3. Newly-crowned King Sedemondo banishes his newborn nephew Arminio to the Valley of the Lions, but years later the rightful heir to the throne returns.
Which 1941 film, directed by Alessandro Blasetti, am I talking about?
From Quiz What's in a Title? Italian Cinema Volume IV
Answer:
The Iron Crown
The title refers to a crown which is passing through the kingdom on its way to Rome. Legend has it that the iron crown, which was made with a nail from the true cross, spreads goodness wherever it goes. This tale is revealed to the warmongering king by a soothsayer.
King Sedemondo actually commits both regicide and fratricide in order to gain power, and then banishes his dead brother's son. The true heir had been switched at birth with Sedemondo's daughter by his wife and sister-in-law. When he realizes what the two women have done, he sends his nephew to the Valley of the Lions where he is raised by the lions rather than eaten by them. The plot doesn't get any simpler either.
"The Iron Crown" is an interesting film for many reasons. The plot is anything but a simple fantasy adventure and remains unpredictable through most of the film. Furthermore, the sets, photography and direction are fabulous, particularly when you consider it was made during war time. It's surprising that such a thinly-veiled condemnation of tyranny was allowed under fascism, but it actually won the Coppa Mussolini at the Venice Film Festival. Apparently, Goebbels said the director would have been shot had he been German.
One of the red herrings, "The Jester's Supper", was also directed by Blasetti. It is said to be the first Italian film to show bare breasts, Clara Calamai's to be precise.