This is an obscure 1970s British film, also known as A Dirty Knight's Work and Trial By Combat.
For American audiences, it stars David Birney (from the Bridget Loves Bernie TV series, ex-husband of Meredith Baxter) and Barbara Hershey (in her pre-Academy Award days).
For British audiences, a feast: John Mills (beloved actor and father of Hayley Mills), Donald Pleasance, Peter Cushing, Brian Glover and Margaret Leighton…
Story begins with a "medieval" joust… but it quickly becomes apparent that this is a modern "trial by combat" using medieval weapons! High-profile criminals are being kidnapped by the Knights of Avalon, an organization of British nobles dedicated to the "good old days."
The criminal quickly is slain in combat, but there is a witness – Sir Edward Gifford (Peter Cushing), founder of the Knights of Avalon, is outraged that this is going on behind his back. Sir Giles Marley (Donald Pleasance) orders Sir Edward slain…
Enter Sir John Gifford (David Birney), Sir Edward's estranged grandson who was raised in the medieval traditions by his grandfather, but at age 15 rebeled and went to live with his American mother. Sir John has come to the U.K. for the reading of the will and to find his father's killer. Aiding him is Colonel Bertie Cook (John Mills), an eccentric retired Scotland Yard commissioner.
As the plot unwinds, more criminals suffer trial by combat, Sir John seeks a missing gamekeeper, Colonel Bertie looks for clues, the Knights of Avalon host their own version of a "renfest," and a young American lady working for Sir Giles makes friends with Sir John…
The movie starts off a bit strangely, as it veers between taking the plot seriously versus Colonel Bertie's comic antics (a running thread is Bertie's interaction with animals…). By the mid-point, the movie is thoroughly tongue-in-cheek and quite enjoyable (if a bit silly). The climax includes medieval melee, knights jousting against a car, a cannon, a vengeful gamekeeper, and a crime lord who's had quite enough.
A lot of people think this movie is a bit of a stinker, but it made me laugh and I had fun with it. Gamers may also appreciate the medieval combat, courtesy of a group called the Company of Knights.
Can You Game It?
I think you could easily game this through some combination of Pulpish detective rules and man-to-man combat system, with linked scenarios leading to a conclusion.
About the movie: It's officially rated PG according to the Internet Movie Database, but my copy says "Not Rated." Just movie violence, no sex, no gore or bad language that I recall.
harvests scenario ideas from The Third World War.