Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sapphire Films was created as a place for blacklisted writers to work in anonymity. Their tv productions were often swashbucklers ('Robin Hood', 'Lancelot', etc) and 'Sword of Freedom' was another example. In Hollywood Edmund Purdom had starred in 'The Egyptian' but it was followed by a string of flops. He returned to England to headline this tale of Florence citizens vs a despotic Duke de Medici. After 39 episodes Purdom left for a career in Italian movies. Maybe what 'Sword' needed was a catchy end credit song (like 'Robin Hood riding through the glen') rather than the Italian-styled instrumental provided by composer Eric Spear ('Coronation Street').
Sapphire Films was created as a place for blacklisted writers to work in anonymity. Their tv productions were often swashbucklers ('Robin Hood', 'Lancelot', etc) and 'Sword of Freedom' was another example. In Hollywood Edmund Purdom had starred in 'The Egyptian' but it was followed by a string of flops. He returned to England to headline this tale of Florence citizens vs a despotic Duke de Medici. After 39 episodes Purdom left for a career in Italian movies. Maybe what 'Sword' needed was a catchy end credit song (like 'Robin Hood riding through the glen') rather than the Italian-styled instrumental provided by composer Eric Spear ('Coronation Street').
