The Three Musketeers (1948)

Intro.
In one of my earlier posts, I had written about the 1921 version of The Three Musketeers, which had starred Douglas Fairbanks.  I had commented about Gene Kelly seeing that version and wanting to someday play d'Artagnan.  I finally got the chance to see the 1948 remake with Gene Kelly, and I have to say you can definitely see Fairbanks's influence.

Overview
The plot of the first hour of this film follows the original pretty closely (see the prior post).  However, where the first film ended with the safe return of the jewels, this one extended the storyline to include the whole of the original novel.  D'Artagnan returns to find each of his fellow musketeers where he had left them en route to London, and once reunited they have to find a way to earn some money.  D'Artagnan runs into the Lady de Winter and that's where things get interesting.  He pretends to be her lover in order to get her ring, and he discovers that on her shoulder is the brand of a convict.  We then learn that she is the wife of Athos and has been using men and leading them to their deaths.  She heads to London, where the Musketeers have warned the Duke of Buckingham.  He jails her and has Constance (the innocent seamstress and D'Artagnan's wife) act as jailer.  Lady de Winter feigns a serious illness and when Constance tries to help her, she kills Constance and a guard and flees back to France to seek out D'Artagnan and kill him too.  D'Artagnan, however, is in London and finds Constance.  He vows revenge, so with the help of his friends they find Lady de Winter and execute her in a very troubling, disturbing ending.  At the end D'Artagnan gets what he's always wanted - a commission with the King's Musketeers.

Highlights
One of the things Gene Kelly does so well in this film is his sword fighting.  Already an athlete and light on his feet as a dancer, he effortlessly goes from sword fight to sword fight in an almost comical manner.  It does get a bit ridiculous when he fights the captain of Richelieu's guards, but his seemingly boundless energy keeps the film going.  You do have to remember that d'Artagnan is only supposed to be 21, so it makes sense that he's a bit of a ham.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the other actors and actresses in this film.  I didn't realize it until I started watching, but this film also stars Angela Lansbury, Vincent Price (as a fantastic Richelieu!!), Lana Turner, Frank Morgan and June Allyson.  It also stars Van Heflin as Athos - he's an actor I hadn't seen much of previously, but I really enjoyed him in this role.  He adds a certain vulnerability to his character which sets him apart from the other Musketeers.

Comparison
It puzzled me that this film ran 2 hours and the 1921 version ran 2 hours but the stories were so different.  This version told in 1 hour what the 1921 version had done in 2 hours.  It made the story much harder to follow, and if I hadn't seen the 1921 version, I wouldn't have understood any of what was happening.  I missed the subtlety and development of character that was in the 1921 version.  We hardly get to see or understand Angela Lansbury as the Queen, and Vincent Price as Richelieu doesn't get nearly enough screen time.  I did enjoy seeing the entire story, though.  And I can understand why the storyline of Lady de Winter may have been a concern.  It is handled well in the remake and certainly toned down from the way the book was written.       

Review
All in all, an entertaining film.  I wouldn't recommend it as highly as other period films, mainly because the plot is hard to follow without previously knowing the story.  Gene Kelly's stunts and sword fighting are great, but his acting is too over-the-top.  I actually preferred the 1921 version, so if you like the book, start there.  I hope to see one of the newer remakes as well; who knows, maybe I'll have a series.  Meanwhile, if you're in the mood to watch some Gene Kelly, I'd recommend An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, It's Always Fair Weather (tap dancing on roller skates!!) and Inherit the Wind. 

To read more, check out IMDb.  There's also a brief write-up about the book here.

The Three Musketeers (1921)

Intro.
A friend of mine introduced me to the Weinberg Center in Frederick, Maryland about a year ago.  Although it's a bit of a drive, I never regret visiting.  The Weinberg shows different kinds of performances - plays and singalongs and concerts - but its specialty is film.  The crowning touch to the majestically restored theater is the Wurlitzer concert organ.  According to the Center's website, the organ was purchased in 1926 for $19,000 and today is the only operational movie organ still in its original installation.  The Weinberg has a Silent Film series which features the massive organ and the talents of organist Ray Brubacher.  Even if you aren't a history geek, it's still impressive when the lights dim and the floor of the stage opens.  Up rises the organ, glowing with golden lights, as the organist plays a triumphant song.  It's truly breathtaking.  It's also a beautiful reminder of what movies used to be - an unforgettable experience.    

Overview
The film featured last night was the 1921 version of The Three Musketeers, featuring Douglas Fairbanks.  And featuring is correct - he is credited as actor, writer and producer.  Right from the opening chords, the film was captivating.  The basic plot followed Dumas' story fairly well: a young man (D'Artagnan, played by Fairbanks) out to seek his fortune wants to join the King's Musketeers.  In doing so, he falls for a beautiful seamstress to the Queen who is smack in the middle of royal intrigue.  The palace scenes, while beautifully decorated, were a bit slow and at times, overly dramatic - the Queen is suspected of having an affair with a British duke, and although she is trying to discourage the duke's affections, the Cardinal is determined to show her as unfaithful before the King.  It didn't drag too much through because of the quick cuts back to the story line involving D'Artagnan, which has many comedic scenes as well as terrific duels.  In the end, the Queen of France is saved, order is restored, and D'Artagnan becomes a Musketeer.

Highlights
I'd never seen a Douglas Fairbanks film before and was quite impressed that he did all his own stunts.  There were some great ones in this film too, particularly the duel in the grocer's shop where he's jumping from counter to counter as he fights.  It was obvious to see why such films were hits of their time and how Fairbanks became a star.

Reflection and Recommendation
As I mentioned earlier, seeing this film in a restored theater with a beautiful organ was a grand experience.  I could almost imagine being a moviegoer in 1921 at the time of the film's release.  The thick carpeting and crystal chandeliers made it even more glorious.  As the film itself reads on the opening story card, although set 300 years earlier, the story remains timeless and could have happened yesterday or happen again tomorrow.  Truly, great films are timeless.  We can watch and celebrate them at any time and be transported back to the days when the story was set or even when the film was made.  Part of the magic is the lost art of imagination - silent movies can be boring or difficult if you aren't willing to use your imagination, to put yourself into the story, to absorb it and figure out the missing dialogue.  I had an interesting discussion with a friend awhile back about how today's films leave nothing to the imagination.  We've gotten lazy as audiences.  I want films that make you think, that make you interpret the missing scenes.  You learn just as much about story lines from what isn't shown as you do from what is.  But that's a topic for another time.

Finally, I would like to recommend this film if you haven't seen many silent pictures.  It's a great example of the historical swashbuckling adventures, and a nice introduction to Douglas Fairbanks.  Just be prepared that it does run a good two hours.  It also leads me to an idea for a future review.  As I sat there enjoying the film, I couldn't help but think that D'Artagnan's character had certain quirks and charms that reminded me of Gene Kelly.  I had heard in an interview that Gene had wanted to do a version of the Three Musketeers for a long time before finally getting the part of D'Artagnan.  I just added the film to my Netflix list and am eagerly waiting to see him as the dashing swordsman.  Like Fairbanks, Gene did his own stunts and shared the same charisma.  Sitting in the theater last night, I felt like I could see where his desire had come from - Gene Kelly would've been 9 years old when the Fairbanks film appeared - and at that age, imagination is boundless.  I imagined that Kelly was probably awestruck as I was.  Maybe it was the theater, or the organ, or the film, or a combination, but I felt like I had finally caught a glimpse of the glamour that once was old Hollywood. 

Read more about Fairbanks and the others at IMdB, and check out the Weinberg's site here.