The title of my thread is a testament to Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and so many others. On another thread we were discussing the best swashbuckler and about that time I saw an ad for the 1993, The Three Musketeers playing tonight on the Hallmark Channel, and it made me curious. I'm pretty sure we all remember the 1948 version with Gene Kelly, Van Heflin etc., and even the comedic 1974 Richard Chamberlin/Michael York version. In those older films we were treated to real swashbuckling, sword play from all involved. Errol and Basil actually learned how to fight with a sword for those scenes, as did so many others for pirate movies and other 'God save the King' type of movies. But not in this 1993 version starring Keifer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O'Donnell.
Oh, there is a lot of brandishing the swords, and crossing them overhead, but the rest is just a lot of closeups with punches in the face actually bringing the other guy down. The point is, I suspected (expected) that, which is why I made sure I watched it. I'm always complaining about the calibre of actors we have today, and tonight I was actually able to prove some of it. These guys just don't learn their craft anymore. If they can't do a scene with facial expression, they 'jimmy' around with camera angles, and such. This is why we're all classic fans and what our kids and their kids are missing. I wonder if it's the same on Broadway with live theater with the new high powered microphones that attach to the actor's back allowing them to speak in regular voices instead of emoting as they used to. Is there a difference?
Oh yes, Keifer is great on -24- but its all camera work, and trick photography with a little bit of emotional expressions thrown in occasionally. Also, these studios are so afraid of their star getting hurt that you know when the camera is stopped so the actors can changes places, or get on or off a horse, or in or out of a car. A lot of the fun is gone from action movies today, which is why I guess, they think the bigger the explosion, the better.
Anne
Shades of Robin Hood, Zorro, and Captain Blood
Shades of Robin Hood, Zorro, and Captain Blood
Anne
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Anne
i think Antonio Bandaras and Catherine Zeta Jones did the oldies proud with the modern 'Zorro's
Ronald Colman, Doug Fairbanks Jnr and David Niven in The Prisoner Of Zenda
Robert Wagner in Prince Valiant
Stewart Granger in Scaramouchone
Tony Curtis/Kirk Douglas and Janet Leigh in The Vikings
a little know one i like, but has been dismised as a kids film is Seige Of The Saxons, made in the early 60s. it stars Ronald Lewis and Thora Hird's daughter Jeanette Scott, who plays the daughter of King Arthur, who is forced to dress as a man to escape her father's murderers, led by Ronald, son of Leslie, Howard. Lewis in a role not to disimiliar from Flynn's The Prince And The Pauper is the love interest
on Brit tv in the 50s there was Richard Greene in The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe with Roger Moore, Robert Shaw in The Buchaneer, Conrad Phillips in William Tell and Terence Morgan and Jean Kent in Sir Francis Drake
i think Antonio Bandaras and Catherine Zeta Jones did the oldies proud with the modern 'Zorro's
Ronald Colman, Doug Fairbanks Jnr and David Niven in The Prisoner Of Zenda
Robert Wagner in Prince Valiant
Stewart Granger in Scaramouchone
Tony Curtis/Kirk Douglas and Janet Leigh in The Vikings
a little know one i like, but has been dismised as a kids film is Seige Of The Saxons, made in the early 60s. it stars Ronald Lewis and Thora Hird's daughter Jeanette Scott, who plays the daughter of King Arthur, who is forced to dress as a man to escape her father's murderers, led by Ronald, son of Leslie, Howard. Lewis in a role not to disimiliar from Flynn's The Prince And The Pauper is the love interest
on Brit tv in the 50s there was Richard Greene in The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe with Roger Moore, Robert Shaw in The Buchaneer, Conrad Phillips in William Tell and Terence Morgan and Jean Kent in Sir Francis Drake
Stuart:
You are so right, Catharine and Antonio really did the old boys proud, and I can't forget Maureen O'Hara in the Spanish Main. But of course the ones you listed are all of the old school, who are the ones I'm talking about. Most of them were long out of movies by the time this 1993 piece of cartoon collage came around.
Sadly, my 14 yr. old grandson is finally accepting watching movies other than the kind that blow people up, but I still can't get him to watch an old swashbuckler, and I know he would get into it, because I do catch the little jerk watching from the doorway now and then. He even watched about 15 minutes of Hatari the other day, but wouldn't admit it if hung by his thumbs, because it's "the old guy, John Wayne".
Worse part is, he doesn't even know what he's missing.
Anne
You are so right, Catharine and Antonio really did the old boys proud, and I can't forget Maureen O'Hara in the Spanish Main. But of course the ones you listed are all of the old school, who are the ones I'm talking about. Most of them were long out of movies by the time this 1993 piece of cartoon collage came around.
Sadly, my 14 yr. old grandson is finally accepting watching movies other than the kind that blow people up, but I still can't get him to watch an old swashbuckler, and I know he would get into it, because I do catch the little jerk watching from the doorway now and then. He even watched about 15 minutes of Hatari the other day, but wouldn't admit it if hung by his thumbs, because it's "the old guy, John Wayne".
Worse part is, he doesn't even know what he's missing.
Anne
Anne
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Lzcutter
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Hey Anne,
Don't forget Richard Lester's wonderful "Three Musketeers" with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlin, Frank Finley and Charlton Heston.
Lots of fun and those guys really got into their parts.
The sequel "Four Musketeers" isn't quite as much fun but Reed is heartbreaking in it.
Don't forget Richard Lester's wonderful "Three Musketeers" with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlin, Frank Finley and Charlton Heston.
Lots of fun and those guys really got into their parts.
The sequel "Four Musketeers" isn't quite as much fun but Reed is heartbreaking in it.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
Anne-i have a little problem with Maureen O'Hara in damsel in distress roles, when she showed she could look after herself in Swords Point. Jean Peters to was impressive as Ann Of The Indies
i remember Clive Owen when he was just starting out impressing me in tv drama seriel Lorna Doone. he was also seen recently swashbuckiling in Elizabeth The Golden Age. in the 80s Anthony Andrews did both Ivanhoe and The Scarlett Pimpernel. maybe i should be ashamed to admit but i'm a fan for the most part of Xena Warrior Princess with Lucy Lawless. i wouldn't mind her reprising the role in a modern setting, like the comics did with Thor
however, i remember a few yrs back a teenage girl raving about Robin Hood Prince Of Theives, but it went over not only her head, but her mother's too when i mentioned Errol's The Adventures Of Robin Hood. i also remember when tv presenter Johnathon Ross did a doc about the history of Robin Hood shows, as build up to a new series, but though he said Flynn's film was the best film of its kind ever made, very little time was spent on it
i remember Clive Owen when he was just starting out impressing me in tv drama seriel Lorna Doone. he was also seen recently swashbuckiling in Elizabeth The Golden Age. in the 80s Anthony Andrews did both Ivanhoe and The Scarlett Pimpernel. maybe i should be ashamed to admit but i'm a fan for the most part of Xena Warrior Princess with Lucy Lawless. i wouldn't mind her reprising the role in a modern setting, like the comics did with Thor
however, i remember a few yrs back a teenage girl raving about Robin Hood Prince Of Theives, but it went over not only her head, but her mother's too when i mentioned Errol's The Adventures Of Robin Hood. i also remember when tv presenter Johnathon Ross did a doc about the history of Robin Hood shows, as build up to a new series, but though he said Flynn's film was the best film of its kind ever made, very little time was spent on it
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charliechaplinfan
- Posts: 9040
- Joined: January 15th, 2008, 9:49 am
I've wondered what the great "sword-fighting shadows on castle walls" effect would have been if Errol and Basil hadn't been effective at swordfighting. It would have been hard to justify weeks of training "just" for lighting effects, but is there any other scene in movie history that brings grandeur to B&W photography? I can't think of one. Maybe Powell & Pressberger (er, Jack Cardiff) can offer up many other fine examples, too.
MrsL, my other comment is the incredible depth of basic talent - singing, tap dancing, the ability to deliver comedy and/or drama - across legions of actors up until the '60s, or perhaps mid-50s. I applaud Glenn Close, Streep, Richard Gere, Zellwegger, etc. for adding those basic skills to their repetoire, but, lordy, in the '30s and '40s, I doubt I could have named 4 actors who COULDN'T do those basic skills - today, I'm reduced to listing those who CAN on one hand or two!
MrsL, my other comment is the incredible depth of basic talent - singing, tap dancing, the ability to deliver comedy and/or drama - across legions of actors up until the '60s, or perhaps mid-50s. I applaud Glenn Close, Streep, Richard Gere, Zellwegger, etc. for adding those basic skills to their repetoire, but, lordy, in the '30s and '40s, I doubt I could have named 4 actors who COULDN'T do those basic skills - today, I'm reduced to listing those who CAN on one hand or two!
lzcutter:
My dear, I mentioned the Richard Chamberlain version in my very first paragraph, but I never saw the Four Musketeers.
Stuart:
I have not seen any of the Elizabeth movies so I may have been too harsh in saying nobody is contributing, but see the following paragraph.
Ollie:
I, too, give credit to those people for learning certain things for specific roles, but as you pointed out, 40 years earlier, actors were given roles that involved all sorts of talents they had to have at their fingertips. Some excelled, and others failed, but at least they all tried.
Anne
My dear, I mentioned the Richard Chamberlain version in my very first paragraph, but I never saw the Four Musketeers.
Stuart:
I have not seen any of the Elizabeth movies so I may have been too harsh in saying nobody is contributing, but see the following paragraph.
Ollie:
I, too, give credit to those people for learning certain things for specific roles, but as you pointed out, 40 years earlier, actors were given roles that involved all sorts of talents they had to have at their fingertips. Some excelled, and others failed, but at least they all tried.
Anne
Anne
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I make fun of Laughton's physical problems - fat, ugly, terribly ungraceful, yet his staggering drunk in HOBSON'S CHOICE requires the man to be so in-command of his body that his stumbles and lurches, and the ultimate head-back feet-straight-up fall requires an athleticism he'd maintained for all his life.
And some of his American TV performances have him doing tap-dance bits, perfectly timed, perfectly executed. For such a fat, out-of-shape person, how can he command such grace without it being there all the time?
I'm glad we've got a few Jack Blacks, Philip Seymour Hoffmans, Paul Giamati's, Steve Buscemi's around to continue wearing a character mantel that the Laughtons and Burgess Meredith's did. I am unsure if any of today's crop will ever succeed so well, but then again, few did.
And some of his American TV performances have him doing tap-dance bits, perfectly timed, perfectly executed. For such a fat, out-of-shape person, how can he command such grace without it being there all the time?
I'm glad we've got a few Jack Blacks, Philip Seymour Hoffmans, Paul Giamati's, Steve Buscemi's around to continue wearing a character mantel that the Laughtons and Burgess Meredith's did. I am unsure if any of today's crop will ever succeed so well, but then again, few did.