Im Dienste des Königs

Typical 50s sword and cape film with slew of supporting British and French actors. Pity there isn't a single Welsh one given that part of the action is supposed to take place in Wales. The "Welsh" contingent have a bash at an accent but truth to tell anyone who has ever been to Wales would not be convinced. Finlay Currie for instance was a well known SCOTTISH actor with an accent to match has a go at mangling a Welsh one. But then have you ever seen "How Green was my Valley", a good novel Hollywoodenized?

Well, despite the fact the camera crew never went to Wales, the actors do what they can to move things along (the director could have helped more). The music is clunky and helps even less.

But, hey, the leads are all good looking or, when given some freedom like the "grande dame" Martini Hunt, manage to raise a smile.

So suspend your disbelief - as you have to do to many present-day films - and don't expect any explosions or leaps from tall buildings and settle down in a comfortable sofa.

This lavish production results to be a nice adaptation with spectacular production design , 18th Century costumes , evocative score by Georges Auric and glimmer cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth . Along with luxurious scenarios , beautiful gowns , and good acting from main and secondary cast . During the French Revolution, a French nobleman , Duke Philippe de Beauvais (Luis Jourdan) saves the 10-year-old son (Richard O'Sullivan) of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette from the guillotine with the help of an English woman , Virginia Traill (gorgeous Belinda Lee who unfortunately died early by car crash) . It is set in ¨The Reign Of Terror" (1792) which has resulted in the executions of thousands of citizens by means of guillotine , including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoniette , as during French revolution Robespierre is confronting other leaders to create a ruthless dictatorship for himself . Then an astute Republican agent (Keith Michell) travels towards England to carry out a deadly mission . Along the way Duke of Bauvais attempts to save the son of the king from the clutches of the traitors . As Duke Philippe de Beauvais's goal is to save the young Dauphin , heir to the French throne to continue the Valois Dynasty . Swashbuckling adventure ¡ . A rogue saved a King from the guillotine. Woven on the silken thread of intrigue...! . The most fabulous intrigue ever filmed!

Exciting exploits set on the Reign of Terro , in which the heir of the French throne escapes , while Robespierre's agents seek him , there and everywhere . Adventures inspired by Baroness Orczy's famous novel , Scarlet pimpernel , about a wealthy aristocrat who confounds the French revolutionaries and he becomes a rescuer of those persecuted by the French Revolution and the guillotines and mainly saving the heir of the beheaded king Louis XVI , his child Louis XVII . In fact, the plot is similar to subsequent ¨The Scarlet Pimpernel¨ (1982) by Clive Donner . This is one of the innumerable versions of the much-filmed adventures about unfortunate aristocrats and heir being mercilessly chased by the revengeful revolutionaries while brave patriots engaged in the underground effort to snatch out from under the blade of the guillotine , executing risked rescues of the Frenchmen caught in the Reign of Terror (1792 ) . Spectacular costumer with historical intrigue , suspense , damsels in distresses , adequate scenarios and the impressive sets , too are superb . Louis Jourdan plays to perfection , fitting the role like elegant Duke , he does a dashing hero leading several characters and facing nasty enemies . Jourdan match up efficiently to the popular conception of the hero who remains the archetypal acting and mythical qualities which make the role seems so invincible in spite of suffering a sad personal loss . Ordinary 50s sword and cape in which appears some historical characters as Louis XVI , Marie Antoniette , Louis XVII and Robespierre and is developed an intrigue about the little boy prince Louis XVII , guillotined king Louis XVI's son . Stellar cast plenty of known actors as Louis Jourdan , Keith Michell along with a top-notch British support cast as a very young Richard O'Sullivan , the illustrous veteran Martita Hunt , Finlay Currie , Terence Longdon , Anne Heywood , among others .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Brian Desmond Hurst . He was a good Brit craftsman who made some nice and successful movies. One of his first hits was Theirs Is the Glory (1946), about the disastrous British-American wartime operation at Arnhem in Holland, which became Britain's biggest-grossing film for almost a decade . The film he is most famous for results to be Scrooge (1951) with Alastair Sim, considered by critics and audiences alike to be the best and definitive film version of Charles Dickens' classic novel "A Christmas Carol" . He is also noted for his World War II film The lion has wings (1939) . Among his other successes was Malta story (1953), about the defiant resistance of the military and civilian populations on the island of Malta against relentless Nazi bombing during the war , and Simba (1955), about the Mau-Mau rebellion against British colonial rule in Kenya . And other movies as ¨Trottie true¨, ¨The Mark of Cain¨ , ¨Behind the mask¨, and this ¨Dangerous Exile¨ about the French Revolution .

While I love Louis Jourdan, it doesn't mean I have to be crazy about all his films, and I couldn't work up much enthusiasm for this one.

Based on a book about the supposed survival of Louis XVII, it just felt bland and not very interesting, and that kid king in exile began getting on my nerves with his constant wistful whining about wanting to stay there forever, never wanting to be king, then acting out a silly abdication parody with his self-appointed guardian (played by Belinda Lee, who's also Louis Jourdan's love interest), talking about his supposedly prophetic dreams, and making me sympathize with all those Jacobins who wanted to cut off his head!

Jourdan actually sacrificed his own son for this pathetic child??? That really made me HATE him (despite his sexy good looks)!

The only interesting part to this story was the treacherous servants, with the guy being dumb enough to trust his scheming, mercenary girlfriend.

Bit of a time waster, so skip this one gladly.

Did you know that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette had a son, and that this son when he was aged ten and in danger from the Revolution, fled to a small Welsh island in a balloon? You didn't? Quelle surprise!

This is Dangerous Exile's basic premise. It's a fantastical and farcical one at the same time, and it's to the cast's credit that they manage to play it straight throughout. There is the usual amount of swashbuckling (although confined to the last third) and the kind of laboured "historical" dialogue which 50's screenwriters appear to have been unable to overcome. Jourdan and Michell both move with a stiffness and moody demeanour which can only mean there's a haemorrhoid attack on the horizon, while Belinda Lee (as an American visiting her rich English aunt!) provides an arresting decolletage but little else.

A lot of this movie was shot at night and as such has a brooding quality which often overwhelms the slight material. Hurst, a stalwart of British movies of the 40s and 50s, keeps things moving in a methodical manner, but when all's said and done, there are too many familiar, staid elements for the movie to work as a whole.

Mildly enjoyable if you like this kind of movie, and only 5 out of 10.

This film is from the period when John Davis was in control of the Rank Organisation,so that films like this result.The sequel could have been tested little princess not being killed in the tower.There is some good colour cinematography.This particularly benefits BeLinda Lee and her heaving bosom.Poor history,bad film making.