The Three Musketeers – (1948) The color and drama of the novel translated into Technicolor and a theme by Tchaikovsky, this Hollywood version of the Dumas classic story begins as a historical/romantic comedy before segueing into a melodrama. D’Artagnan (Gene Kelly) takes leave of his father’s home in Gascony with hopes of becoming one of King Louis XIII’s Musketeers. He promises his father, “I shall endure nothing from any man.” By means of his ill-manners and impetuous nature, he unintentionally offends the three best swordsmen in Paris – first Athos (Van Heflin), next Porthos (Gig Young), and finally Aramis (Robert Coote).

They meet for a dual only to be interrupted by five guardsmen of Prime Minister Richelieu (Vincent Price). (Curiously Richelieu in this film is never referred to as Cardinal Richelieu, which he was, possibly because the Catholic Church had influence over the rating system and may have wanted to expunge another example of an evil character representing the Church from the cinema.) Gene Kelly’s acrobatic athleticism during the swordplay is a highlight of the entertainment. After the four unite in fellowship, D’Artagnan discovers his landlord’s goddaughter, Constance (June Allyson), below his room; but as soon as he’s in love, he must rescue her from Richelieu’s men.

“You come from heaven,” Constance sighs to her hero. “No, madam,” D’Artagnan corrects her, “from upstairs.” Constance leads the Duke of Buckingham (Frank Sutton), England’s prime minister, to the quarters of Queen Anne (Angela Lansbury) who tells her lover she can never see him again but gives him a dozen diamonds as a gift of remembrance. Constance requests of D’Artagnan a favor, to recover the gems from England before Richelieu reveals the queen’s betrayal. Richelieu has sent Lady de Winter (Lana Turner) to steal a pair of the diamonds from Buckingham. Before D’Artagnan departs, he marries Constance; his three Musketeer comrades accompany him, each in turn holding off an effort by Richelieu’s men to stop them while D’Artagnan and his loyal servant Planchet (Keenan Wynn) make their way to the coast. After D’Artagnan foils Richelieu’s plot, returning the diamonds to the queen, Constance disappears into Richelieu’s clutches.

Up to this point the film’s action has incorporated comic antics into the adventure. In the latter half there’s less levity as events turn darker and the actors put on their buskins. On another mission to England for Richelieu, Lady de Winter’s intrigue is found out; Buckingham puts her in prison and assigns Constance, who was released from Richelieu’s hands in France through the queen’s command but then transported to England for her safety, as de Winter’s jailer. Athos reveals to D’Artagnan his relationship to Lady de Winter and the brand of a common criminal on her shoulder. Fearing the worst in England, the pair set off together. Three of the principal characters from the first half of the film die in the second half, along with scores of minor characters. I’d recommend Richard Lester’s 1974 The Three Musketeers and its sequel The Fourth Musketeer.

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Copyright © 2007 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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