The Brigand

I was at first afraid that this costume adventure flick was produced by the Columbia Pictures home producer, the infamous Sam Katzman who was so greedy that it often made films worst than they could have been with bigger budgets. But this Phil Karlson's film is maybe also very cheap, however the Sam Katzman's touch, trademark, is not here. I was very surprised, because this kind of story, period is totally in the Katzman's fashion. Many movie buffs forget this film when they present or talk about Phil Karlson. But Karlson was more a film noir specialist than anything else, I admit. This movie remains a good gem to watch anyway.

Based on a Dumas novel,a writer who was always fascinated by twins: the last part of "les trois mousquetaires" ,"le vicomte de Bragelonne " -which was often filmed as "the iron mask " - ,but also "les frères corses ".The French title of Karlson's movie is "le proscrit" but the eponymous novel is the story of "Robin Hood prince of thieves"which reportedly inspired Kevin Reynolds ' version.I found no trace of the book which spawned "the brigand".

Probably made to capitalize on the success of the second version of "the prisoner of Zenda "(1952) ;the screenplays are very similar ,but except for the delightful vilain played by the mighty Quinn , the actors do not have the appeal of Stewart Granger,Deborah Kerr and James Mason .

That said ,the colors are glimmering , the story is eventful ,with a curious prologue in Morocco,and the denouement is smart ,and all in all,it's pretty entertaining;the historical hints at the Napoleon era remain vague though.

In an attempt to capitalize on Dexter's first film for Columbia, VALENTINO, the studio promptly gave him another assignment in which he would emulate the silent screen star who made his mark in sand and sandal epics. Not only that, they gave him a dual role requiring the actor to carry the film.

It's only half-successful. Dexter looks good in the period costumes, even acquits himself well in a couple of nicely choreographed dance scenes and makes a dashing hero in the Alexander Dumas style. He even makes a distinction between the true King and his giddy laughter and the brave imposter. But somehow, the total effect is lacking, partly due to a lackluster script and the fact that his leading lady is no more than a cardboard heroine.

JODY LAWRENCE exhibits almost no emotion in her role as the Princess who falls in love with the imposter. She speaks all her lines in a dull monotone and rarely changes her expression. This turns out to be a liability for a costume romance to stir up the proper amount of interest.

Dexter carries the main burden, while GALE ROBBINS, RON RANDELL, CARL BENTON REID and even ANTHONY QUINN as the villain Ramon are mere ciphers. It's a shame, because Columbia gave the film the benefit of lavish sets and costumes, obviously expecting a good return for their money. What they got is the same old Dumas story about a commoner impersonating royalty while the villains plot and plan how to win their way to the throne.

Summing up: Moderately interesting and not Dexter's fault that the project fails to become a spirited enough adventure.

In the 1800s, after an assassination attempt by Prince Ramon against the king of Mandorra, a brigand resembling the king surreptitiously impersonates the incapacitated monarch in order to throw off the plotters.

Anthony Dexter does a double role, one as a Sultan guard called Carlos who brandishes a fair sword and other a frivolous king Lorenzo who loves dancing with ladies and has this annoying tendency of doing a "ha ha" laugh every few seconds. He fairs well in these roles, making a good contrast between the two, and he's got a certain style and charisma, and he's good at the action bits. Anthony Quinn plays the royal cousin of King Lorenzo who plans a "premeditated accident" to King Lorenzo by giving him a hunting weapon that is rigged to fire backwards so he can push himself on the throne and marry the princess, and he's at his usually slippery self as the villain. Jody Lawrence is ok as the princess but someone more striking and more expressive would've been good.

The Brigand has an uncanny resemblance to the Prisoner of Zenda, and though it's not as striking or as exciting as that film ( the Ronald Colman and Stewart Granger versions), it's a competently made and an adequate viewing with lavishness, colour, some style, set pieces and some good swordplay. Phil Karlson keeps everything zipping along. Unlike the Prisoner of Zenda, it has a more happier ending for Dexter's Sultan guard in regards to the princess.

The previous successful "Valentino", Columbia runs to offer to Anthony Dexter something alike of its roots Portuguese heritage an Iberian adventure about his natural born skills in dancing scenes as did in Valentino, a swashbuckler story on 18th century supposedly in north of Spain bordering France where Napoleon was a devil ruler eager for new territories, it's freely based in Alexander Dumas's twin's brother "The Iron Mask" moved to phony country Mandorra and umbilical alliance with north Africa Marocco.

Then Dexter plays a dual role due his unbelievable resemblance with the King of Mandorra whom spending his time courting girls and learning dancing with her lover, meanwhile Capt. Carlos Delargo is accused of murder in Marocco of the Mandorra's ambassador concerning an previous affair with diplomat's wife with the womanizer Delargo, actually Carlos Delargo has a royal decent, his family were overthrown of the Mandorra's throne in recently time, advised by Prime Minister Triano (Carl Benton Reid) over it the King decides release Delargo in dark hour toward Portugal as escapee.

At Mandorra's court his cousin Prince Ramon (Anthony Quinn) aims to the throne due he is the next in line, thus he settles a plan to kill the King and replace him in order to make another deal with Napoleon, instead the King is wiiling make an alliance with border Kingdom to faces Napoleon in equal terms in a upcoming invasion, the scheme got its effect, however the King survives, not enough to marry in next days, then came up the phony King at Delargo body to impersonate for a couple weeks or so, to hinder the greedy Ramon onslaught at the throne for good.

Sadly the picture aside Dexter-Quinn is a B-picture, largely full of holes on lame screenplay, how someone else could explain no enough security guards at Delargo's chamber when he was easily kidnaped from there by his cousin, also in external shooting a clean landscape on those roads looks like a garden at backyard mansion, implausible storyline just saved by the hero and the villain by the way, frankly I found it impossible to be release on DVD due so low feature, if it come out I'm ready to buy a copy quite sure.

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.5.