Le maître de Don Juan

Nobleman Rainiero, Sidonia's duke son, comes back home with his friend Renzo (Errol Flynn). Soon after arrival, Renzo will get in a big trouble and he will be forced to choose between going to church for marriage or going to prison.

Towards his last days as a swashbuckler, Errol Flynn still has the charm, the athleticism, though a little world weary, and prone to poke fun at his infamous reputation as a womaniser. This film starts with a narration saying how peaceful it is - then there's a scream, our man Errol leaps out of the window and another husband is upset. If you are expecting endless sword fights, and derring-do, then you'll be a little disappointed. The focus is on comedy, and Renzo's attempts to stay the window jumping bachelor, but there's some swordplay - there's a good sequence on top of a row of barrels, and the sword fight finale between Flynn and the villain is energetic. Not the best Flynn film, Crossed swords is a well-mounted production, has great costumes, eye catching locations, Gina Lollobrigida (sigh), and the legendary Errol Flynn. A pleasant watch.

Almost the Holy Grail for Flynn fans, this movie's virtually impossible to find. A routine costumer in most respects, it is notable to Flynn enthusiasts because, for once, he seems to be having a good time, with occasional flashes of the famous Flynn charm shining through, a rarity in his later pictures. Dubbed, sometimes badly, but good costumes and sets, and Gina and several other ladies are lovely to look at.

Was it really that long before this that Errol Flynn was young, good-looking and healthy? Think of him and you conjure up a dashing, athletic Robin Hood or Captain Blood. Fast forward 15 years and the dissolute Flynn appears soft and dissipated from living in the fast lane. Here he not only stars in but wastes his money on a crummy period piece with a laughable plot.

"Crossed Swords" is a flop movie masquerading as a swashbuckling action picture but contains precious little action. It opens as he jumps out a damsel's bedroom window just ahead of her husband, which is just the way he might like to be remembered. The film then bogs down for the next 80 minutes or so, as he slogs through some poor acting and a very poor music score. There is nothing to recommend it except for the color. I saw it on a 16 mm print which was in remarkable condition, better than Flynn himself, I imagine.

Errol Flynn has Gina Lollabrigida as his costar in Crossed Swords, with Cesare Danova costarring, as the heir to the duchy of Sidonia. The movie opens with Errol and Cesare on their way back to the castle, but are constantly finding temptation, especially Errol. And, when husbands come home, the wives scream and Errol jumps out of the window. The movie right away sets up the tone of the film with the viewer. When they do arrive at the castle, they find that a new law is being proposed to outlaw bachelorhood among the male population. That's outrageous, Errol says. But many feel that it's the man's duty to get married and set a good example. Gina is Danova's sister who Flynn is interested in up to a point, but he does not want to get married and is quite adamant about it. Young Danova has his own oats to sow for now, too. Despite the bad copy I had of this on DVD, I enjoyed the campy and over-the-top quality of this film. It seems to give just what Flynn fans expect of him, a grand old time. The title Crossed Swords is a little confusing to me, as it centers more on comedic situations than duels and action. But I'm sure they were trying to get Flynn fans to the movies. While no grade-A film, I enjoy its efforts to entertain. So what happens to Errol? Does Gina ensnare him? Does the law trap him? Does Errol get the better of them? You tell me.

In the Citadel Films book The Films Of Errol Flynn, Errol was quoted as saying he felt that the distribution of Crossed Swords in America was not handled properly as the reason the film flopped. After finally viewing the film, I think he may have had a point up to a degree.

Certainly he's not moving with same grace as he did in Captain Blood or The Sea Hawk, but his interpretation of Don Juan is of a more mature swashbuckler who's getting kind of weary of his life of romantic adventures. Not unlike The Adventures Of Don Juan which he did for Warner Brothers a few years earlier or of the real Flynn himself.

Crossed Swords has the older Don Juan taking on a pupil in Cesare Danova who is the heir to the duchy of Sidonia. Cesare is wanting to some wild oats and Flynn is certainly the best guy to show him how. When they return the first minister to Cesare's father, Roldano Lupi is proposing a new law outlawing bachelorhood among the male population. It's felt that it's the man's patriotic duty to get married and start sowing some seed for the population to grow.

Now that's something that will definitely cramp Flynn's style and he isn't having any of it. Neither is his pupil Danova who has a duty to provide an heir, but not just now. But Lupi has far more sinister schemes afoot and these two have to stop him.

Gina Lollobrigida is Danova's sister who Flynn interests up to a point, but not if it involves matrimony where Flynn is concerned. And Danova has a certain protective attitude toward his sister not unfounded where Flynn is concerned. For some reason her voice is dubbed in Crossed Swords and that was a surprise since so many American viewers had heard her real voice in later films. That year she also did Beat The Devil in her natural accented speaking voice so familiar to us.

I'm inclined to believe Flynn might have something of a case. The film which is done on location in Italy photographed beautifully by Jack Cardiff might have been better handled had it's more comedic elements been showcased in the advertising campaign. It certainly isn't up to the standards of his Warner Brothers years, but Crossed Swords is all that a fan of Errol Flynn would wish and considerably more.