The Three Musketeers (1961 film)
Encyclopedia
The Three Musketeers is a 1961 film adaption of the novel
by Alexandre Dumas, père
which consists of two parts. The script keeps close to the classic French novel. The director treats all the classic characters with respect, not making fun of any of them, although there is humour when d'Artagnan rides his peculiar horse and when Planchet supplys wine for the heroes.
The film's remarkable location shots were made in Bois de Boulogne
, around and in the Château de Guermantes
in Seine-et-Marne
and in Semur-en-Auxois
(department Côte-d'Or
).
The settings, costumes and props are very elaborate and provide the impression of historic accuracy. Bernard Borderie and his crew demonstrated here already the qualities which later contributed substantially to the success of his series of five costume drama films about Anne Golon
's heroine Angelique
.
Since Bernard Borderie had already made several Lemmy Caution
films he was an expert for fighting scenes. In comparison to the likewise brilliant fencing the dancer Gene Kelly
(An American in Paris
, Xanadu
) had provided as “d'Artagnan” in an earlier adaption, the fencing in this film looks less like dancing and more dangerous. But of course Borderie also knew how to present a fist fight. When d'Artagnan defends Mme Bonacieux against a couple of the cardinal's thugs, the director does not only use dramatic sound effects but furthermore lets Barray's punches look more explosive by taking out frames very precisely when he is about to hit. Also is he capable of making us believe an outnumbered man could really win the day if only certain circumstances are given, because in Borderie's films the thugs are often so overly keen on decking the hero that they actually hinder each other to succeed. (While in younger action films it is usually much to obvious how perfectly choreographed thus fights are and how accurately everybody is always waiting for the very time when his supposed to fake his attack.)
In Le Capitaine Fracasse
of the same year Gerard Barray had merely had a supporting role but after acting as d'Artagnan he starred in many other films including two movies about the famous adventurer Robert Surcouf
.
Many members of this cast also kept having success after this film.
Mylène Demongeot
got hired by André Hunebelle
(director of 1953's French film adaption of "The Three Musketeers"
) to be the leading lady in his three Fantômas
feature films. There she played a completly different character, being the bubbly girl friend of Fantômas' counterpart "Fandor" (Jean Marais
).
Jean Carmet
, whose "Planchet" saves d'Artagnan's life in the beginning and then proves himself a a smart provider of the Musketeers, gained much recognition in 1972 when he played the protagonist's best friend in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
, a film that won the Silver Bear award at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival
in 1973. and also was a box office success in Continental Europe. Later Carmet received three times a César
.
Georges Descrières
, who plays a very suave "Athos
", became ten years later famous as another French hero: Arsène Lupin
.
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
by Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
which consists of two parts. The script keeps close to the classic French novel. The director treats all the classic characters with respect, not making fun of any of them, although there is humour when d'Artagnan rides his peculiar horse and when Planchet supplys wine for the heroes.
The film's remarkable location shots were made in Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
, around and in the Château de Guermantes
Château de Guermantes
Construction of the Château de Guermantes in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine et Marne, France, was undertaken by Claude Viole , whose family had possessed the fief of "Le Chemin" since the mid sixteenth century. Paulin Pondre purchased the property in 1698...
in Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
and in Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois is a commune of the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.Semur-en-Auxois has a medieval core, built on a pink granite bluff more than half-encircled by the River Armançon...
(department Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or
Côte-d'Or is a department in the eastern part of France.- History :Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the former province of Burgundy.- Geography :...
).
The settings, costumes and props are very elaborate and provide the impression of historic accuracy. Bernard Borderie and his crew demonstrated here already the qualities which later contributed substantially to the success of his series of five costume drama films about Anne Golon
Anne Golon
Anne Golon is a French author, better known to English-speaking readers as Sergeanne Golon. She has written a series of novels about a heroine Angelique....
's heroine Angelique
Angelique (series)
Angelique is series of 13 French historical adventure books by the novelist duo Anne and Serge Golon. The first 10 books have been adapted into English while numbers 11-13 have not...
.
Since Bernard Borderie had already made several Lemmy Caution
Lemmy Caution
Lemmy Caution is a fictitious Federal Bureau of Investigation agent created by Peter Cheyney, who published the first book about him in 1936...
films he was an expert for fighting scenes. In comparison to the likewise brilliant fencing the dancer Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
(An American in Paris
An American in Paris
An American in Paris is a symphonic tone poem by the American composer George Gershwin, written in 1928. Inspired by the time Gershwin had spent in Paris, it evokes the sights and energy of the French capital in the 1920s. It is one of Gershwin's best-known compositions.Gershwin composed the piece...
, Xanadu
Xanadu
-Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles...
) had provided as “d'Artagnan” in an earlier adaption, the fencing in this film looks less like dancing and more dangerous. But of course Borderie also knew how to present a fist fight. When d'Artagnan defends Mme Bonacieux against a couple of the cardinal's thugs, the director does not only use dramatic sound effects but furthermore lets Barray's punches look more explosive by taking out frames very precisely when he is about to hit. Also is he capable of making us believe an outnumbered man could really win the day if only certain circumstances are given, because in Borderie's films the thugs are often so overly keen on decking the hero that they actually hinder each other to succeed. (While in younger action films it is usually much to obvious how perfectly choreographed thus fights are and how accurately everybody is always waiting for the very time when his supposed to fake his attack.)
Cast
- Gérard BarrayGérard Barray-Selected filmography:* I fratelli Corsi * Le Capitaine Fracasse * The Three Musketeers * Le chevalier de Pardaillan * Gibraltar * Hardi Pardaillan! * Open Your Eyes -External links:...
as d'ArtagnanD'ArtagnanCharles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
- Mylène DemongeotMylène DemongeotMylène Demongeot is a French actress, who has appeared in 72 films since 1953. She was born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, Southern France....
as Milady de WinterMilady de WinterMilady Clarick de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a fictional character in the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père. She acts as a spy for Cardinal Richelieu and is one of the chief antagonists of the story....
- Perrette PradierPerrette PradierPerrette Pradier, , is a French actress.Two years after making her film debut, in 1961 Perrette Pradier was awarded the prestigious Prix Suzanne Bianchetti as most promising new actress in France for her performance as "Amenita" in the Sacha Guitry film, "Stop Thief." That year she gained further...
as Constance Bonacieux
- Georges DescrièresGeorges DescrièresGeorges Descrières is a French actor. He has appeared in 52 films and television shows between 1954 and 1996. He starred alongside Anna Karina in the 1962 film Sun in Your Eyes and portrayed the gentleman-burglar Arsène Lupin in an internationally successful TV series.-Selected filmography:* The...
as AthosAthos (fictional character)Olivier d'Athos de la Fère, Comte de la Fère is a fictional character, a Musketeer of the Guard in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père....
- Bernard Woringer as PorthosPorthosPorthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the other two musketeers Athos and Aramis are friends of the novel's protagonist, d'Artagnan...
- Jacques Toja as AramisAramisC. René d'Aramis de Vannes is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père...
- Jean CarmetJean CarmetJean Carmet, born July 25, 1920 in Bourgueil, Indre-et-Loire, France; died April 20, 1994 in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine, was a French actor.-Biography:...
as Planchet
- Guy Delorme as the Count De RochefortComte de RochefortThe Comte de Rochefort is a secondary fictional character in Alexandre Dumas' d'Artagnan Romances. He is described as "around forty or forty-five, fair with a scar across his cheek".-In "The Three Musketeers":...
- Daniel Sorano as Cardinal Richelieu
- Françoise Christoph as (Queen) Anne of AustriaAnne of AustriaAnne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
- Robert BerriRobert BerriRobert Berri was a French film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1937 and 1979.-Selected filmography:* Un linceul n'a pas de poches * The Three Musketeers * Le Blé en herbe...
as M. Bonancieux
- Henri Nassiet as M. de Tréville
- Guy Tréjan as (King) Louis XIIILouis XIII of FranceLouis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
- Jacques Berthier as the Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
In Le Capitaine Fracasse
Le Capitaine Fracasse
Le Capitaine Fracasse , is a French comedy film from 1961, directed by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, written by Pierre Gaspard-Huit and Pierre Gaspard-Huit, starring Jean Marais and Louis de Funès...
of the same year Gerard Barray had merely had a supporting role but after acting as d'Artagnan he starred in many other films including two movies about the famous adventurer Robert Surcouf
Robert Surcouf
Robert Surcouf was a famous French corsair. During his legendary career, he captured 47 ships and was renowned for his gallantry and chivalry, earning the nickname of Roi des Corsaires .- Youth :...
.
Many members of this cast also kept having success after this film.
Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot is a French actress, who has appeared in 72 films since 1953. She was born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, Southern France....
got hired by André Hunebelle
André Hunebelle
André Hunebelle was a French director born September 1, 1896 in Meudon , died 27 November 1985 in Nice .Hunebelle was a former publisher of a French newspaper called La Fleché...
(director of 1953's French film adaption of "The Three Musketeers"
The Three Musketeers (1953 film)
Les Trois Mousquetaires is a 1953 film based on the French novel of the same name. This adaption is one of five films director André Hunebelle and screen writer Michel Audiard achieved together. Georges Marchal portrayed d'Artagnan...
) to be the leading lady in his three Fantômas
Fantômas
Fantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
feature films. There she played a completly different character, being the bubbly girl friend of Fantômas' counterpart "Fandor" (Jean Marais
Jean Marais
-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
).
Jean Carmet
Jean Carmet
Jean Carmet, born July 25, 1920 in Bourgueil, Indre-et-Loire, France; died April 20, 1994 in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine, was a French actor.-Biography:...
, whose "Planchet" saves d'Artagnan's life in the beginning and then proves himself a a smart provider of the Musketeers, gained much recognition in 1972 when he played the protagonist's best friend in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe is a 1972 French comedy film directed by Yves Robert, written by Francis Veber, starring Pierre Richard, Jean Rochefort and Bernard Blier...
, a film that won the Silver Bear award at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival
23rd Berlin International Film Festival
The 23rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 22 to July 3, 1973.-Jury:* David Robinson * Freddy Buache* Hiram Garcia Borja* Eberhard Hauff* Harish Khanna* Paul Moor* Walter Müller-Bringmann* René Thévenet...
in 1973. and also was a box office success in Continental Europe. Later Carmet received three times a César
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
.
Georges Descrières
Georges Descrières
Georges Descrières is a French actor. He has appeared in 52 films and television shows between 1954 and 1996. He starred alongside Anna Karina in the 1962 film Sun in Your Eyes and portrayed the gentleman-burglar Arsène Lupin in an internationally successful TV series.-Selected filmography:* The...
, who plays a very suave "Athos
Athos (fictional character)
Olivier d'Athos de la Fère, Comte de la Fère is a fictional character, a Musketeer of the Guard in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père....
", became ten years later famous as another French hero: Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin (TV series)
Arsène Lupin is a French TV show which was co-produced with German, Canadian, Belgian, Dutch, Swiss, Italian and Austrian TV stations. It was only loosely based on Maurice Leblancs novels....
.