THE THREE MUSKETEERS
US, 1948, 125 minutes, Colour.
Lana Turner, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Angela Lansbury, Frank Morgan, Vincent Price, Keenan Wynn, John Sutton, Gig Young, Robert Coote, Reginald Owen, Patricia Medina.
Directed by George Sidney.
There had been many versions of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, two versions in the 1930s, one with the Ritz Brothers, the other with Walter Able. The were to be many other versions, especially Richard Lester’s 1970s version with the rather tongue-in-cheek approach as well as a star-studded cast (and its sequels, The Four Musketeers and The Return of the Musketeers). A rather Americanised version with the young guns of the period (Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O’Donnell) was entertaining but rather too Americanised.
Not that this film is not Americanised. It features many of the stars at MGM in the late 40s. Gene Kelly is an athletic choice for D'Artagnan but, of course, he is more at home in musicals. Van Heflin is rather more serious as Athos and Robert Coote a flamboyant Aramis. Gig Young is Porthos.
Lana Turner portrays Lady de Winter (as did later Faye Dunaway and Rebecca de Mornay). It is said that she was willing to undergo suspension because she thought the role was too secondary. However, she is a perfect Lady de Winter. June Allyson is all sweetness and light as Constance (to be followed later by Raquel Welch). Angela Lansbury is the queen, Frank Morgan the king and, of all people, Vincent Price is Richelieu.
The film has all the popular ingredients and the swashbuckling style of the original story. It was directed by George Sidney who was a director of many musicals at MGM including The Harvey Girls, Showboat, Jupiter’s Darling as well as Bye Bye, Birdie and Half a Sixpence. His two classics were Annie Get Your Gun and Kiss Me, Kate. He also directed the historical films Young Bess and the swashbuckling Scaramouche.
1. What accounts for the popularity of this story? Its classic status? The adventure and swashbuckling atmosphere? The glimpse into the history of France?
2. The success of this film by the standards of the forties? Colour, Tchaikovsky background music, big budget, lavish sets and colour, the stars? What impact do these have now?
3. Comment on the impact of the basic plot: the brightness of hope of D'Artagnan and the Musketeers, the intrigue and adventure in the kingdom, the change to disillusionment, the final melancholy of death? Audience response to the varying stages of the plot?
4. Comment on the atmosphere of Richelieu's France. How well was this communicated: a world of intrigue, power, espionage? An amoral world where Milady could be in high society and yet a spy and unscrupulous? The role of the King and Queen in France? Intrigues with England and the role of the Duke of Buckingham? Wars and assassinations?
5. How was D'Artagnan the hero of the film? The initial presentation of him as naive and from the country? His swordsmanship? The humour of his duels with the Musketeers and the seriousness of his fighting with Richelieu's men? His entering into the company of the Musketeers and his ambitions? His romantic love for Constance? His mission to England and the success of the mission? The fascination with Milady and his infidelity to Constance? His using, and flirting, with Kitty? The final rescue of Constance and the pathos of his being too late? How had he changed throughout the film? His future?
6. How did the film present the three Musketeers themselves? How strong was their characterization? The atmosphere of the Musketeers in Paris, serving the King, their pride in their swordsmanship, their half serious attitude towards life? Their encounters with D'Artagnan, the mission to England, the seriousness as Milady's plots unfolded? The emphasis on Athos as a personality? His drinking, his renunciation of his past? The story of his wife? The gradual revelation of Milady? The antagonism of the two? Milady's trying to trick him into keeping herself safe? Her final execution and its effect on him?
7. The importance of Milady in the film? Her activities, her beauty and ambitions? Her skill in espionage and seduction? Richelieu using her? Her mission to the Duke of Buckingham? Her success with the jewels? The evil in her, her deceit? The relationship with Athos, her deception of him, getting his estates, his executing her? Her deceiving D'Artagnan, her deceiving Constance in the prison and killing her? How accurate a picture of evil ambition?
8. How attractive was Constance as the heroine? A good person, her loyalty to the Queen, her love for D'Artagnan? The danger from Richelieu, her exile in England, her looking after Milady and being tricked by her? Her death?
9. The importance of the liaison between Queen Anne and the Duke of Buckingham? The irony of his assassination by Milady?
10. The value of the individual episodes, especially the fighting, the sword work?
11. How seriously was the story presented? The mock heroism?
12. The intrinsic appeal of this kind of film? The quality of its execution?
