O Espadachim

For audiences who had just seen Larry Parks rise to fame in his "Jolson" roles, this must have seemed a bit of a stretch for the actor in 1948--a swashbuckling role tailored for an action star. But to his credit, Parks gives a believable performance as the man who wants the clans to stop feuding so he can marry his sweetheart (Ellen Drew) and live a peaceful life happily ever after.

It's all filmed in gorgeous settings with lush Technicolor values and there's a stirring background score by Hugo Friedhofer with Scottish themes filling the soundtrack.

A good supporting cast of Columbia players includes Ray Collins, Marc Platt, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan and Michael Duane. Ellen Drew makes a lovely heroine in a strictly one-dimensional role.

Purely predictable escapist stuff, it's handsomely packaged, good for light entertainment and moves at a quick pace. The color photography is mighty impressive.

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.

In many ways, "The Swordsman" is like "Romeo & Juliet" set in Scotland. Two clans, the McArdens and the Glowans hate each other and have done so for generations. However, when Alexander McArden (Larry Parks) meets the lovely Barbara Glowan (Ellen Drew), he rethinks all these years of hatred and tries to get the clans to put aside their differences. However, he doesn't realize that the hate is so deep, one member of the Glowans murders his own brother in order to pin it on the McArdens and keep the feud alive! Is there any hope for peace as well as the young couple?

While this film was filmed in California, it loks very nice and is in vivid color. Mammoth Lakes, in particular, looks very nice. As for the story, it's decent but I couldn't help but marvel at some of the accents...or lack of Scottish accents. I'm sure real Scots saw this thing and thought as much...or more. But for a Hollywood creation of Scotland, it's not bad and is appropriate considering the emnity which used to actually exist between some of the clans.

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.

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.