Sons of the Musketeers

Sons of the Musketeers is set in France with the elderly French Queen worried about threats to her throne and her son's succession to the throne from the Duc de Lavalle sends out for a call for help from the Musketeers who helped her out many years ago.

The now elderly musketeers send their sons. Athos who sends his daughter Claire (Maureen O'Hara) herself a fine swords-woman who comes in disguised as a man.

The story has plenty of intrigue, backstabbing and swordplay. There is some knockabout comedy such as the sleeping arrangements for the Musketeers junior before Claire does her reveal.

There is plenty of cut and thrust and some nifty stunt work. Even Maureen O'Hara is good with the sword and looks ravishing with her long leathers boots on and full on Technicolour.

The film is not too long but there is still too much sword fighting against overwhelming odds before the musketeers give up, escape, fight against overwhelming odds and Lavalle always seems to have the upper hand until the conclusion of the film. It does look like padding to a flimsy story.

"At Sword's Point" contains homages to "The Three Musketeers" and some common conventions for such films. Placed in 1648, it starts with Queen Anne of France (Gladys Cooper) worried about threats to her throne and her son's succession to the throne. The Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas) is stirring up the nobles, who are circling like sharks. The queen has hidden her young son in a monastery to keep him safe from Lavalle. Since Lavalle is unable to find the prince, he resorts to plan B: he will marry Princess Henriette (Nancy Gates). But Henriette despises him and the queen resists all threats. She attempts to contact Spain for assistance, but all her messengers are killed en route by Lavalle. Time is of the essence, because the queen is sick.

She decides to reach out to her trustworthy four musketeers from the past: Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan. If you have not seen "The Three Musketeers" (1935), you should probably watch that film first. By now the musketeers are older men. Each sends his son in his place, except Athos who sends his daughter Claire (Maureen O'Hara), a fine swordswoman.

This story is full of intrigue, swordplay and clever twists, even if it departs from history. Nods to "The Three Musketeers" include the passing of the father's sword to the son. Also, when the musketeers meet, there is swordplay among them to establish their abilities. (It should be noted that the swordplay and stuntwork in this film is quite good. Maureen O'Hara displays an athleticism that few actresses could match.) Moroni Olsen plays the aged Porthos--the same role he played in the 1935 film.

The film uses the common convention of a woman passing as a man--something that just has to be accepted because there is no way anyone would mistake Maureen O'Hara for a man simply because her hair is under a hat and she is wearing men's breeches.

Shot in Technicolor, this film is a colorful addition to the "Three Musketeers" canon. The acting is solid and the action scenes are worth seeing.

As a French, I have always been amazed by the fact that the Hollywood industry was so much inspired from French novels, myths and legends, French history as weel. Amazed and please too. This movie reminds me my childhood, no matter the factual mistakes, history mistakes. It is colorful, fast paced, beautifully made and acted. Cornel Wilde is excellent in this role. Errol Flynn could have made it too.

Plugging into a familiar franchise, SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS is perhaps most noticeable for Maureen O'Hara's performance as Claire, daughter of Athos, who adopts masculine attire and joins her fellow junior musketeers (Cornel Wilde, Dan O'Herlihy and Alan Hale Jr.) in writing wrongs. All of them know her true identity, but they are happy to play along in sustaining the illusion that she is actually a man, so that they can enjoy the fun of pranks such as the need for all the musketeers to share a bed together, or to take a shower together.

In truth O'Hara does not really make a convincing man, but this doesn't really seem to matter in a Technicolor adventure full of action, sword-fights and stirring music (by Roy Webb). As with many costume pictures made in the early Fifties (notably MGM's IVANHOE), the action unfolds at a brisk pace, leaving viewers little time to notice obvious implausibilities such as the musketeers speaking in a variety of accents ranging from Hollywood English to broad Nebraska. The supporting cast contains a smattering of Brits - to lend classical "authenticity" including Gladys Cooper (delivering her lines in stentorian tones reminiscent of Queen Victoria), and (in an uncredited role) Holmes Herbert, who for decades made a habit of playing butlers, lords, and miscellaneous nobles, his cut-glass British accent (honed in the theater of the early Twenties) contrasting with the panoply of other speaking voices on offer.

SONS OF THE MUSKETEERS tells a familiar tale, but it does so in a highly breezy and entertaining manner.

This is truly an excellent swashbuckling adventure starring Muareen O'Hara and Cornel Wilde. There are lots of impressive sword fights. Maureen o'Hara is gorgeous funny and fights excellently with a sword. As well as sword fights there is lots of humour and wit in the film. The film centres around the sons and daughter of the musketeers. They must assist queen Anne in her fight against Lavalle.

I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the three musketeers from 1948 film starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner. Heaps of fun 10/10 glad they are releasing this on warner archives DVD.

Chris