The Treasures Ye Seek Be RPGs!

The Blog of Exalted Deeds has an article that might be useful to readers of Theoretical Swashbuckling: namely, Role-Playing Games Set in the Early Modern Period (ca. 1500-1800). This will be especially useful for my How to Be a Swashbuckler series and my personal collection of swashbuckling games.

The Bold Caballero (1936) Reviewed

The Bold Caballero (1936) was both the first Zorro movie in color and the first Zorro movie with sound. Produced by Republic Pictures (which followed it with five serials from 1937 to 1949), it is a vivid demonstration of the adventure, romance, and comedy of Zorro in shorthand. From the outset, Zorro (Robert Livingston) is introduced as a prisoner about to be executed for his crime of leading a Native revolt against the corrupt regime of Commandante Sebastian Golle (Sig Ruman). It is not long before an escape is effected just as the Commandante is confronted with the news that a reckoning may be at hand with the impending arrival of a new governor (Robert Warwick) appointed by the King of Spain. It is Governor Palma's daughter, Isabella (Heather Angel), however, who will play the the more crucial role as events unfold, proving to be easily as strong-willed and decisive as her militaristic father.

At 67 minutes, The Bold Caballero tells a story of Zorro succinctly (albeit without mention of his powerful family or his faithful servant, Bernardo, and by substituting Isabella Palma for Lolita Pulido), through humor, gallantry, and an array of dazzling stunts and fight scenes. Livingston is likeable as Don Diego Vega and his alter ego Zorro. Ruman plays the Commandante (here an Austrian deserter who has sold his loyalty to Spain) as half amoral mercenery, half comedy relief buffoon, which serves the film's brevity well enough, although it reduces the antagonist to that of a comic strip villain. Angel's Lady Isabella shines as a counterpart to Zorro (and outshines him to a degree), and she can rightly be regarded as the film's secret weapon.

The Bold Caballero is enjoyable enough that I've watched it three times this year, but it's worth noting that some streaming services offer it only in black & white. It was filmed in Magnacolor, though, and the night scenes are far more effective when viewed in color as intended. It may not be the greatest Zorro film, but it deserves greater recognition (and a full restoration).

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good

Written by: Wells Root
Based on: "Idea of Johnston McCulley"
Directed by: Wells Root
Performed by: Robert Livingston, Heather Angel, Sig Ruman, Ian Wolfe, Robert Warwick, Emily Fitzroy, et al.

The Three Musketeers (1939) Reviewed

The Three Musketeers of 1939 is a musical comedy that is musically impaired and comedically challenged. Don Ameche imbues the role of D'Artagnan with an earnest enthusiasm that does little to counterbalance his utter mediocrity. The three musketeers of the title's fame are stiff caricatures who appear briefly for the purpose of enabling the Ritz Brothers, who are cooks at an inn, to be mistaken for them by D'Artagnan and everyone else. It bears a closer resemblance to a stock Three Stooges short than a feature-length comedy, and could have benefited immensely from some ruthless pruning. Some of the comedy routines are humorous enough to elicit laughter, but there are too many instances where the plot of the novel weighs the movie down too heavily to allow it to fly to greater heights of absurdity and originality, which really should have been the filmmakers' aim if they wanted to create a parody lasting more than 30 minutes. The music is something more to be endured than enjoyed, which is all the more unfortunate for the frequency with which it is inflicted on the viewer. The movie's saving grace is Binnie Barnes, who plays Milady, and although she shines in the role in its comedic incarnation, it would have been fascinating to see her reprise it in a serious adaptation.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Fair
Acting: Fair
Cinematography: Good
Musical Numbers: Poor
Comedy Routines: Fair
Stunts: Fair
Swordplay: Poor
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 7 June 2011.]


Addendum

Written by: M.M. Musselman and William Absolom Drake
Based on: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: Allan Dwan
Performed by: Don Ameche, The Ritz Brothers, Binnie Barnes, et al.

The Iron Mask (1929) Reviewed

The Iron Mask of 1929 is a sequel to Douglas Fairbanks' The Three Musketeers of 1921. It is also his last silent feature, although it includes a brief introduction and intermission in sound. Like its predecessor, its production values are of the highest order with lavish sets, an enormous cast of extras, and a heartfelt dedication to verisimilitude as demonstrated by a declaration in the credits that "This entire production was under the supervision of Maurice Leloir, Member of the Society of French Artists, illustrator of 'The Three Musketeers,' the acknowledged authority on the period depicted." No expense seems to have been spared to bring that period to life.

The Iron Mask covers a greater span of time as well as a greater span of joy and sorrow. Based on events in Alexandre Dumas' novels, the film begins in 1638 with the birth of the future king of France, Louis XIV, and ends 24 years later. It begins also with D'Artagnan's love for Constance and the loyalty of four friends that even death cannot sever. Fairbanks' acting skills have noticeably matured just as his D'Artagnan matures, and the tragedy from which the audience was spared in 1921 is finally played out midway through the picture probably to better effect.

The sombre moments are fittingly counterbalanced with most of the best swashbuckling elements: romance, espionage, derring-do, and high-spirited (and humorous) carousing. There is, perhaps, a little less swordplay than might be expected, primarily occurring in the middle and climax of the film, but swordplay itself is less the focus of a Douglas Fairbanks movie than the acrobatics and physical shenanigans he integrates into any action sequence.

Solid performances are given by Rolfe Sedan as Louis XIII, Belle Bennett as the Queen Mother (an improvement over Mary MacLaren's portrayal), and Dorothy Revier as Milady de Winter. Nigel De Brulier reprises his role as Cardinal Richelieu perhaps a little more convincingly, and Marguerite De La Motte reprises her role as Constance Bonacieux quite capably. The weak link in this film is William Bakewell's dual performance as Louis XIV and his twin brother. Although the former is rendered somewhat more sympathetically than the historical inspiration, the latter is reduced to the equivalent of a moustache-twirling villain of the type who ties damsels to railroad tracks (or would if trains had existed in 17th century France). This is disappointing, but it is not enough of a flaw to ruin the totality of the picture.

In the end, it is a lovingly crafted adieu to an era, and at the same time it is "The Beginning" of the next, which would soon see the rise of Errol Flynn.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Great
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Fair
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Good


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 8 September 2011.]


Addendum

Written by: Douglas Fairbanks and Jack Cunningham
Based on: The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: Allan Dwan
Performed by: Douglas Fairbanks, Belle Bennett, Marguerite De La Motte, Dorothy Revier, Vera Lewis, Rolfe Sedan, William Bakewell, et al.

The Three Musketeers (1948) Reviewed

The Three Musketeers from 1948 is neither the best nor the worst of all the film adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' classic swashbuckling epic. As an adaptation of the novel itself, it is colorful, lively, and ambitious, but it is also a clumsy adaptation in the standard Hollywood tradition. Moments that are meant to loom large both in plot and dramatic impact are instead rushed and reduced. The moments where it lingers longest are overwrought and paradoxically (though unintentionally) invite detachment rather than empathy. The casting choices promise more than they deliver. Vincent Price would seem to be made for the role of Cardinal Richelieu, but his portrayal seems as flat as the script. Frank Morgan as Louis XIII carries himself more like a befuddled shopkeeper than a king, Angela Lansbury as Queen Anne could be any unhappy housewife, and the titular trio could be any group of boisterous, well-intentioned fops despite the moderately tortured posturings of Van Heflin's Athos. Lana Turner falls short of embodying the evil for which Lady de Winter is infamous, which is a serious shortcoming for so important an antagonist. The film's greatest asset is Gene Kelly as D'Artagnan in what must have been a conscious attempt to mimic Douglas Fairbanks in the same role in 1921. In fact, the film succeeds most where it attempts to adapt its 1921 predecessor rather than the novel. Kelly's D'Artagnan is essentially Fairbanks' D'Artagnan with sound and color, just as dynamic physically and comically, and just as prone to melodramatic telegraphy. With a better screenplay, this 1948 version of The Three Musketeers could have been — and ought to have been — much more than a one-man show.

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Fair
Acting: Fair
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Good

Overall Rating: Fair
Swashbuckling Rank: Good


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 20 May 2011.]


Addendum

Written by: Robert Ardry
Based on: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: George Sidney
Performed by: Lana Turner, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Angela Lansbury, et al.

Lost, Misplaced, or Unwritten

The movie reviews I post here are a mix of newly written reviews and those I originally posted in one of my earliest blogs, Cuparia a.k.a. Cuplog, which was a Wordpress blog attached to my first domain, Cuparius.com (RIP). I was planning to repost my old movie reviews of The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974), but I discovered I do not have them backed up, I cannot find them using the Wayback Machine, and now I'm not sure if I ever wrote anything on either of them. I know I thought about reviewing them, but is that as far as it went? If I can't unearth them, I'll just have to watch the movies again and then I can review them, back them up, and post them here, because sharing the genius of those movies is my duty to all fellow swashbucklers at heart. Truly, if you seek the ultimate swashbuckling movie experience, watch these two.

Incidentally, if you ever encounter reviews of these movies written by me somewhere on the Internet (or elsewhere?), please let me know in the comments so I can salvage them and share them here.

The Three Musketeers (1921) Reviewed

The Three Musketeers, that quintessential swashbuckling tale, has been adapted for the silver screen many times, and for many the most famous one of all is still the one brought to life by that consummate swashbuckler, Douglas Fairbanks, who starred as the hero, D'Artagnan. A production of his own film company, the 1921 film had impressive sets, excellent outdoor cinematography, and a wealth of period costuming. If I rated a film in terms of production values, I would assess it as Great bordering on Superb.

The quality of the acting is more of a mixed bag, ranging from the weak melodrama of Mary MacLaren's Queen Anne to the convincingly regal bearing of Adolphe Menjou's Louis XIII. Nigel de Brulier successfully captures the innocuous posturing of Cardinal Richelieu, but doesn't quite convey the magnitude of his formidable power. Fairbanks, as might be expected, is a nearly nonstop burst of energy, as befits the character of the impetuous D'Artagnan, pausing from chases, duels, and general mêlées to express his grief at a given misfortune with a brief obligatory swooning (symbolized by the pressing of the back of the hand to the forehead), which would be forgivable if it were not repeated over and over again. But Fairbanks was not a great actor. He was a great swashbuckler; he was only an adequate actor. Nevertheless, he embodies the restless, roguish, courageous, idealistic spirit of his character very well, and the sum of all the film's parts constitute a very good film indeed.

Writing: Good
Directing: Good
Acting: Fair/Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Great


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 30 July 2010.]


Addendum

Written by: Edward Knoblock
Based on: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by: Fred Niblo
Performed by: Douglas Fairbanks, Nigel de Brulier, Marguerite de la Motte, Barbara La Marr, et al.

At Sword's Point (1952) Reviewed

The widowed queen of France is dying, the young heir to the throne is in hiding, and the Duc de Lavalle is plotting to seize the throne by forcing the princess to marry him. The queen sends her messengers to Spain for aid, but each is intercepted and murdered by Lavalle's men. Knowing this, the queen realizes she has one hope left: her Musketeers of old. Alas, the Musketeers of yore are infirm or dead, but their children answer the call without hesitation: the son of D'Artagnan (Cornel Wilde), the son of Aramis (Dan O'Herlihy), the son of Porthos (Alan Hale, Jr.), and — not the son, for he is too young — the daughter of Athos, Claire (Maureen O'Hara).

At Sword's Point (1952) is reminiscent of the Republic serials if they were condensed into a feature-length film and lavished with Technicolor. Action is the batter of this particular cake recipe, divided into layers by tricks and traps, and sprinkled with equal amounts of drama and comedy. The pace is brisk with little time for reflection, and it does strain credibility to see almost no horse move at less than a full gallop, but the fight scenes are rich with surprises and beautifully executed stunts.

Although Wilde has top billing, O'Hara is clearly the stealer of every scene and the most natural swashbuckler. She, more than any other, leaves the viewer wanting to know more about her character and wishing to see her further adventures.

The writing and casting are uneven, but At Sword's Point is still a good showcase of the swashbuckling genre and worth watching if for no other reason than to see O'Hara perfectly embody the spirit of a true Musketeer.

(Incidentally, although she plays the daughter of Athos, I could easily imagine her as the daughter of D'Artagnan. That would have been great movie indeed.)

Writing: Mediocre
Directing: Fair
Acting: Fair
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Great
Swordplay: Good
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Great

Written by: Walter Ferris, Joseph Hoffman, Aubrey Wisberg, and Jack Pollexfen
Directed by: Lewis Allen
Performed by: Cornel Wilde, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Douglas, Gladys Cooper, June Clayworth, Dan O'Herlihy, Alan Hale, Jr., et al.

Raiders of the Seven Seas (1953) Reviewed

Raiders of the Seven Seas is another in a long line of perfunctory pirate pictures of the 1950s that is not a musical only because of its lack of song and dance. There is, of course, the Basic Guy, in this case a "legendary" French-Spanish pirate named Barbarossa played by John Payne in as basic a leading man capacity as is possible. He's a Good Guy, but a Rascal, which means he'll frustrate and annoy the leading lady until the inevitable happens. There is the Sidekick known as Peg Leg, played blandly by Lon Chaney, Jr., who is effectively a rescue dog after being saved by Basic Guy from the lash. There is the Hot-Tempered Rich Girl named Alida, played very capably by Donna Reed in spite of the limitations caused by a formulaic screenplay (and whose performance is the sole redeeming feature of the film). And, finally, there are the Bad Guys who act in standard Bad Guy fashion. Oh, and there is an Orphan thrown in for good measure in an attempt to maximize sympathy.

This film is not worthy of analysis or even summarizing. Apart from Reed, it offers nothing in the way of entertainment; apart from a hastily sketched backstory (if that), it contributes nothing to the swashbuckling genre. If you need background noise as you do household chores, you might find it tolerable. (And yes, Mystery Science Theater 3000 or Rifftrax could have made it nearly enjoyable.)

Writing: Poor
Directing: Poor
Acting: Mediocre (Donna Reed: Good)
Cinematography: Poor
Stunts: Mediocre
Swordplay: Mediocre
Panache: Poor

Overall Rating: Poor
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre

Written by: John O'Dea and Sidney Salkow
Directed by: Sidney Salkow
Performed by: John Payne, Donna Reed, Lon Chaney, Jr., et al.

Yankee Buccaneer (1952) Reviewed

Yankee Buccaneer (1952) is a forgettable swashbuckling movie loosely inspired by U.S. naval history. The plot has so little to do with reality that I'll dispense with addressing its multitude of historical violations and judge it solely on its lack of merits as a standard pirate movie. It is the 1820s and the United States Navy, determined to quash the outbreak of piracy that has been having a deleterious effect on the U.S. economy since the conclusion of the War of 1812, has sent Lt. David Farragut (Scott Brady) to deliver sealed orders to Commander David Porter (Jeff Chandler). The orders, as one may surmise by the film's title, require the ship and her crew to disguise themselves as pirates and infiltrate the hiding places of the Caribbean pirates so the Navy may better seek them out and destroy them. Breaking out what appear to be brand new Halloween costumes, the officers and crewmen sheepishly don their disguises and embark on a series of misadventures that will involve Portugese, Spaniards, native tribesmen (including one played by Jay Silverheels), a Portugese countess to supply the necessary romance (played by Suzan Ball), and a pirate. Yes, a — as in one — pirate, played with disgrace by Joseph Vitale. If ever an actor has played the part of a pirate more woodenly, then I have yet to see it. The standard comic relief is Chief Petty Officer Link (played by George Mathews), the good-natured oaf who gets into trouble and gets others into trouble, but is loyal to the end — predictably, uninterestingly standard.

Despite the "surprise" of the heroes masquerading as pirates in order to defeat pirates, there are no surprises whatsoever in this film. The dialogue tries strenuously to make everything as clear and obvious as possible, which provides little room for any actual acting to take place (not that I'm forgiving Vitale, who could have been out-acted by an amusement park automaton). The plot is far less interesting than the lives of the historical figures it abducts, and the liberties it takes with history are done neither for the sake of entertainment nor artistic license, but rather for the sake of conformity to formulaic filmmaking. Even for those whose swashbuckling yearnings are simple, there is little on offer here. There is but one brief scene of swordplay in the entire film, and none of the combat scenes involve pirates of any kind. Adhering to the real historical events would have yielded far more action (and pirates) than anything on display in Yankee Buccaneer. In more ways than one, there is nothing to see here. Move along.

Writing: Poor
Directing: Fair
Acting: Mediocre
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Mediocre
Swordplay: Mediocre/Fair
Panache: Mediocre

Overall Rating: Mediocre
Swashbuckling Rank: Mediocre


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 20 August 2013.]

Addendum

Written by: Charles K. Peck, Jr.
Directed by: Frederick De Cordova
Performed by: Jeff Chandler, Scott Brady, Suzan Ball, Joseph Calleia, George Mathews, et al.