The Three Musketeers (1948)

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel)
Robert Ardrey (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Mightiest of All Romantic Adventures! ...Storming it's way to the screen with unbelievable excitement!

Plot:

D'Artagnan and his musketeer comrades thwart the plans of Royal Prime Minister Richelieu to usurp the King's power.

Plot Keywords:

Musketeer | Prime Minister | Friendship | Beautiful Woman | Treachery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Lady de Winter / Charlotte
Gene Kelly	...	D'Artagnan
June Allyson	...	Constance
Van Heflin	...	Athos / Robert
Angela Lansbury	...	Queen Anne
Frank Morgan	...	King Louis XIII
Vincent Price	...	Richelieu
Keenan Wynn	...	Planchet
John Sutton	...	The Duke of Buckingham
Gig Young	...	Porthos
Robert Coote	...	Aramis
Reginald Owen	...	Treville
Ian Keith	...	Rochefort
Patricia Medina	...	Kitty
Richard Wyler	...	Albert (as Richard Stapley)

Also Known As:

Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Robert Taylor, Ricardo Montalban, and Sydney Greenstreet were originally cast as Athos, Aramis and Richelieu.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Over the first hour of the movie, Countess de Winter's mole is below and to the left of her mouth. When Richelieu introduces her to D'Artagnan, her mole is below and to the right of her right eye. When she breaks a mirror several minutes later, she has no mole at all. She then gets dressed and meets D'Artagnan in her parlor without a mole. During their conversation, it reappears near her right eye. When they start wrestling, the mole is again missing. The mole appears, disappears and moves throughout the movie. However, during this time, among the French upper class, women sometimes added a phony mole (or beauty mark) when applying their facial cosmetics.

Quotes:

D'Artagnan: I come from the end of the earth to implore you.
Constance Bonacieux: I thought you said you came from upstairs.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Biography: Angela Lansbury: A Balancing Act" (1998)

Wonderful film

The Three Musketeers is such a terrific adventure story, and one the great Hero Journey stories, that it's very hard to mess up. The Musketeers themselves are hugely appealing characters, drinking, brawling, romancing much of the time but fiercely loyal and devoting their lives to their king.

This 1948 is perhaps the best version, and there are many versions. The 1993 Disney version with Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland and the 1973 version with Oliver Reed and Michael York both entertain, but this version has the spirit of fun and wonder that only golden age Hollywood can supply.

The actors don't just act, the entertain. Gene Kelly shines. The action is dynamic, spectacular and outshines every other musketeer movie. The visuals are bold and colourful. The script is witty captures the slightly whimsical, boisterous approach of Dumas without the slapstick of the Lester movies.

Simply, one of the most entertaining movies you will ever see.