Three Musketeers The (1948)

Three Musketeers The (1948)

Directed by George Sidney with a screenplay by Robert Ardrey that was based on the Alexandre Dumas novel this particular screen adaptation of the famous story earned an Academy Award nomination for its Color Cinematography (Robert H. Planck’s second of four unrewarded Oscar nominations in that category) and is notable for lead Gene Kelly’s acrobatic portrayal of D’Artagnan the fourth musketeer. Otherwise it’s an average action adventure romance drama (swashbuckler) with a highly recognizable cast that seems less than what it could have been. Top billed Lana Turner plays the wicked Lady de Winter M’lady June Allyson plays Constance Bonacieux (the role that Raquel Welch so deliciously made her own in the 1973 remake) Van Heflin (Johnny Eager (1942)) seems particularly well-suited to play Athos the king’s musketeer who has reason to drink heavily per his past with M’lady Angela Lansbury plays Queen Anne who relies on Constance to use beau D’Artagnan to retrieve her jewels from England’s Duke of Buckingham (John Sutton) to keep secret their love from her husband King Louis XIII (Frank Morgan) of France when Prime Minister Richelieu (Vincent Price) who would love to have war between the countries contrives to expose the clandestine relationship. Keenan Wynn plays D’Artagnan’s trusty servant Planchet. Gig Young appears the least among the musketeers as Porthos who receives a wound to his tush and Robert Coote plays the dandy ladies man musketeer Aramis. Reginald Owen plays the King’s Captain of the Musketeers de Treville. After brash young D’Artagnan at his father’s (Robert Warwick uncredited) urging goes to Paris to become a musketeer and soon finds himself scheduled to fight duels with the three titled characters Ian Keith plays his first real sword opponent de Rochefort Richelieu’s primary swordsman. Patricia Medina plays M’lady’s assistant and spy Kitty. Byron Foulger appears uncredited as Bonacieux D’Artagnan’s landlord and Constance’s father.

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