Scaramouche (1952)

Scaramouche
Directed by George Sidney
Written by Written by Ronald Millar and George Froeschel from the novel by Rafael Sabatini
1952/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Andre Moreau: Happy is the rascal, traveling life’s byways, to whom the gods say, here is an easy switch. You may have lost Diana on the highway, but look, there is Aphrodite in a ditch.[/box]

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a good swashbuckler and this qualifies.

It is France in the late 18th Century.  Andre Moreau (Stewart Granger) was raised in the de Valmorin family.  His parentage has been kept from him.  Philippe de Valmorin, who was a brother to him, has been engaging in subversive activities in support of revolution.  Now the authorities are after Philippe and the valiant Andre, although not politically inclined, agrees to help him escape.  To get money for their travels, Andre forces his solicitor to reveal the identity of his father.  He says he was Count de Gavrillac.  But before long, Phillipe is killed by the arrogant Marquis de Maynes (Mel Ferrer) in a one-sided fencing match.  Before he escapes, Andre vows to avenge his friend.

Before he was called in to assist his friend, Andre had been in the process of snatching his amie Lenore (Eleanor Parker) from her intended on the day of her wedding.  He was about to marry her himself when duty called.  Lenore promptly ran away and rejoined the comedia del arte company in which she had been an actress.  Andre is not disconsolate for long as he encounters a vision of loveliness whose carriage has broken down on the road.  He falls in love with Aline (Janet Leigh) at first sight.  She likes him too but he puts the brakes on when he discovers her last name is de Gavrillac as well, thus making her his half sister.

The rest of the story follows Andre’s many adventures en route to his climactic encounter with the Marquis de Maynes.  Andre reunites with Lenore and adopts the disguise of the masked comic character Scaramouche in the comedia del arte show.  While he is acting by night Andre studies sword fighting by day and becomes a formidable fencer.  With Nina Foche as Marie Antoinette.

I really enjoyed this.  The dialogue sparkles and the story is full of humor.  Eleanor Parker is so witty and sexy as Lenore one can’t understand how Andre could have eyes for anyone else.  There is a fantastic seven-minute swordfight at the end.  This has some of the most beautiful and lifelike color I have seen in a movie of the period.  I can’t see why it didn’t get several technical nominations at the Oscars.  Recommended if you are in the mood for a good adventure.

Trailer