The Three Musketeers (1948)

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel)
Robert Ardrey (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | 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 | Three Musketeers | Friendship | 17th Century

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Lady de Winter
Gene Kelly	...	D'Artagnan
June Allyson	...	Constance
Van Heflin	...	Athos
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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirk Alyn	...	Aramis' Friend (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Guard (uncredited)
Gregg Barton	...	Musketeer (uncredited)
Charles Bates	...	D'Artagnan's Brother (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Valet (uncredited)
David Blair	...	D'Artagnan's Brother (uncredited)
David Bond	...	Friend (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Gordon B. Clarke	...	Musketeer (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Musketeer (uncredited)
Redmond Doms	...	(uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	Officer (uncredited)
Dickie Dubins	...	D'Artagnan's Brother (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Innkeeper-Landlord (uncredited)
Douglas Evans	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Bonacieux (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Jussac (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Executioner of Lyons (uncredited)
Alec Harford	...	Valet (uncredited)
Jean Heremans	...	Cardinal Guard (uncredited)
Arthur Hohl	...	Dragon Rouge Host (uncredited)
John Holland	...	Aramis' Friend (uncredited)
Noël Howard	...	Richelieu Guard (uncredited)
Roland Hughston	...	Richelieu Guard (uncredited)
Bert Kennedy	...	Fencer (uncredited)
Michael Kostrick	...	Traveler (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Officer (uncredited)
Norman Leavitt	...	Mousqueton (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	...	Richelieu Guard (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Bazin (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Musketeer Guard (uncredited)
Jack Owen	...	(uncredited)
Leonard Penn	...	Musketeer (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Felton (uncredited)
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Grimaud (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	...	Richelieu Guard (uncredited)
Ruth Robinson	...	D'Artagnan's Mother (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	...	Guard (uncredited)
Irene Seidner	...	Innkeeper-Landlord's Wife (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Subaltern (uncredited)
Dick Simmons	...	Count de Wardes (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson	...	Executioner (uncredited)
Tom Stevenson	...	Subaltern (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Traveler (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Tom Tyler	...	1st Traveller (uncredited)
Robert Warwick	...	D'Artagnan Sr. (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Kidnapper (uncredited)
Marie Windsor	...	Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)
Jeff York	...	Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
George Sidney

Writing credits
Alexandre Dumas père		(novel) (as Alexandre Dumas)
Robert Ardrey		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Robert H. Planck		(director of photography) (as Robert Planck)

Film Editing by
George Boemler
Robert Kern		(as Robert J. Kern)

Art Direction by
Malcolm Brown
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer
Larry Germain	....	hair designer
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair designer

Production Management
Edward Woehler	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Rhein	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Henry Grace	....	associate set decorator (as Henry W. Grace)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Conrad Kahn	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jean Heremans	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bert Kennedy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bert LeBaron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank McGrath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rex Rossi	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunt double: Gene Kelly (uncredited)
Carl Saxe	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Gene Kelly (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ed Hubbell	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Tom Long	....	grip (uncredited)
Harkness Smith	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	conductor
Albert Sendrey	....	orchestral collaboration
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	....	composer: theme music (as Tschaikowsky)
Albert Sendrey	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Peter Ballbusch	....	montage sequence
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Raphael Bretton	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Jean Heremans	....	consultant: fencing (uncredited)
Gene Kelly	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Tess Primock	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1948) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

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:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | Australia:G | West Germany:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #13112) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

In her autobiography, June Allyson notes that she did not feel comfortable doing a period piece, and that she tried to get out of her assignment in the picture.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the battle on the beach (at around 1 min), D'Artagnan's opponent's horse is solid black in close-up, but brown with a white blaze in wide shots.

Quotes:

D'Artagnan:I kissed the Queen's hand!
Constance Bonacieux:Have you no higher ambitions?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001) (TV)

A great movie with spectacular and skillful sword fights

Being only 20 years old, it may be strange for me to have a favourite actor who's era of greatness was that of the mid 20th century. However, the 1948 version of Dumas' 'Three Musketeers' continues to remain one of my favourite movies, especially with the enigmatic performance of Gene Kelly being at the forefront.

The story follows the journey of a young Gascon named D'artagnan who endeavours to become one of King Louis XIV (I think) musketeers. I must point out that at this point, I always thought that there were only EVER three musketeers. However I soon realised that the three charcters at the focus of the story are but three of a large cadre of the aforementioned individuals.

The reason I liked this movie was not for its intriguing story but for the sword fights. The only other movie where I have seen sword fighting of such a skillful measure is that of the duel between Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes in 'The Princess Bride'. Even the newer version of 'The Man in the Iron Mask' and the pitifully woeful version of the 'Three Musketeers' starring Kiefer Sutherland, fail to master that sleek elegance and skill that is evident in the Gene Kelly version: rather they resort to a series of hard whacks and punches to achieve their aim.

Even though several of the death scenes involve the swords clearly being passed under armits and next to hips (similar to one of my favourite scenes in Cy Enfield's 'Zulu', where Hook, a soldier, stabs a Zulu with a bayonet under his armpit, and we are witness to a clear indent in the wall), this movie remains one of the better versions of Dumas's novel.

I give it 8.5 out of 10

James Durham