Discuss The Man in the Iron Mask
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Brilliant swashbuckler
posted by rudely_murraySTAFFMOD on March 15, 2018 at 9:12 AM
The 1930s was the heyday of the Hollywood swashbuckler and this is up there with Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Prisoner of Zenda as one of the very best of them. A splendid adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' final 'Musketeers' novel it features none of the era's more familiar swordplay stars - Flynn, Power, Fairbanks and Rathbone are nowhere to be seen - but instead headlines Louis Hayward in the dual roles of villainous Louis XIV and his dashing secret twin, and Warren William as the aging d'Artagnan. Infinitely better than the 1998 Leonardo DiCaprio film, this is superb stuff, gripping throughout and building to a thrilling climax. A very brief early appearance by Peter Cushing, too.
Reply by genplant29
on March 15, 2018 at 6:01 PM
A fun trivia tidbit: Nigel de Brulier (who I've long been a fan of, for a combination of his Silent and 1930s film work) portrayed Cardinal Richelieu not only in this, but also in The Three Musketeers (1921), The Iron Mask (1929), and The Three Musketeers (1935). So, he pretty much "owned" that role on film.
Be sure to check out The Corsican Brothers (1941) sometime, if you haven't already. It's another entertaining, and quite good, swashbuckler of the same era.
Reply by rudely_murray
on March 15, 2018 at 8:45 PM
I was not aware of that titbit about de Burlier, thanks! It's very interesting that he was cast in the role so many times. While I knew his name I was not aware of his history as a rare 'survivor' of silent film who made it in the talkies. I shall try to pay more attention to him/watch out for his films going forward.
I haven't seen The Corsican Brothers and will definitely check it out soon, it seems to be right up my alley. I love Fairbanks and it also has a reliable cast of character actors attached - thank you for the recommendation!
Reply by genplant29
on March 15, 2018 at 9:31 PM
de Brulier is someone I first became familiar with via Silents. His distinctive look and somewhat mysterious (not really the word I'm aiming for, but can't quite think what the right word might be - maybe "haunted"?) persona always has captured my attention and interest for some reason. He sure was in a lot of Silents, often in strictly incidental parts, but frequently in major or semi-major roles. de Brulier is one of those early character actors who definitely pops up a lot, and appeared in a bounty of the biggest, best, as well as many of the most "important", prestige productions of the mid-1910s through the late '30s (his filmography is truly impressive).
I'm sure you'll enjoy The Corsican Brothers. It's a smaller budget and somewhat lower-key production than the other movies we've mentioned in this thread, but nonetheless holds up nicely and has a lot going for it. (By the way, I'm also a big Fairbanks Jr. fan!)
Reply by rudely_murray
on July 27, 2018 at 8:06 PM
@genplant29 Thanks to your recommendation I finally checked out The Corsican Brothers and had a great time. Fairbanks was super in his dual role, successfully giving the identical twins distinct traits and mannerisms so one could always tell them apart, and it moved at a cracking pace. Not top-drawer swashbuckling, but splendid fun.
Reply by genplant29
on August 11, 2018 at 2:22 PM
rudely, I'm glad you sought out and enjoyed The Corsican Brother. As you mentioned, it's not the ultimate swashbuckling film, though is well-done and very entertaining. And the cast does a great job. Now I want to watch it again!