Film Facts for Fencers
(appeared
in TFA newsletters)
This article appeared in the May, 1997 issue of the TFA Newsletter.
FILM FACTS FOR FENCERS Despite the current representation in a TV commercial of the Three Musketeers as brigands who go about divesting unsuspecting diners of their fatty chocolate desserts, Dumas' characters have seen much more appropriate and enjoyable times in theatrical films. The following list will tell you about some of the most notable versions of THE THREE MUSKETEERS to be shown in U.S. movie houses.
1. There were numerous silents of THE THREE MUSKETEERS but the mostwidely known is the 1921 version that starred Douglas Fairbanks.
2. In 1933, in a 12 part serial, John Wayne, Raymond Halton, and LonChaney, Jr. portrayed the three friends in more modern times asmembers of the Foreign Legion.
3. In 1935, the Musketeers were: Walter Abel (D'Artagnan), PaulLukas, (Athos), Moroni Olsen (Porthos), and Onslow Stevens(Aramis). Lucille Ball had a bit part in this film.
4. The 1948 film starred: Gene Kelly (D'Artagnan), Van Heflin(Athos), Gig Young (Porthos), and Robert Coote (Aramis).
5. 1959 saw the heroes played by: Don Ameche (D'Artagnan), DouglasDumbrille (Athos), Russell Hicks (Porthos), and John King(Aramis).
6. The 1974 remake had Michael York (D'Artagnan), Oliver Reed(Athos), Frank Findley (Porthos), and Richard Chamberlain(Aramis) portraying the dashing young King's Men.
7. The 1993 Disney film starred Chris O'Donnell (D'Artagnan), KieferSutherland (Athos), Oliver Platt (Porthos), and Charlie Sheen(Aramis).
This movie list compiled by Ann Morris appeared in the August, 1997 issue of the TFA Newsletter.
ENGARDE! -- SWORD LOVERS MOVIE LIST
All of the movies in the following list have at least some reference to sword fighting or fencing. Most are usually categorized as swashbucklers. The others are primarily martial arts films or sword and sorcery fantasies. Just a very few are actually fencing stories.
I have listed the year for each one and if I have an alternate title, I have given that also. Well-known actors who appeared in them are listed as well.
My sources for this list were a list from a fencing F.A.Q. I got off the net a long time ago, INTERNET MOVIE DATA BASE, and my own memory for a few of the titles.
If you have movies to add to the list, please let me know. Please send the movie's title, the stars, and the year it came out. I would like to compile a list of books similar to the movie list, so if you have information to contribute to such a list, I'd love to see that too.
Here's the list!
*THE SWORD LOVERS MOVIE LIST*
The Adventures of Don Juan (1949) Errol Flynn, Raymond Burr
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone
Against All Flags (1952) Errol Flynn, Anthony Quinn Barry Lyndon (1975) Ryan O'Neal, Patrick Magee
The Beastmaster (1982) Marc Singer
Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus (1995) Marc Singer
Black Arrow (1985) Oliver Reed
Black Pirate (1926) Douglas Fairbanks
Black Swan (1942) Tyrone Power, Anthony Quinn
Blind Fury (1990) Rutger Hauer
Bob Roberts (1992) Tim Robbins
Braveheart (1995) Mel Gibson
By the Sword (1993) F. Murray Abraham, Eric Roberts
s Captain Blood (1935) Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone
Captain Kronos/ Kronos/Vampire Castle (1974)
The Challenge (1982) Toshiro Mifune, Scott Glenn
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) Errol Flynn
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Conan the Barbarian (1982) Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones
Conan the Destroyer (1984) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wilt Chamberlain
The Corsican Brothers (1941) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
The Count of Monte Christo (1934) Robert Donat
The Count of Monte Christo (1975) Richard Chamberlain, Tony Curtis (TV movie)
The Court Jester (1956) Danny Kaye, Basil Rathbone
Crossed Swords (1978) Raquel Welch, Charlton Heston
Cutthroat Island (1995) Geena Davis
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) Jose Ferrer
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) Gerard Depardieu
Dangerous Liasons (1988) John Malkovich, Glenn Close
Dragonheart (1996) Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery (voice of Drac)
Dragonslayer (1981) Peter MacNicol, Ralph Richardson
The Duelists (1978) Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine
El Cid (1961) Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren
Evita (1996) Madonna
The Empire Strikes Back 1980) Mark Hamil, HarrisonFord
Excalibur (1981) Nicol Williamson, John Boorman
Fire and Ice (1983) animated
First Knight (1995) Sean Connery, Richard Gere, Julia Ormond
The Flame and the Arrow (1950) Burt Lancaster,Virginia Mayo
Flesh and Blood (1985) Rutger Hauer
The Four Musketeers (1975) Richard Chamberlain, Michael York
Frenchman's Creek (1944) Basil Rathbone, Joan Fontaine
Glory (1989) Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington
The Great Race (1965) Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk
Hamlet (1948) Laurence Olivier
Hamlet (1969) Anthony Hopkins
Hamlet (1990) Mel Gibson, Glenn Close
Hercules/ Labors of Hercules 1959) Steve Reeves Hercules Conquers Atlantis (1961) (also known as Hercules and the Captive Women/Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis and Hercules and the HauntedWomen) * this one was used on MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000. Henry V (1944) Laurence Olivier
Henry V (1989) Kenneth Branagh
Highlander (1986) Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery
Ivanhoe (1953) Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor
The Hobbit (1978) animated TV movie
Ivanhoe (1982) James Mason
Krull (1983) Liam Neeson
Kull (1997) Kevin Sorba, Tia Carrere
Ladyhawke (1985) Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pheiffer
Legend (1985) Tom Cruise, Mia Sara
Long John Silver (1954) Robert Newton, Kit Taylor
Lord of the Rings (1978) animated
Macbeth (1948) Orson Welles, Roddy McDowall
Macbeth (1971) John Finch
The Magic Sword (1962) Basil Rathbone
The Man in Grey (1946) James Mason, Stewart Granger
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) Leonardo Dicaprio, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, Gabrial Byrne, Jeremy Irons (added June 27, 1998)
The Mark of Zorro (1920) Douglas Fairbanks
The Mark of Zorro (1940) Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone
The Mask of Zorro (1998) Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas (added June 27, 1998)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974) John Cleese,Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, TerryJones, Eric Idle *This is a favorite of mine. It's funnyeach and every time I see it and I've seen it many times.
Morgan the Pirate (1960) Steve Reeves
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo
The Prince and the Pauper (1937) Errol Flynn, ClaudeRains
The Princess Bride (1987) Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., DavidNiven
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) Stewart Granger, James Mason
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)Errol Flynn
The Punisher (1989) Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett, Jr.
Ran (1985) Tatsoya Nakadai
The Return of the Jedi (1983) Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil
Return of the King (1979) animated TV movie
Ring of Steel (1994) Carol Alt, Joe Don Baker
Rob Roy (1995) Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange
Robin and Marian (1976) Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn
Romeo and Juliet (1935) Basil Rathbone, Leslie Howard
Romeo and Juliet (1954) Laurence Harvey
Romeo and Juliet (1968) Michael York
Royal Flash (1975) Malcolm McDowell
Sanjuro (1962) Toshiro Mifune
Scaramouche (1952) Stewart Granger, Janet Leigh
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon
The Sea Hawk (1940) Errol Flynn, Claude Rains
The Seven Samurai (1954) Toshiro Mifune
Shogun (1980) Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune(TV mini-series)
Sinbad the Sailor (1949) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,Maureen O'Hara
The Spanish Main (1945) Maureen O'Hara, Paul Heinreid
Spartacus (1961) Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis
Star Wars (1977) Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil
Sweet Liberty (1986) Michael Caine, Alan Alda
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) Lee Horsley
The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1961) Richard Greene, Peter Cushing
The Swordsman (1993) Lorenzo Lamas
The Three Musketeers (1921) Douglas Fairbanks
The Three Musketeers (1933) John Wayne *This was a 12 part serial with the Musketeers updated and in the French Foreign Legion.
The Three Musketeers (1935) Walter Abel
The Three Musketeers (1949) Gene Kelley, Lana Turner
The Three Musketeers (1959) Don Ameche
The Three Musketeers (1974) Michael York, Raquel Welch
The Three Musketeers (1993) Tim Curry, Charlie Sheen
Throne of Blood (1957) Toshiro Mifune
Tom Jones (1963) Albert Finney, Susannah York
Under the Red Robe (1937) Raymond Massey
The Vikings (1958) Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis
The Warriors (1955) Errol Flynn
Wizards and Warriors (1983) Julia Duffy, JeffConaway *a one season TV series but worthy of being in this list because it was a good satire of sword and sorcery
Willow (1988) Val Kilmer
Without a Clue (1988) Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley
The Yakuza/ Brotherhood of the Yakuza (1975) Robert Mitchum, Brian Keith
Yojimbo (1962) Toshiro Mifune
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) Nicholas Rowe