The Fifth Musketeer (1979)

When French King Louis XIV (Beau Bridges) learns that his twin brother, Philippe (Beau Bridges), could usurp his crown, he sets out to imprison him in the Bastille prison but four loyal musketeers are protecting Philippe.

Director:

Ken Annakin

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas (novel) (as Alexandre Dumas père), David Ambrose

Stars:

Sylvia Kristel, Ursula Andress, Beau Bridges

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvia Kristel	...	Maria Theresa
Ursula Andress	...	Louise de la Vallière
Beau Bridges	...	Louis XIV / Philippe of Gascony
Cornel Wilde	...	D'Artagnan
Ian McShane	...	Fouquet
Alan Hale Jr.	...	Porthos
Lloyd Bridges	...	Aramis
José Ferrer	...	Athos
Olivia de Havilland	...	Queen Mother
Helmut Dantine	...	Spanish Ambassador
Rex Harrison	...	Colbert
Román Ariznavarreta
Bernard Bresslaw	...	Bernard
Stephan Bastian
Victor Couzyn	...	(as Victor Couzin)

Storyline

King Louis XIV (Beau Bridges) has without his knowledge a twin brother, Philippe (Beau Bridges), but when he is told, he immediately locks up his brother in the Bastille. The King wants to increase his popularity and stages an assassination against himself where Philippe is dressed as King Louis. But Philippe manages to escape the assassination and everybody believes him to be the real King.

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Plot Keywords:

lust | breasts | female full frontal nudity | bathing | assassination attempt | 

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Taglines:

Pure adventure is back...for the fun of it!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

Austria West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 November 1979 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

The 5th Musketeer

Filming Locations:

Wien Film Studios, Sievering, Vienna, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

S&T-Film Berlin, Sascha Filmverleih

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Westrex Sound System) Dolby (recorded on)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Costume Designer Tony Pueo created more than one thousand six hundred costumes for this movie. Amongst them were the elegant, aristocratic garments created for the movie's stars, including eleven regal gowns for Sylvia Kristel, eight sultry creations for Ursula Andress, sixteen wardrobe changes for Beau Bridges for both of his roles, and four each for Sir Rex Harrison and the Musketeers. Sparing little money to duplicate the decadence of that era, Pueo chose the world's finest fabrics for his gowns, including raw silks, brocades, and satins. Pueo also edged them in delicate three hundred-year-old embroidery, and created special jewelry that could easily pass for precious heirlooms.

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Quotes

Athos: We can't let this happen and still call ourselves Musketeers.

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Crazy Credits

The longer version, titled Behind the Iron Mask, ends with a fadeout and no end credits at all. All of the film's credits are at the beginning.

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Alternate Versions

The US release, running 1 hour and 44 minutes, was cut from an original version released overseas, running 1 hour and 56 minutes. Scenes excised from the US release: -An extended scene of Louise de la Valliere's striptease for Louis XIV, exposing her full nudity. -A scene of the Four Musketeers in their prison cell. They play a game of dice, tricking their jailers by inviting them into their game, then restraining them and grabbing their keys for release. Their escape is short-lived, as they see a party of rifle-aiming guards awaiting them. The Captain flatters their ingenuity, but urges them to return to their cell. -An intro to the Musketeers and Philippe in the wine cellar of Bernard's Inn. They come out of hiding in empty wine casks. -An extended scene of the Spanish Ambassador being fatally assaulted by the horse in the stable. -A love scene of Philippe and Marie Theresa in bed together. -A dressed Philippe seeing Marie Theresa sleeping in bed. She awakes. -An extended scene of Marie Theresa dressing, exposing her breasts. -A love scene of Louis and Louise in bed together. The exposed Louise questions Louis' decision to let Philippe live. Louis argues that he is his brother, but assures her that he will eventually die in the Iron Mask, perhaps strangling in the long beard he will grow inside it. -An extended scene to Fouquet watching Colbert and Marie Theresa's Spanish-language conversion. He brings out a spy. -An extended scene of Colbert heading to Bernard's Inn. Fouquet's spy follows Colbert. Bernard plays dumb to the spy's questions. -An extended scene of Louis trying to rape Marie Theresa. The two fall off the bed with Marie Theresa moving away from his grasp (to drug Louis' goblet) -An extended scene of Louise being stood up in her dinner date with Louis. She shouts at the musicians to stop. -An extended scene of the Musketeers meeting with Marie Theresa. D'Artagnan throws his cloak around the breast-exposed princess. -Fouquet shows Colbert the rack, demonstrating its work by pulling a stuffed dummy apart. -An extended scene of Aramis' death. He is able to throw his Parrying Dagger at his assailant, killing him. -An extended scene of Philippe's duel with Louis. Philippe is able to wound Louis in the thigh.

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Connections

Version of At Sword's Point (1952)

User Reviews

The great Jack Cardiff was the cinematographer for this film.

A rather sad film with several stellar actors near the end of their careers, playing men of action near the end of their own careers.

The great cinematographer, Jack Cardiff, adds a touch of class to this otherwise ordinary film with some moody, misty shots of fields at dawn, gardens at sunset and fireworks.

I find it almost unbearable to watch Cornel Wilde, Rex Harrison and Jose Ferrer in this film. It should have been called: Die Gotterdammerung-The Twilight of The Gods-(French-version).

Lots of sword-play and some near-charming dialogue. Not as sharp or as witty as it could have been if it had been made 10 years earlier.