Scaramouche (1952)

Spectacular swordplay in musical style in this superior version of the classic Rafael Sabatini novel . M-G-M presents Sabatini' exciting story of love and adventure . The picture contains overwhelming action , intrigue , romantic adventure , mayhem and a lot of fencing . For the second time is adapted in the greatest Hollywood splendor , the complete romance , the historical characters, the full novel just as Rafael Sabatini write it ; it stars Stewart Granger as the rake young who turns revenger when his best friend is killed and he , subsequently , becomes the role Scaramouche and finally faces off his deadly enemy , featuring a top-notch seven-and-a-half minute sword battle . This delightful adaptation contains an awesome casting and lavish production shot in Metro Goldwyn Studios make for a fairly amusement swashbuckling . This is the classic version of the Sabatini's novel with a handsome Stewart Granger in a brave role as a young and handsome nobleman , a dashing , audacious lover . The film is well set in the days of the French revolution and it starts with the youngster Andre Moreau (Stewart Granger , this is one of Granger's best movies at MGM) , a bastard nobleman searching for his family . Moreau , then , carries out a relentless revenge to avenge the death of a friend . As he joins a theatre troupe , being disguised as Scaramouche , there he meets Aline (Eleanor Parker , very well cast) , and forms an interest in her . Meanwhile , aristocrat marquis Noel (Mel Ferrer) is ordered by the French queen (Nina Foch) to seek the hand of a young ingenue , Aline (Janet Leigh) , in marriage . Later on , Andre becomes a politician at National Assembly to protect the third estate from mean aristocracy and contra-revolutionaries . After that , Andre spends his days learning how to handle a sword , thanks to a master swordsman .

This is a slight and hugely budgeted retelling about the durable Sabatini's novel with all-star-cast . It is packed with comedy , derring-do , intrigue , a triangular love story , action , drama and moving as well as dazzling swordplay between Granger and Ferrer . Entertaining swashbuckling with lavish production by Carey Wilson , glamorous gowns and luxurious sets by Oscar winning Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters . The climax is one of the most rousing and longest duel scenes ever shot , that ranges throughout the theater, from the balcony boxes , to the lobby, through the main seats, backstage and finally on the stage itself . It bettered the one Stewart Granger was to have with with James Mason in another remake , The prisoner of Zenda . During the filming of the incredible fencing , Granger narrowly missed serious injury to his groin when he landed astride the next row of chairs, and filming had to be halted temporarily . However , in the original novel by Sabatini , the climactic duel occurred outdoors . The main cast is frankly well . Nice acting by Stewart Granger as Andre-Louis Moreau , a nobleman bastard become an actor in a Commedia troupe and vowing to avenge his friend ; being his nemesis , Mel Ferrer , as Noel De Maynes , a marquis in love with two women : the queen , Marie Antoinette , well played by Nina Foch , and the gorgeous aristocrat Janet Leigh . And enjoyable secondary cast , as the marvelous main actors are completed by a stellar cast full of classical and veteran players as Henry Wilcoxon , Nina Foch , Richard Anderson , Robert Coote , Lewis Stone , John Dehner and John Litel .

It displays an evocative and romantic musical score by Victor Young . Lush production design is wonderfully reflected on the luxurious interiors and exteriors filmed at Hollywood . Colorful cinematography in brilliant Technicolor by Charles Rosher . The motion picture was compellingly directed by George Sidney . Sidney was a good Hollywood filmmaker , becoming MGM's most successful director in the 1940's . George was an expert in big budget musicals , but also handled rollicking swashbucklers like The three musketeers (1948) that he formerly made in similar style and this Scaramouche (1952) . Some of his biggest hits were movie versions of successful Broadway plays , like Annie get your gun (1950) and Magnolia (1951) . After leaving MGM in 1955, Sidney went over to Columbia under a seven-year contract and had one more major hit with Pal Joey (1957), made under the banner of his own production company and after directing other successes . Scaramouche rating : Better than average . It is a very good film thanks to fabulous scenarios , luxurious exteriors and interiors , glamorous gowns and being lavishly financed by MGM .

This classy story was subsequently remade on several versions , firstly take on this classic is the following : Scaramouche (1923) by Rex Ingram with Ramon Novarro , Alice Terry , Lloyd Ingraham and Lewis Stone who played the 'heavy' - the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr - in this old retelling and he came back to play the elderly character of "Georges de Valmorin" in this new version Scaramouche (1952) . And European version titled The mask of Scaramouche (1963) by Antonio Isasi Isasmendi with Gerard Barray , Michelle Girardon , Gian Maria Canale and Alberto De Mendoza . Finally , Adventures and lovers of Scaramouche (1970) by Enzo G Castelli with Michael Sarrazin , Úrsula Andress , Sal Borghese , Aldo Maccione and Michael Forest .