Pretty Good

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Blistering performances.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Plugging into a familiar franchise, SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS is perhaps most noticeable for Maureen O'Hara's performance as Claire, daughter of Athos, who adopts masculine attire and joins her fellow junior musketeers (Cornel Wilde, Dan O'Herlihy and Alan Hale Jr.) in writing wrongs. All of them know her true identity, but they are happy to play along in sustaining the illusion that she is actually a man, so that they can enjoy the fun of pranks such as the need for all the musketeers to share a bed together, or to take a shower together.In truth O'Hara does not really make a convincing man, but this doesn't really seem to matter in a Technicolor adventure full of action, sword-fights and stirring music (by Roy Webb). As with many costume pictures made in the early Fifties (notably MGM's IVANHOE), the action unfolds at a brisk pace, leaving viewers little time to notice obvious implausibilities such as the musketeers speaking in a variety of accents ranging from Hollywood English to broad Nebraska. The supporting cast contains a smattering of Brits - to lend classical "authenticity" including Gladys Cooper (delivering her lines in stentorian tones reminiscent of Queen Victoria), and (in an uncredited role) Holmes Herbert, who for decades made a habit of playing butlers, lords, and miscellaneous nobles, his cut-glass British accent (honed in the theater of the early Twenties) contrasting with the panoply of other speaking voices on offer.SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS tells a familiar tale, but it does so in a highly breezy and entertaining manner.

"At Sword's Point" contains homages to "The Three Musketeers" and some common conventions for such films. Placed in 1648, it starts with Queen Anne of France (Gladys Cooper) worried about threats to her throne and her son's succession to the throne. The Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas) is stirring up the nobles, who are circling like sharks. The queen has hidden her young son in a monastery to keep him safe from Lavalle. Since Lavalle is unable to find the prince, he resorts to plan B: he will marry Princess Henriette (Nancy Gates). But Henriette despises him and the queen resists all threats. She attempts to contact Spain for assistance, but all her messengers are killed en route by Lavalle. Time is of the essence, because the queen is sick.She decides to reach out to her trustworthy four musketeers from the past: Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan. If you have not seen "The Three Musketeers" (1935), you should probably watch that film first. By now the musketeers are older men. Each sends his son in his place, except Athos who sends his daughter Claire (Maureen O'Hara), a fine swordswoman.This story is full of intrigue, swordplay and clever twists, even if it departs from history. Nods to "The Three Musketeers" include the passing of the father's sword to the son. Also, when the musketeers meet, there is swordplay among them to establish their abilities. (It should be noted that the swordplay and stuntwork in this film is quite good. Maureen O'Hara displays an athleticism that few actresses could match.) Moroni Olsen plays the aged Porthos--the same role he played in the 1935 film.The film uses the common convention of a woman passing as a man--something that just has to be accepted because there is no way anyone would mistake Maureen O'Hara for a man simply because her hair is under a hat and she is wearing men's breeches.Shot in Technicolor, this film is a colorful addition to the "Three Musketeers" canon. The acting is solid and the action scenes are worth seeing.

French history has often been altered for Hollywood films, and here, it is the tale of the attempted take-over of the throne by an evil cardinal and his hold on the aging Queen who is acting as a regent for her young son, Louis. The cardinal demands to marry the Princess in order to gain power, and that is where the musketeers come in, this time joined by the sword fighting Maureen O'Hara. She has the stamina of all the musketeers together, giving a feminist aspect to the predictable tale. Leading musketeer Cornel Wilde gets the pleasure of both sparring and romancing her, making this also a variation of Taming of the Shrew where the finale has O'Hara in triumph.Robert Douglas is an appropriate villain with Gladys Cooper a noble yet regal ailing Queen. Wasted in a generic role is European stage legend Blanche Yurka as a tavern owner without the secret menacing of "A Tale of Two City's" wine shop owner Madame DeFarge. A sly wit dominates the screenplay, and the Technicolor photography is stunning, particularly for O'Hara. But, as her oft-costar John Wayne once said about someone else, she'd look good in a burlap bag.

Of all the films I saw as a lad this is the one that made the biggest impression, a good old fashioned hero and heroine and a his-sable villain tons of sword fighting a spot of torture (just the thing for a bloodthirsty schoolboy) and the obligatory happy ending.Seeing the film sixty years later it holds up remarkably well. Cornel Wilde was the best swashbuckler of all,far superior to Errol Flynn.Firstly Wilde was an Olympic class fencer and secondly unlike Flynn he kept in fantastic shape.Technicolor could have been made for Maureen O'Hara with her red hair and lovely complexion.Never more than a discreet show of cleavage,she didn't need it.A dab hand with a rapier but no lady when dispatching baddies.Dan O'Herilhy as Aramis Jnr plays the best friend of the hero with a good grace and has a couple of nice scenes as does Alan Hale Jnr as Porthos Jnr.The scene where he goes berserk in the torture chamber is a highlight,it certainly made a big impression on me as a ten year old.Robert Douglas specialised in villains.Here as the Duc de la Valle he is on top form as a thoroughly nasty piece of work.Like Basil Rathbone he was a world class fencer but on screen they never won a sword fight.Rathbone was even defeated by a hypnotised Danny Kaye in The Court Jester.Gladys Cooper as Queen Anne adds a touch of class.The rest of the cast fit in nicely.As for the plot La Valle wants the throne of France by marrying the Queen's daughter and bumping off the boy King.The sons of the Musketeers ride to the rescue.A scene from The Rogues of Sherwood Forest is inserted into the action,perhaps Robin Hood and his merry men are helping out.It is not meant to be taken too seriously,sit back and enjoy,what more could you ask for,superb fencing scenes,Wilde and Douglas's climatic duel is a humdinger.A spot of torture with Wilde being branded with a hot iron but never mind he gets Maureen at the end as compensation.Villains thwarted wrongs righted and all in glorious Technicolor.A quick word of praise for the director Lewis Allen for making a potential sows ear into a silk purse and all on a budget that wouldn't pay Errol Flynn's bar bill.A wonderful wonderful film,10 out of 10,OK?