[Dadutta]

I loved Harris as Cromwell in Cromwell

[gabusan2]

Where was King Arthur during all those love-dovey scenes? This is not romantic at all, this is shameless celebration of adultery, plain and simple.

[ysbaddaden2003]

@gabusan2

In the book The Once and Future King, Arthur and the court welcomed when Lancelot was in court, because Guinevere would grow calmer.l It was an open secret.

Some have suggested that one of  the queen's champion duties was to get her in the mood. Some suggestions have been suggestive, but in the Court of Eleanor of Aquitaine they were expected to be accomplished singers, harpists, musicians and dancers, and then presumably the queen would go to the king couch.

[gabusan2]

@ysbaddaden2003 you might notice this is not "The Once and Future King" (book). This is "Camelot" (movie). Arthurian myths are not set in stone. Monthy Python's Holy Grail comes to mind.

[ysbaddaden2003]

@gabusan2

Camelot, both the movie and the musical play it's based on were based on T H white's The Once and Future King, as was Disney's Sword in the Stone, covering Arthur's younger days.

Much the same way that the movie Excalibur was based on Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

In all versions, they couldn't quite cover the source materials because the Matter of Britain go back about 1300 years, and the books tried as best practical to include as much as they could.

[JuanMacready]

Vanessa was always an ugly skank.

[Californos1988]

I love this stuff, I grew up with it, it touches my heart

[FrankClanton]

Fucking awful crapfest with terrible singing.

[Malibucompany]

Please confirm is it correct that Franco did not sing this song that it was someone else and he was lip sync it??

[chieftrox]

@Malibucompany I believe that he actually sang this himself!

[mylesag2]

@chieftrox - WRONG. Gene Merlino dubbed for Nero. Notice how heavy Nero's Italian accent is and NONE in the singing???

[chieftrox]

@mylesag2 That's news to me. I always thought that he was singing... was he also dubbed for other songs in the movie?

[mylesag2]

Yes, for Lancelot's 2 songs in the film; same 'ghost' voice...Gene Merlino.

[criolla10]

They are still together,he still looking great like her...were together for her daughter funeral,so gifted..

[msdanielle888]

Sometimes things forbidden in life, are filled with the love we need the most.. How tragic it must be, to love so much, and be so sad.

[PeterFirthFan]

God she was an ugly whore.

[ultimatejoeshmo]

You are missing the point of the song.

[PeterFirthFan]

The point is that this was a fucking awful three hour flop in which nobody could sing.

[ultimatejoeshmo]

@PeterFirthFan The point of a movie is to share some of the magic to the rest of the world. The story and the acting can still be enchanting without Robert Goulet. You can't use such a one-dimensional analysis.

[PeterBluth]

PeterFirthFan is well known for his one-dimensional analysis of films and actors that aren't Peter Firth.

[ConfusedSponge]

@PeterFirthFan You're just jealous that you can't have her and Franco got her at last!

[peaceopi]

@PeterFirthFan Do you need attention that badly?

[No1pearljamfan]

you should see them in letters to juliet they are so adorable

[triestestudent]

Cosi belli insieme!! Breaks my heart...Radha and Krishna...Tristan and Isolde.

[vanillapie]

Those two (redgrave and nero) had an offscreen romance, I think she had a child with him also?

[mdryden02]

She married him a few years ago.

[mdryden02]

Yes, they have a son, Carlo, now in his thirties.

[triestestudent]

Ah...good to know! Viva La Amore!

[tealteam1]

..such a beautiful movie...watched it with Yvonne and our young daughters on the couch at her mom and dads house in 1968....our girls are now grown and Yvonne is in Heaven but I still have that ONE SPECIAL MOMENT IN TIME that this musical gave me..thank you uvaiVa..there were many versions of this great musical but only one with this cast!!!!..

[biografmand]

@tealteam1

hmmm on the couch in '68 - not hardly. CAMELOT opened in cinemas autumn 1967, video was not invented and tv-release not considered at that time...

But it's still beautiful ;-)

[NoCensorshipYT]

I LOVE this song.

One of the most romantic,,,EVER!

[salvatorearcilesi]

....bellisimo......

[soprani69]

I think Franco Nero did a great job with his interpretation of this now classic film song, considering it was dubbed by him and recorded by someone else. I did not realise when I first saw the movie that he (F) was not singing here as it sounds so much like him. Wonderful you don't see films today of this calibre. Lovely soundtrack, great story and cast.

[SofiieeWinter]

3.55

so hollywood..

[DiVittorioRoses]

This is my favorite part of the movie. Very beautiful! I understand it took a while to film this section of the film because of the different scenes.

[literarygenius09]

This is my favourite scene in the film too. I've seen other singers trying to sing this, but there is no comparison to Franco Nero's performance.

[cherDJ]

I totally agree with you - Franco was the best.  This was an excellent movie also. Saw it many years ago.

[swiftwind26]

Franco Nero stole the entire show. Eyes that you just want to look into and they don't blink back...gazing and gazing at this soul so sincerely effected you realize he was meant to be looked at. All that pain and feeling and breathing.

Franco you are underrappreciated for your real strengths which is not machismo. Gawd such surrender. Completely overlooked...is everyone in denial. Was it too much?

Not church or civil 'marriage' in 06 just a gathering. Franco Nero is still unhitched.

[pinkfedora91]

ugh vanessa is so beautiful, i love the snap shots of her at the end with the different seasons

[gladstonegill]

@pinkfedora91 Franco is so hot

[gladstonegill]

great romantic scene

[gladstonegill]

did everyone know that she actually had a child with him

[nessie96]

@gladstonegill yes, they have a son, and not only that, they are married now...they married a couple of years back...talk about coming full circle

[btsg]

franco an vanessa married a couple years ago consumating a relationship that began during the filming of this movie--hence the connection onscreen as well as being fine actors...

all the best to them and I am heartened to see that lancelot and guinevere could finally be together.

[spoofaddict]

it would be so touching to have this song sung to you xDDD lovely. :))

[muzikkraz]

Truly one of the most profound love-songs written for theater.

Simply heart touching.

Thanks for sharing!

[FASHIONCONSPIRACY]

what a beautiful montage....I met Mr. Harris in the 80's while touring in Camelot....what a marvelous storyteller,I cherish his autograph and our conversation

[maritate]

What a beautiful song and movie

Thanks for posting it !!!

[Baldenlong77]

Franco Nero actually walked Vanessa's late daughter Natasha Richardson down the aisle when she married Liam Neeson.

[flicker2754]

He was also a pallbearer at Natasha's funeral in March 2009.

[PeterBluth]

He also gave her away at her wedding.

[xDDW]

Watch " If Ever I Would Leave You-Camelot - Broadhollow." So much better!

[09djw]

my favorite musical no doubt and favorite part in the movie vanessa redgrave is so beutiful this movie shud be on blue ray there together in real life

[PeterFirthFan]

Crap.

[traylorvh]

Such beautiful song from a most amazingly wonderful movie. But oh so tragic.

[cak813]

Beautiful song, beautiful film montage, great actors. One of my favourite scenes from a movie.

[myqroom]

I've watched this countless times & it still gets to me...I love that there was real chemistry & a bond between the actors, not to mention, the back story

[fionaallan]

these two married each other?

[mdryden02]

She and Carlo had a son a few years after this. They later split and she spent 5 years with Timothy Dalton. She finally marrie Carlo in 2006. Yes, in 2006!

I have heard tha Carlo, Jr. is a delightful person, and close to her daughters.

[janet290756]

whos carlo??

[janet290756]

I think you mean Franco! carlo is her son by him, I think! cant believe she finally married him after all these years

[mdryden02]

Yes. Carlo. Isn't it incredible?

[mdryden02]

Sorry. Yes she married Franco in 2006 over thirty years after Carlo had been born.

[ConfusedSponge]

@mdryden02 She married Franco not Carlo. Their son is Carlo. She's been with Dalton for 15 years not 5. LoL!

[splndrndgrs]

on cold wintry days i would curl up snoggly and watch this my favourite movie and druel over frank. but does any one have any thing on a film call 'the pirate' it also stars fronco and anne archer. franco is great in this as a wealthy arab brought back together with his ex an American, when thier daughter is kidnapped. they both find it difficult to stamch each other but soon unite in thier struggle to rescue thier daughter from west hating extreemist. beautiful dessert scenery too.

[janet290756]

I also loved this film, olivia hussey was in the film too! Harold Robbins wrote the book,

the film is available on amazon, i bought it myself! good luck!!

[pmugglestone]

Harold Robbins didn't write the book! It's based on T.H. White's "Once and Future King"...

[chelseafort]

waaa i really love this song hahah

[hugh0221]

5:37

OMG they're kissing in the cage!

LMAO!!!

[tiredoldbag]

oh yes 123 perfect!

[123JDB789]

2:25 !!! 2:25 !!!

[doristhepig]

I think he married her anyway so he was measuring her up for the honeymoon.

[ConfusedSponge]

@doristhepig  huh?

[purplechubbymeme]

very nice!!! ^_^

[edwinandwilliams]

spledid interpretation. cheers

[seoconnell]

i have to sing this, but after hearing this how am I supposed to compare to him!

[tiredoldbag]

is it me ,or does he and Timothy Dalton look very very similar??? Vanessa had good taste!!!!!! lol!!!!!!!!!!!:):):)

[AkiraChan24]

ohmigosh! He does look kinda like him! :D that's insane. Good eye

[ConfusedSponge]

@tiredoldbag In a way, yeah! She definitely has a type. LoL!

[tiredoldbag]

@ConfusedSponge - She definately has EXCELLENT taste IMO!!! lol!!1

[UDIETHATWAY]

Great Story....Great Song - Terrific Chemisty and after all these years they finally got married.

[tiredoldbag]

PERFECT ending xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[mvillanueva27]

These Good Old Musicals...Classics ...

[tiredoldbag]

NO ONE can outsing Franco on this!!!!! PERFECT!

[tiredoldbag]

oops just read comments on cest moi - this isn't Franco???? the voice fits him so perfectly!! and whoever the singer was this is still the best version EVER!

[hugh0221]

But he's Italian actor who's dubbed!

[tiredoldbag]

it was Gene Merlino who sang for Franco - think he may be/have been Itallian/American ?

[hugh0221]

Yes it's him, although his nationality is unknown even in the iMDB.

[JVMerlino1963]

@tiredoldbag My father was born in San Francisco, but his parents and his oldest brother were born in Italy.

[frumaatholoid]

@JVMerlino1963 your father has an unforgettable voice!!

[tiredoldbag]

and fair play; Vanessa Redgrave so very very beautiful you can so see them falling in love!

[tiredoldbag]

WOW WOW WOW - Thank you a million times been looking for this for SO long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!! Franco Nero, drop dead amazing!

[janrugani]

Oh My God!

[edwinandwilliams]

I REMEMBER 'THE BATCHELOR' VERSION

[LaNagano]

Love it!

[Cliffina1419]

Such tender scenes