The Three Musketeers (1973)

A young swordsman comes to Paris and faces villains, romance, adventure and intrigue with three Musketeer friends.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

George MacDonald Fraser (screenplay), Alexandre Dumas (novel)

Stars:

Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oliver Reed	...	Athos
Raquel Welch	...	Constance de Bonacieux
Richard Chamberlain	...	Aramis
Michael York	...	D'Artagnan
Frank Finlay	...	Porthos / O'Reilly
Christopher Lee	...	Rochefort
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Queen Anna
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	King Louis XIII (as Jean Pierre Cassel)
Spike Milligan	...	M. Bonacieux
Roy Kinnear	...	Planchet
Georges Wilson	...	Treville
Simon Ward	...	Duke of Buckingham
Faye Dunaway	...	Milady
Charlton Heston	...	Cardinal Richelieu
Joss Ackland	...	D'Artagnan's Father

Storyline

The young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris with dreams of becoming a king's musketeer. He meets and quarrels with three men, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, each of whom challenges him to a duel. D'Artagnan finds out they are musketeers and is invited to join them in their efforts to oppose Cardinal Richelieu, who wishes to increase his already considerable power over the king. D'Artagnan must also juggle affairs with the charming Constance Bonancieux and the passionate Lady De Winter, a secret agent for the cardinal.

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Plot Keywords:

three musketeers | female villain | sword duel | based on book | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

. . . One for All and All for Fun!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA Spain Panama UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Three Musketeers: The Queen's Diamonds

Filming Locations:

Alcázar de Segovia, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain

Box Office

Gross USA:

$22,018,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alexander, Michael and Ilya Salkind Productions, Film Trust S.A., Este Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot at the same time as The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974), and resulted in a lawsuit.

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Goofs

When the king is playing chess with animals as chess pieces, he commands one to move to the position of Knight 4. That should be in the second row from the left or right, but in fact the animal moved to the last row.

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Quotes

Athos: I fight just as well with my left hand. If you find that this places you at a disadvantage, I do apologize.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Charlton Heston/Dorothy Stratten/Bobby Kelton/Wally Mohrman (1980)

User Reviews

"My father told me to fight duels."

This film (and its companion piece The Four Musketeers) is the finest adaptation of the Dumas classic. It perfectly captures the blend of romance, adventure, and comedy inherent in the novel. There is some modification for modern viewers, but the spirit and attitude of the era is preserved.

Michael York gives one of his best performances as the young, naive D'Artagnan. He appears to be a bit of a bumbling idiot at first; but, one soon learns that a keen brain lies behind that bumbling exterior. This portrayal was criticized by another filmmaker, who adapted another of Dumas' tales. Judging by how far that director strayed from Dumas, it's understandable how he missed noting that Dumas portrayed D'Artagnan in the same manner at the beginning of the novel. D'Artagnan grows with his experiences and becomes a leader of men by the end of the novel; one who has confounded Cardinal Richelieu at every turn and preserved the honor of his Queen and country.

Oliver Reed was perfectly cast as Athos, the melancholy drunkard. Athos is a man who has endured great pain and betrayal in his life and finds his only pleasure in drinking and brawling. He is the wise counsel to the young D'Artagnan, and the mysterious side to the Musketeer triangle.

Frank Finlay, a wonderful character actor, brings a wonderful, arrogant bluster to Porthos; a gentleman, a braggart, and a fool. Finlay also has a nice turn as the jeweler O'Reilly, showcasing his versatility.

Richard Chamberlain is Aramis, the future priest and great lover. Aramis gives an air of spiritual devotion, while romancing his mistresses. Like many clergy of the upper classes, he sees no conflict in these attitudes, or his profession as a soldier. Chamberlain brings great subtlety to Aramis. His part is not as big as the other two, but he says much with body language and attitude. He more than holds his own with the stage-trained Brits.

Charlton Heston brings a deep menace to Richelieu, quite the opposite of his previous heroes. He shows the devious nature of the Cardinal, and the intelligence of a man who knows he has lost, but will have other battles down the line.

Faye Dunaway is the beautiful and vicious Milady. She is the deadliest of D'Artagnan's adversaries; she charms with her beauty and grace, as she prepares her dagger unseen.

Christopher Lee is D'Artagnan's rival, Rochefort. Lee is always good, even when the film isn't. Luckily, this film is up to his abilities. His cool demeanor is backed by a strong sword arm.

The cast is rounded out by fine character performances from Roy Kinnear as Planchet, Jean-Pierre Cassel as King Louis XIII, Geraldine Chaplain as Anne of Austria, and Spike Milligan as M. Bonacieux. Raquel Welch gives a surprisingly deft turn in the comic role of Constance.

There is plenty of action, romance, drama, and fun for fans of each. The sum of those parts results in a classic that outshines all other attempts at Dumas. It is a swashbuckler to rival any Errol Flynn movie, a romance equal to a Merchant-Ivory production, and a comedy to rival Monty Python.

Forget Gene Kelly, the Ritz Brothers, and Charlie Sheen and company. These are the true Musketeers.