i have this movie in my home library, both as a purchased film and having taped from amc. the fencing sequences are some of the best on film. i do not think enough has been said of robert douglass. his fencing skills must have been superb since he fought with all of the best duelists in hollywood, errol flynn, cornel wilde,burt lancaster to name a few. all good leading men need a bad guy, and r.d. was very good at being bad.
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blakduke22 September 1999
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atlasmb16 July 2014"At Sword's Point" contains homages to "The Three Musketeers" and some common conventions for such films. Placed in 1648, it starts with Queen Anne of France (Gladys Cooper) worried about threats to her throne and her son's succession to the throne. The Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas) is stirring up the nobles, who are circling like sharks. The queen has hidden her young son in a monastery to keep him safe from Lavalle. Since Lavalle is unable to find the prince, he resorts to plan B: he will marry Princess Henriette (Nancy Gates). But Henriette despises him and the queen resists all threats. She attempts to contact Spain for assistance, but all her messengers are killed en route by Lavalle. Time is of the essence, because the queen is sick.
She decides to reach out to her trustworthy four musketeers from the past: Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan. If you have not seen "The Three Musketeers" (1935), you should probably watch that film first. By now the musketeers are older men. Each sends his son in his place, except Athos who sends his daughter Claire (Maureen O'Hara), a fine swordswoman.
This story is full of intrigue, swordplay and clever twists, even if it departs from history. Nods to "The Three Musketeers" include the passing of the father's sword to the son. Also, when the musketeers meet, there is swordplay among them to establish their abilities. (It should be noted that the swordplay and stuntwork in this film is quite good. Maureen O'Hara displays an athleticism that few actresses could match.) Moroni Olsen plays the aged Porthos--the same role he played in the 1935 film.
The film uses the common convention of a woman passing as a man--something that just has to be accepted because there is no way anyone would mistake Maureen O'Hara for a man simply because her hair is under a hat and she is wearing men's breeches.
Shot in Technicolor, this film is a colorful addition to the "Three Musketeers" canon. The acting is solid and the action scenes are worth seeing. -
mark.waltz13 August 2013French history has often been altered for Hollywood films, and here, it is the tale of the attempted take-over of the throne by an evil cardinal and his hold on the aging Queen who is acting as a regent for her young son, Louis. The cardinal demands to marry the Princess in order to gain power, and that is where the musketeers come in, this time joined by the sword fighting Maureen O'Hara. She has the stamina of all the musketeers together, giving a feminist aspect to the predictable tale. Leading musketeer Cornel Wilde gets the pleasure of both sparring and romancing her, making this also a variation of Taming of the Shrew where the finale has O'Hara in triumph.
Robert Douglas is an appropriate villain with Gladys Cooper a noble yet regal ailing Queen. Wasted in a generic role is European stage legend Blanche Yurka as a tavern owner without the secret menacing of "A Tale of Two City's" wine shop owner Madame DeFarge. A sly wit dominates the screenplay, and the Technicolor photography is stunning, particularly for O'Hara. But, as her oft-costar John Wayne once said about someone else, she'd look good in a burlap bag. -
historyrepeating18 September 2001This movie is one of my all time favorites! Swashbuckling, funny, adventurous and downright silly at times, it is ALWAYS entertaining to watch.
This is the movie that really made me fall for Maureen O'Hara. Red hair, green eyes, and she swordfights better than any man in this movie! What more could you want?
This movie seems to have brought out the true sense of whimsy in all of the cast. Their grins give them away throughout the movie. They were obviously having a blast. And so do we. -
l_rawjalaurence1 December 2014Plugging into a familiar franchise, SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS is perhaps most noticeable for Maureen O'Hara's performance as Claire, daughter of Athos, who adopts masculine attire and joins her fellow junior musketeers (Cornel Wilde, Dan O'Herlihy and Alan Hale Jr.) in writing wrongs. All of them know her true identity, but they are happy to play along in sustaining the illusion that she is actually a man, so that they can enjoy the fun of pranks such as the need for all the musketeers to share a bed together, or to take a shower together.
In truth O'Hara does not really make a convincing man, but this doesn't really seem to matter in a Technicolor adventure full of action, sword-fights and stirring music (by Roy Webb). As with many costume pictures made in the early Fifties (notably MGM's IVANHOE), the action unfolds at a brisk pace, leaving viewers little time to notice obvious implausibilities such as the musketeers speaking in a variety of accents ranging from Hollywood English to broad Nebraska. The supporting cast contains a smattering of Brits - to lend classical "authenticity" including Gladys Cooper (delivering her lines in stentorian tones reminiscent of Queen Victoria), and (in an uncredited role) Holmes Herbert, who for decades made a habit of playing butlers, lords, and miscellaneous nobles, his cut-glass British accent (honed in the theater of the early Twenties) contrasting with the panoply of other speaking voices on offer.
SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS tells a familiar tale, but it does so in a highly breezy and entertaining manner. -
martin-fennell1 June 2021Fast paced actioner. Its been a long time since I saw it. I might look at it again sometime. Then again, i might not.
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Prismark102 November 2014Sons of the Musketeers is set in France with the elderly French Queen worried about threats to her throne and her son's succession to the throne from the Duc de Lavalle sends out for a call for help from the Musketeers who helped her out many years ago.
The now elderly musketeers send their sons. Athos who sends his daughter Claire (Maureen O'Hara) herself a fine swords-woman who comes in disguised as a man.
The story has plenty of intrigue, backstabbing and swordplay. There is some knockabout comedy such as the sleeping arrangements for the Musketeers junior before Claire does her reveal.
There is plenty of cut and thrust and some nifty stunt work. Even Maureen O'Hara is good with the sword and looks ravishing with her long leathers boots on and full on Technicolour.
The film is not too long but there is still too much sword fighting against overwhelming odds before the musketeers give up, escape, fight against overwhelming odds and Lavalle always seems to have the upper hand until the conclusion of the film. It does look like padding to a flimsy story. -
bkoganbing21 November 2015Usually when films are held up like At Sword's Point are for two years that usually means they're stinkers. I've certainly seen better in the swashbuckling genre. My own opinion is that for whatever reason it was held up RKO decided it might have been to take advantage of the leads being out in big mega hits in 1952, Cornel Wilde in The Greatest Show On Earth and Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man.
At Sword's Point shows France in the years of Louis XIV's minority having some big trouble. It certainly had its problems in those years, but the realm was led by a most capable regent in Cardinal Mazarin and the Queen Mother Anne Of Austria. Mazarin's role has been completely eliminated and Louis has a sister instead of a brother.
Anne who is dying of a weak heart is being pressured by the grasping and fictional Duc DeLavalle played by Robert Douglas to marry princess Nancy Gates and steal the throne. The Queen Mother is played proudly and regally by Gladys Cooper.
Cooper wishes those guys who saved her bacon back in the day were still around. Well Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan may not be, but their kids have all been taught the Musketeer fighting skills and it's time for a new generation of Musketeers to battle for the honor of the throne.
The kids are Cornel Wilde as D'Artagnan, Alan Hale,Jr. as Porthos, Dan O'Herlihy as young Aramis and Athos was blessed with a daughter in Maureen O'Hara who keeps up with the boys in terms of fighting skills.
One hopes that some kid studying French history doesn't take a short cut and watch this film to learn about France in 1650s. But as a swashbuckler it's not a bad film with heroes and villains cut from some whole cloth. The original Three Musketeers certainly had characters far more complex than these.
And hopefully RKO got its money's worth with At Sword's Point in the wake of The Quiet Man and The Greatest Show On Earth. -
Nazi_Fighter_David21 July 2000Is "At Sword's Point," a great adventure film?
Well, perhaps not. But it is a great spoof of adventure, and, as a piece of entertainment, it needs no defending.
The sons of the three musketeers rally round their aging Queen of France (Gladys Cooper) to prevent her daughter's marriage to the ambitious Duc De Lavalle (Robert Douglas) and to protect the throne of Young Louis XIV (Peter Miles) from the villainous nobleman...
Caught between beautiful sets, fancy costumes and clashing swords, our reddish-brown haired heroine (Maureen O'Hara) - as Claire, the daughter of Athos, who joins the offspring of the other musketeers - found enough opportunity for romance with the handsome and dynamic Cornel Wilde (expert fencer as D'Artagnan). Maureen's proficiency with the sword gets our attention but not her ability to manage the soft dialogue...
The supporting cast - the tall, distinguished looking Dan O'Herlihy as Aramis & Alan Hales Jr. as Porthos - add a major assets to the picture, photographed in vivid Technicolor...
A hilarious duel climaxes this likable swashbuckling adventure... -
chrisreno18113 March 2011This is truly an excellent swashbuckling adventure starring Muareen O'Hara and Cornel Wilde. There are lots of impressive sword fights. Maureen o'Hara is gorgeous funny and fights excellently with a sword. As well as sword fights there is lots of humour and wit in the film. The film centres around the sons and daughter of the musketeers. They must assist queen Anne in her fight against Lavalle.
I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the three musketeers from 1948 film starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner. Heaps of fun 10/10 glad they are releasing this on warner archives DVD.
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rogerblake-281-71881915 June 2012Of all the films I saw as a lad this is the one that made the biggest impression, a good old fashioned hero and heroine and a his-sable villain tons of sword fighting a spot of torture (just the thing for a bloodthirsty schoolboy) and the obligatory happy ending.Seeing the film sixty years later it holds up remarkably well. Cornel Wilde was the best swashbuckler of all,far superior to Errol Flynn.Firstly Wilde was an Olympic class fencer and secondly unlike Flynn he kept in fantastic shape.Technicolor could have been made for Maureen O'Hara with her red hair and lovely complexion.Never more than a discreet show of cleavage,she didn't need it.A dab hand with a rapier but no lady when dispatching baddies.Dan O'Herilhy as Aramis Jnr plays the best friend of the hero with a good grace and has a couple of nice scenes as does Alan Hale Jnr as Porthos Jnr.The scene where he goes berserk in the torture chamber is a highlight,it certainly made a big impression on me as a ten year old.Robert Douglas specialised in villains.Here as the Duc de la Valle he is on top form as a thoroughly nasty piece of work.Like Basil Rathbone he was a world class fencer but on screen they never won a sword fight.Rathbone was even defeated by a hypnotised Danny Kaye in The Court Jester.Gladys Cooper as Queen Anne adds a touch of class.The rest of the cast fit in nicely.As for the plot La Valle wants the throne of France by marrying the Queen's daughter and bumping off the boy King.The sons of the Musketeers ride to the rescue.A scene from The Rogues of Sherwood Forest is inserted into the action,perhaps Robin Hood and his merry men are helping out.It is not meant to be taken too seriously,sit back and enjoy,what more could you ask for,superb fencing scenes,Wilde and Douglas's climatic duel is a humdinger.A spot of torture with Wilde being branded with a hot iron but never mind he gets Maureen at the end as compensation.Villains thwarted wrongs righted and all in glorious Technicolor.A quick word of praise for the director Lewis Allen for making a potential sows ear into a silk purse and all on a budget that wouldn't pay Errol Flynn's bar bill.A wonderful wonderful film,10 out of 10,OK?
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JLRMovieReviews22 June 2010At first I was a little wary of watching this, after seeing Miss O'Hara in some clunkers like Forbidden Street, The Black Swan, and Sentimental Journey. But I was pleasantly surprised by its tongue-in-check attitude and the naturalness to it given by its capable stars, in this continuing saga of the three (or four) musketeers' children grown up to defend their country and queen. Gladys Cooper is great as the Queen and gives the film some regard it may not have without such a good actress. And, Robert Douglas is excellent as a duke (our villain) who wants to ascend to the throne by marrying the Queen's daughter and getting rid of others in his way. While I never gave Cornel Wilde much consideration before, he was quite good, and much of the film's dialogue was good without being corny. One line I really appreciated was when Maureen says in response to a man who doesn't fight or duel with a lady that "when I fight, I'm no lady." If you want a good old-fashioned b-picture that gives its heart to a Dumas classic, but really is no classic itself compared to Lana Turner and Gene Kelly's "The Three Musketeers," then this short adventure is for you.
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allan-1818 March 1999It was awhile ago that I say this movie. I've been trying to find some place to acquire it for my home library. I think this was a great movie. Extremely well done. I'd recommend it to anyone.
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gordonl5619 July 2014AT SWORD'S POINT – 1952
This fun to watch adventure film is another take on "The Three Musketeers" tale.
It is several decades past the time setting for the first story. Queen Anne, Gladys Cooper, is being pressured by the evil Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas) to marry off her daughter, Nancy Gates to him. Anne knows that Douglas is a power hungry swine who just wants to rule France. He is also trying to find the location of the next in line, the young boy, Peter Miles.
Queen Anne has sent messengers to the King of Spain for help, but Douglas's men catch, and murder said riders. So she sends for her loyal Musketeers of years before. There is however a slight problem with this idea. The original men are all dead, or bedridden. Their children, Cornel Wilde, Dan O'Herlihy, Alan Hale JR and Maureen O'Hara however answer the call.
Plenty of swordplay, escapes from the bad guys and thrilling rescues abound in this quick pace romp.
I found it Interesting to see Miss O'Hara handling a sword with the rest. It looks like she must have taken more than a few lessons. Needless to say the new Musketeers save the day and dispatch the evil Douglas and his crew.
Director Lewis Allen must have had a blast making this one. Allen, was better known for helming some dark film noir, such as, DESERT FURY, SO EVIL MY LOVE, A BULLET FOR JOEY, ILLEGAL, CHICAGO DEADLINE, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER and SUDDENLY. -
searchanddestroy-115 November 2021As a French, I have always been amazed by the fact that the Hollywood industry was so much inspired from French novels, myths and legends, French history as weel. Amazed and please too. This movie reminds me my childhood, no matter the factual mistakes, history mistakes. It is colorful, fast paced, beautifully made and acted. Cornel Wilde is excellent in this role. Errol Flynn could have made it too.
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ulicknormanowen11 February 2020This movie was (very) vaguely inspired by the fourth part of Dumas ' novel " Le Vicomte De Bragelonne", which mostly dealt with the young Sun King.
For a French ,it's absolutely impossible to take the historical context seriously : it's true that there was trouble all over the land ,caused by the nobles who challenged the king's absolute power : it was called "La Fronde" :it's true that the young King had to escape from Paris and to take refuge in Fontainebleau .In 1648,however,the queen mother ,Anne D'autriche , was not dying : she did not have a heart condition and she died in 1666 of breast cancer.During her regence,she had strong support from her minister Mazarin (not mentioned here,as an user has already pointed out),who,in the wake of Richelieu, ruled the country and paved a reliable way for the absolute monarchy (which began when he died in 1661).And Anne D'Autriche had no daughter but two sons ,Louis and Philippe : the latter was gay.
Let's forget history .Lewis Allen's swashbuckler has plenty of go ,and Cornell Wilde and majestic Maureen O'Hara make an attractive pairing ; the villain ,the ambitious Duc De La Valle ,a fictious character ,could be one of those rebellious aristocrats (the own king's uncle ,Gaston D'Orléans, was part of the Fronde); As the three/four musketeers were getting old, it was only natural to replace them by their sons ;but the best idea is to introduce a girl (Athos' s daughter) Not only Miss O'Hara wields the sword with gusto (she was carefully taught;see her first appearance) but she proved herself more than useful than a man: a beautiful woman can replace a princess, turn into a servant and seduce a roughneck soldier (the scene when she is told off by her would be husband and lovers is much fun to watch).The screenplay is action-packed , the colors are superb , the film is rather short so there's never a dull moment.
A voice over warns us when the movie begins : this is what could have happened in France............ if fate had not decided otherwise.Well ,decidedly implausible ,but a good entertainment is guaranteed for all. -
coltras3531 December 2023It's set in seventeenth-century France, when the sons of those bold musketeers Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan, and the daughter of Athos, prove that their loyalty is as firmly rooted as that of their fathers in Dumas's immortal story by attempting to save the imperilled throne of France by thwarting the evil schemes of the ruthless Duc de Lavalle.
At Sword's point - or the son of the Musketeers- is a fast-paced, colourful adventure full of swordplay,humour - there's a keen sense of breeziness displayed throughout with nary a dull moment. There's an infectious sense of a feel-good factor. The swordplay is well-staged, and Cornel Wilde comes out best with his fencing display. He was a champion fencer with the U. S. Olympic fencing team and it's certainly evident here. Robert Douglas provides the villainy and he performs effortlessly. Maureen O' Hara is beautiful and strong-minded as ever. The climax fight between Wilde and Douglas is a showstopper.