Scaramouche
Mask of a Clown. Heart of a Patriot.
Let danger befall him. Let winds of fate blow where they may. Andre Moreau will strike a blow for vengeance and the French Revolution. First, he must hone his skill with the blade. By the day Andre secretly perfects his parries and lunges.. and hides his true identity at night behind the mask of stage clown Scaramouche.
A climactic duel that's one of the greatest sequences ever to lay steel to foe caps this bravura adaptation of the Rafael Sabatini ( Captain Blood, The Sea Hawk)novel. George Sidney (1948's The Three Musketeers) nimbly directs all the swordplay, wordplay and horseplay. And Stewart Granger brings dash and deviltry to his portrayal of a hero "born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." En garde!
Member Reviews
Great Swordsmanship on Display - MovieProf
George Sidney's 1952 adaptation of Rafael Sabatini's novel stars Stewart Granger, Mel Ferrer, Eleanor Parker, and Janet Leigh. It is a pity that a costume drama on this scale came a year too early for Cinemascope, the new widescreen technique that eventually swept the movie making world.
Set in pre-revolutionary France, where tension exists between aristocrat and peasant, Andre Moreau (Granger) is pitted against the Marquis de Maynes (Ferrer), after Maynes kills Moreau's friend in a duel. Unable to match the swordsmanship of Maynes, Moreau decides to lay low, taking lessons from Maynes' own teacher, while posing as a clown in a comedy troup. Here, Moreau dons the name Scaramouche, while he awaits his opportunity to strike his revenge.
"Scaramouche" is a fun little film to watch. There is an unusual amount of humour, as well as excellent sword fighting scenes. The epic battle between Moreau and Maynes near the end of the film is among the best I've ever seen, and what makes the fight even more impressive is the fact that the actors themselves are clearly partaking, instead of stunt doubles.Average Technicolor Swashbuckling Epic - Gregg
Scaramouche is a reasonably average swashbuckling Technicolor extravaganza with great sword fights, but the story, the characters and the performances just didn’t impress me as much as I had hoped.
Set in France in the period leading up to the French Revolution we follow the story of André Moreau the bastard son of a nobleman. Initially a carefree young man living off an allowance he is spurred to action by the death of his principled friend. Andre hides out with a theater troupe where he adopts the character of Scaramouche a clown while he contemplates how he can avenge his friend’s death. There are a number of intertwined sub plots which are fairly convoluted for a film of this type.
When Scaramouche is compared to other swashbuckling epics such as; Robin Hood, Captain Blood or even The Sea Hawk all of which were made 10 or more years earlier, it pales in comparison. Director George Sidney isn’t Michael Curtiz, Stewart Granger certainly isn’t Errol Flynn and Mel Ferrer isn’t Basil Rathbone or Claude Rains. Of all the principles only Vivien Leigh compares adequately to her predecessors.
These are not the only deficiencies in the film though, it appears that the story upon which the film was based had considerably more depth and likely could have been adapted better. In all likelihood parts of the story should have been sacrificed to make the story flow better.
The production values (costumes, sets, music, etc) are all ok but nothing stands out, perhaps my opinion is affected by my overall opinion of the film but I didn’t find anything memorable here.
The film despite its deficiencies isn't without its charm and for fans of the era and genre it will likely provide enjoyment. The swordfights and the rich technicolor picture just weren't enough for me to see it as anything more than mediocre.
The film is based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini who also penned The Sea Hawk and Captain Blood.wow... - gollumullog
If you like fencing, and classic movies... This one is a must see.
We rented this movie on the recommendation of our fencing coach, who was working for columbia pictures in Hollywood at the time the movie was made.
What a great movie, great story, PLENTY of action, its got love, and duels, and fencing instruction (accurate even).
Set during the time before the french revolution, where any quarrels were settled by the sword.
If you like any of Errol Flynn's movies you'll love this gem.
Member Reviews
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Great Swordsmanship on Display - MovieProf
George Sidney's 1952 adaptation of Rafael Sabatini's novel stars Stewart Granger, Mel Ferrer, Eleanor Parker, and Janet Leigh. It is a pity that a costume drama on this scale came a year too early for Cinemascope, the new widescreen technique that eventually ...Average Technicolor Swashbuckling Epic - Gregg
Scaramouche is a reasonably average swashbuckling Technicolor extravaganza with great sword fights, but the story, the characters and the performances just didn’t impress me as much as I had hoped.
Set in France in the period leading up to the French ...wow... - gollumullog
If you like fencing, and classic movies... This one is a must see.
We rented this movie on the recommendation of our fencing coach, who was working for columbia pictures in Hollywood at the time the movie was made.
What a great movie, great story, ...