The Exile (1947)

Charles II, the King of England, finds himself in exile in Holland, where he falls in love with a beautiful farm-girl.

Director:

Max Ophüls

Writers:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Cosmo Hamilton (novel),

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Maria Montez, Rita Corday

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Charles II Stuart
Maria Montez	...	Countess Anbella de Courteuil
Rita Corday	...	Katie (as Paule Croset)
Henry Daniell	...	Colonel Ingram
Nigel Bruce	...	Sir Edward Hyde
Robert Coote	...	Dick Pinner
Otto Waldis	...	Jan
Eldon Gorst	...	Seymour
Milton Owen	...	Wilcox (as Milton A. Owen)
Colin Keith-Johnston	...	Captain Bristol
Ben Wright	...	Milbanke (as Ben H. Wright)
Colin Kenny	...	Ross
Peter Shaw	...	Higson
Will Stanton	...	Tucket
Ramsay Hill	...	Cavalier Officer (as C.S. Ramsey-Hill)

Storyline

Maria Montez was accorded top billing in this film by contractual agreement, although she is in the picture only long enough to take a bath in a tricky 17th century bathtub while sipping coffee with Charles Stuart and delivering dialogue in a barely-understandable French-accent. This is the second major film released within a short period with King Charles II as a primary character, and Charles here and Charles (George Sanders) in "Forever Amber" are two very varied approaches to the same character. This one takes place prior to the beginning of "Forever Amber" when Charles II and his followers are hiding out in Holland from Oliver Cromwell's puritan Round Heads. Being temporarily at liberty (or unemployed), Charles takes a day job at the farm/estate of Katie, and falls in love with her. Meanwhile he eludes his enemies by agility, enterprise and sword play, some of the latter performed while riding the blades of a Dutch windmill. He is summoned back to the throne and has to leave ...

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Plot Keywords:

1600s | swashbuckler | based on novel

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 October 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

De banneling

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fairbanks Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because of contractual requirements, Maria Montez receives star billing even though her role only demands she be on screen for about ten minutes, forty minutes into the film, after which time she is never seen again.

User Reviews

Swashbuckler meets visually artistic director in this sweeping, poetic and romantic -- but sadly forgotten gem.

In one of his BEST acting roles, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s second stint as a movie producer--and his first as a writer--is an ambitious attempt to dramatize the tale of the restoration of Charles II to the throne of England. An avowed Anglophile, Fairbanks has a strong sense of the history of his adoptive land. (He was born in New York City.) Fortunately, the drama and excitement of the pursuit of Charles Stuart (Fairbanks) after his return from self-imposed exile in Holland by Oliver Cromwell's Puritans is lushly displayed by the producer-author-star's insistence on a deliberate, poetic pace for the story. Much of the film is concerned with Fairbanks' trysting with the luscious Croset--later Paula Corday--in her first starring role, as a Royalist who conceals the fugitive king on her estate. Despite a strong supporting cast and an interesting concept, the film is a forgotten charmer!