The Three Musketeers

[Sailor Steve]

I've long been a fan of Alexandre Dumas, and have copies of all five books in the Musketeers cycle, as well as The Count Of Monte Cristo. Of course most of his seventy-plus books and plays have never been translated into English. I also ownd copies of some of the many movies that have been made over the last century, including the 1921 silent version with Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

A couple of years ago I was in a Media Play store (now F.Y.E.) and stumbled upon one I had never heard of: A 1966 TV miniseries made by the BBC. I would have bought it then but I was there for something specific and didn't have the money to spare for extras. Over time I forgot about it, but just recently it came to mind again, so I checked on Amazon and sure enough there it was. Needless to say I ordered a copy.
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Musketeers-Kathleen-Breck/dp/B000GDIBSY/ref=sr_1_17?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1324525155&sr=1-17

It arrived this morning, and I just watched the first two episodes. The production is dated, typical BBC from the 1960s, but I love Doctor Who so that doesn't bother me a bit. So far it's very faithful to the book, but the real reason I'm posting this is the cast: The villains are all actors I'm familiar with from Doctor Who, but unless you're a fan of that show I won't bore you with details. What's cool is that Porthos is played by Brian Blessed and D'artagnan himself is a very young Jeremy Brett! If those names don't ring a bell then ignore me; I'm headed back to watch some more. :rock:

[Dowly]

Tee hee, Dumas.. :O:

[Sailor Steve]

Tee hee, Dumas.. :O:
Okay, Downy, you forced my hand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQPtKNZpfz4

[Dowly]

But... it's Dowly... with an 'L'... :cry:

You monster.

[Sailor Steve]

But... it's Dowly... with an 'L'... :cry:

You monster.
That's what you get for takin' down your 'Holiday' sig before Christmas. :O:

[Jimbuna]

Watched that as a youngster (in the days of black and white tv) and your quite correct, a few went on to bigger things but some found their niche and saw flourishing careers with BBC drama series etc.

[Osmium Steele]

Brian Blessed is a fav of mine. The film which brought him to my attention was Flash Gordon.

There aren't many actors whose films I specifically attempt to find, but he's one of them.

[Sailor Steve]

:yep:

Probably the first thing I saw him in was Arthur Of The Britons, though I didn't know who he was at the time. My first big memory of him was as Augustus in I, Claudius. Then of course there was the original Black Adder, Doctor Who and so much more.

I just got a shock, though. I thought he was a lot taller than 5'9".

[Skybird]

Steve, also watch out for this:

La fille de d'Artagnan (http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Musketeers-Sophie-Marceau/dp/B0000DZ3C0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324563758&sr=8-1) (with English subtitles)

Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGz94gf51uE)

I enjoyed this very very much. Good actors in best playing mood (starring wonderfully grumpy Philip Noiret and an irrestistably beautiful, hot-headed - and young - Sophie Marceau, but the whole cast is great as well), and a directing done with an easy hand: light, ironic, never taking the film, the story, the project really serious - Bertrand Tavernier is no unknown in Europe. Not even the villains can be taken serious and finally die with a wink.

A very good champaign of entertainment: light, charming and stimulating like the first mild breeze in Spring. Beside the two movies done by Richard Lester (Oliver Reed, Michael York, Richard Chamberlain) my favourite Musketeer-movie.

P.S. And the Cardinal, Mazarin in this case. That guy is a showact for himself. :DL

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks for the link, Sky, though I don't usually like pastiches, prefering films based on the actual books. I'll check it out, though. Sounds like someone saw this old nugget:
http://www.amazon.com/At-Swords-Point-Cornel-Wilde/dp/B003ASU2V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1324565132&sr=1-1

I did find a link to a 1931 French version that is supposed to be great. Unfortunately that one has only been put on DVD by the Russians, and is in French with Russian subtitles. :damn: :rotfl2:

[Skybird]

Thanks for the link, Sky, though I don't usually like pastiches, prefering films based on the actual books. I'll check it out, though.
I know what you mean, but this one is an exception. Dumas himself couldn't have written the screenplay and story any better. It has all the gentle mockery and the witty humour you find in the books, too. If you liked the films by Lester, you will like this one, too. If you hated the Lester movies, then - well, maybe then it is not for you indeed.

But do you really want to miss the opportunity to catch a sight of this beauty...? ;)

http://programme-tv.premiere.fr/var/t7j/images/25337.jpg

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsM/11051-22917.gif

http://www.cinemovies.fr/images/data/photos/4846/la-fille-de-d-artagnan-1994-4846-1493516626.jpg

[Sailor Steve]

Actually the Lester movies are my favorites. On that recommendation I'll check it out. :sunny:

[Sailor Steve]

:rotfl2:

I was watching episode 3 of the old miniseries, and I just had to share this bit of pure Dumas. Bonacieux the landlord is being held in a dungeon, where he is being interrogated.

Interrogator: You have a tenant, M. D'artagnan. You made a compact with M. D'artagnan, and he put to flight the police who came to arrest your wife, and now he has secreted her from all our researches! Now come man! Don't deny it!

Bonacieux: Are you telling me that M. D'artagnan has carried off my wife?

Interrogator: Fortunately he is in our hands. You shall be confronted with him.

Athos enters the dungeon.

Interrogator: You see, Bonacieux? I was not bluffing.

Bonacieux: But that is not monsieur D'artagnan! I never saw this man before in my life!

Interrogator: You are monsieur D'artagnan?

Athos: My name is Athos.

Interrogator: It cannot be! That is the name of a mountain!

Athos: It is my name.

Interrogator: But you said your name was D'artagnan!

Athos: No, monsieur. Your guard said to me "You are monsieur D'artagnan." I answered "You think so?" They said they were sure of it. I did not wish to contradict them. Besides, I might be mistaken.

Interrogator: You insult His Majesty's justice. You are monsieur D'artagnan!

Athos: You see? You still tell me so.

[vienna]

On Jeremy Brett: One of the most definitive Sherlock Holmes I have ever seen on the old BBC series. I used to go out of my way to watch him in those episodes on PBS...

[Sailor Steve]

That's why I mentioned that he was in this. As far as I'm concerned, Brett was Sherlock Holmes.

[vienna]

Brett's potrayal was also my all time favorite of the Victorian-era Holmes representations. However, I don't know if you've seen the modern-era update on BBC created by the same team that does the current Dr. Who series. The lead actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, plays a modern Holmes while still keeping the falvor and style of the Victorian Holmes. This series has become my new favorite (with no diminishment of my respecy for Jeremy Brett; it is a shame he didn't live to complete the entire Holmes story cycle)...

[Sailor Steve]

I've never been a fan of most of the Basil Rathbone movies, precisely because they updated them to what was then a modern setting.
Benedict Cumberbatch
The same guy who's voiceing Smaug the dragon in The Hobbit. I'll take a peek. :sunny:

[vienna]

He's also in the new remake of "Tinker, tailor, Soldier, Spy" starring Gary Oldman...

[Sailor Steve]

Well, I finished it, and I'm not unhappy over spending the money. It's good, and it's not so good, but the good prevails.

Good: It is as faithful to the book as any version I've seen and that means a lot to me. The acting is good, the directing is good and despite its age it holds up well.

Bad: There is some overacting, but it looks to me like it was the director who wanted it that way, and was not the actors' fault. The swordplay is okay, but sometimes they insist on a closeup of the actors' faces while they fake sword thrusts, and it ends up looking silly. The music is way too much for what's going on, and it's distracting. And then there's the narration. It's oddly done, doesn't even begin until halfway through the production, intrudes on the action and isn't really even necessary.

I liked it, and I'm glad I bought it, but it's certainly not for everybody. Overall I give it a 7 out of 10.