O Espadachim

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.

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.

Joseph H lewis was mostly known for his masterpiece GUN CRAZY and several westerns, plus SO DARK THE NIGHT, another gem. This swashbuckler is often forgotten but is far better, if not one of the best from Columbia Pictures, which was a specialist for this kind of films, with nearly - if not always - every time George Mc Ready as the unavoidable villain. The future black listed Larry Parks gives here one of his best performances; he was very good in this kind of stuff. Yes, Joseph H Lewis, for whom it is not the speciality, it is a success in terms of quality. Adventure, romance, action, splendid settings and photography.

After the 'BIG ONE', WWII, Costume Drama's still were popular and would continued to be so for the next fifth-teen (15) years. Some were big prestige pictures like SAMSON & DELILAH (1949) Paramount or IVANHOE (1952) M.G.M. Others were diminutives like THE SWORDSMAN (1948) Columbia, but they were not the only studios to produce these epics, both major and minor, even those including Serials and T.V.

THE SWORDSMAN had Columbia's fair-haired boy of the day Larry Parks as Alexander MacArden. His main goal is to bring peace between the feuding Clans of the GLOWAN's -vs- MacArden's. High-Lands -vs- Low-Lands, just like Cattlemen -vs- Farmers in the OLD WEST. The film features a strong supporting cast including George MaCready/Robert Glowan, head nasty and general all around skunk. As well as the attractive Ellen Drew/Barbara Glowan. A-lot of double dealing and nefarious goings on before PEACE and TRUE LOVE completes there course.

Filmed in brilliant Three (3) Strip Techni-Color, the film runs a brisk 81". It will not task any 21st Century viewer (one time) and it is appropriate for Family viewing. Larry Parks though is not up to Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, let alone Douglas Fairbanks (Sr. & Jr.), etc. Columbia, after Larry Parks' fall through his political associations moved on to John Derek and ex W.B. heart-throb Paul Henried. Showing that if you could just keep your mouth shut and fill a pair of tights you could still have enjoyable employment.