El espadachín

William Snyder was the cameraman on this Scottish swashbuckler with the clever framing eye of B director Joseph H Lewis (Gun Crazy) at the helm and the use of rich Technicolor. The result offers some of the most beautiful exterior footage ever filmed, with California mountains filling in for Scotland.Several striking moments: A full busted Ellen Drew introduced in her coach, and later her saddled on a horse just before riding to meet her lover. Though the American actors put on phony accents, the visual charms in this little programmer overcome any such quibbles.

This equals the best of all those Errol Flynn and de Havilland romantic films of spectacularly romantic settings, and although the actors are none of the dominating Hollywood film stars, they do well enough, and James Macready as the villain never played more dirty. The main asset of the film is not the plot or the actors but the overwhelmingly marvellous outdoor scenery mainly with horses racing through one of the most beautiful landscapes ever displayed on film. Larry Parks is dashing enough, and Ellen Drew actually cuts a lovelier figure than de Havilland, while Ray Collins as an old fighter and Edgar Buchanan as an old die-hard also grace the film. Hugo Friedhofer's music finishes the touch of a magnificent entertainment all the way through, a feast for the eyes and a delight for the romantic mind.

It's 1948. Three years after WW2. The American public has not yet been drawn to the glass nipple of TV. Costume dramas do great at the box office. Larry Parks is a few years away from his blacklisting and character assassination and stars in a Scottish swash buckler with lots of swash. It's fun and entertaining. A story with clan wars, colorful kilts and lots of swordplay. Parks was no Flynn, mind you and we probably wouldn't even know him but for his Jolson roles, but this film was great entertainment. What else could you get for $.32, which was what a ticket cost for a kid in 1948. Parks was married to Betty Garrett of musical fame and the Leverne and Shirley TV comedy. It should be mentioned that she stuck by Parks all through those dark years and cared for him while he was dying of a chronic heart condition. No video, at this writing, but if it shows up on the late show, check it out.

Revisiting this swashbuckler Columbia picture from far off 1948 bringing good memories of this forgotten genre, despite the leading character Larry Parks hasn't any dexterity with blade as well as his main opponent the stereotyped villain George Macready, so it brought many damages for the movie reputation, the plot is rather commonplace in 18th century at Scottland two opposite clans the Glowan & MacArden in a long feuding, a sort of Romeo & Juliet affair, in other hand Ellen Drew fulfills the required attribute to play the leading lady somewhat makes up for a change.

To enhance the preposition the screenwriter Wilfrid H. Pettitt inserts some colorful characters on humor oriented as the priceless wary Angus (Edgar Buchanan) and the boozer old Andrew (Billy Bevan) living in lonesome shack on the woods to appease the menacing atmosphere between opposing clans, the producers pick up on California a similar valley to portrait the old Scottish to built up a front of old fortress from Middle Ages for emulate a perfect scenario.

As said above the weak point were those fake sword fighting, some using stunts fighter along the movie, it undermines deeply the offering, the final showdown is another far-fetched outcome, too much brainless and unreasonable break up a prearranged peace settled in few days ago, anyway the movies survives, I've find a restored colorful print available at all-weather friend Youtube, worthwhile a look for nostalgic reasons!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1995 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.25.

Ok, so I'm a Scot so can say with some certainty that we don't have don't have mountains quite that high nor do we speak with any of the accents on display here, but if you overlook those minor ailments, this is quite a reasonable adventure yarn that sees two fictitious clans come to terms, after generations, with an ancient grudge. Now on this latter point, the writer might well have struck a chord, as grudges we can definitely do. This one sees the "MacArden" (Larry Parks) fall in love with the "Glowan" (Ellen Drew). After a chance meeting, he travels to their castle and wins their equivalent of the golden arrow, but he is recognised by her warmongering brother (George Macready) who determines to ensure that peace can never break out - even if he has to turn on members of his own family to frame his age-old enemy and stoke the auld fires of loathing. Luckily, "Barbara" has faith in her new young love and so tries to help him survive and get to the truth - but with such a capable and scheming enemy, and two stuck in the mud clan chiefs, what chance have they of prevailing? Were it not for the tartan and the Celtic musical themes this could just as easily be a remake of Macready's other adventure from 1948 "The Black Arrow", but I like this genre and there's enough going on here to keep the romance at bay and for the horses to get a-galloping. Not great, but good fun.