Le Cavalier au masque

"The Purple Mask" is a standard swashbuckler with not much pretensions on the line of the masked avengers that fight for what they think right in a hidden personality (tha "Zorro" series, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" or "The Black Tulip" could be clear examples).

Most colorful and rather fast in its development (which is good) the film is in the limit of entertainment for fans of the genre. Romance and acceptable swordplay are there too.

A young Tony Curtis in the main role is no Errol Flynn, but he reaches the level of the movie. Angela Lansbury, Dan O'Herlihy, Gene Barry and John Hoyt (a usual villain) are there too. Robert Cornthwaite doesn't fit as Napoleon, and it is hard to believe that Bonaparte would take so much trouble with just a lonely masked guy that is against his plans for dominating Europe.

Just a watch is enough even if you are a swashbucklers fan.

It is set in 1803 , Reign of terror is over , France is governed by Napoleon as first Consul , there the royalist Purple Mask attacks revolutionary soldiers . As Napoleon orders detain the known highwayman Purple Mask who abducts officers for ransom and undercover he hides into a women's clothing house run by Angela Lansbury and inhabitated by lovely models as Laurette , gorgeous daughter of the pursued Duc De Latour : Paul Cavanagh . Tony Curtis is a supposed dandy foppish of the French court who assumes the identity of Purple Mask in order to outwit the French Republicans led by Napoleon, Robert Cornthwaite , who still uses the guillotine against members of the old nobility , and to aid innocent aristocrats after the French Revolution .Meanwhile , Curtis falls in love for the damsel in distress , Colleen Miller .

A simple and known plot , as a wealthy foppish dancer , Tony Curtis , is not the fool he seems , but he results to be an expert swordsman who fights enemy and saves unfortunate people are about to be beheaded. A nice and brilliant picture that packs a colorful cinematography in Technicolor by Irving Glassberg , Universal International regular. As well as thrilling and evocative musical score by uncredited Hans J Salter and Herman Stein .This adventure movie contains swashbuckling , full of exploits , thrills , noisy action and a lot of fencing . At the end takes place the ultimate and impressive fencing duel between the dancing master Curtis and the cunning Dan O'Herlihy that is the highlight of the film . The fim mixes Scarlet Pimpernel created by Baroness Dorczy and Zorro by Johnson McCulley taking parts here and there . Tony Curtis is pretty good as Scarlet Pimpernel-lookalike in this stirring tale with a literacy and polish that places it several grades above such early swashbucklers and adventures movies also starred by Curtis as Taras Bulba , The Black Shield of Falworth , The prince who was thief and Son of Ali Baba . The motion picture will appeal to Tony Curtis fans who enjoys himself as a kind of Napoleonic Scarlet Pimpernel . Support cast is fine , such as the incombustible Angela Lansbury , Gene Barry , Allison Hayes , John Hoyt , Paul Cavanagh, George Dolenz and Robert Cornthwaite as an astute Napoleon .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Bruce Humberstone who worked on several silent movies and he was able to make all kinds of genres without problems . He is known for making a lot of Charlie Chan /Warner Oland films as Charlie Chan at the opera , Chan at the race track, Charlie Chan in Honolulu , Charlie Chan at the Olympics . He directed Westerns as Ten wanted men, Lucky Cisco Kid ; Musical : Iceland, Hello Frisco; Comedy :Wonder man , Tall dark and handsome ; Noir film as Hot Spot and Aventure : Tarzan and Lost safari, Tarzan and the trappers, Tarzan fights for his life , King of the jungle and this The Purple Masked.Rating: 6/10 . Decent and acceptable picture

As reviewer Mario Grauci points out, the screenplay for this historical drama bears a striking resemblance to that of "The Scarlet Pimpernel", released in 1934,and 1982. The protagonist, ably played by Tony Curtis, does at times wear a purple mask, though through most of the film, he doesn't. Instead he plays his unmasked self, as Rene de Traviere, or an imposter of himself as The Purple Mask. In all of these guises, he is a legendary foe of the Napoleon-led republic, hoping to restore the monarchy 10 years after the height of the Reign of Terror. Napoleon's henchmen are still ferreting out nobilities of the old monarchy. The P.M. is part of a Parisian cell of anti-republicans. Another of them is Laurette de Latour, played by cute Collen Miller. She much admires the work of The Purple Mask, but doesn't realize until near the end that he is also Rene, with whom she has had an up and down relationship. (It's hard to believe that people familiar with both the Purple Mask and Rene don't readily recognize them as the same person, with just a minimal mask to fool them.

In the bargaining with Napoleon, at the end, these 2 are allowed to emigrate to England, though Rene doesn't promise he won't be back some day. They were saved from an imminent execution by a group of compatriots, who had entered the barracks housing the royal guards, at night, bound them, dressing themselves in their uniforms, and marching out as a unit when time for the executions. They brandished their rifles, taking the Minister of Police captive, as well as the famous swordsman: Brisquet, after he lost an impromptu rapier duel with Tony.

The entry of the compatriots into the dormitory involved descending from an entrance into the underground sewer system, and traversing it until they reached the exit under the guard house, which they were able to pry open. How did they know when they were at the sewer entrance under the barracks? Also, they might have been gassed by toxic sulfurous emissions.

This film was shot in Technicolor. However, the copy I saw at YouTube didn't have vibrant colors , like it should have had. This reduced my enjoyment of the film. The main reason for seeing this film is to experience the stars. They are at their peak of beauty. That's not to say the story isn't somewhat interesting. Tony, especially, made a good account of himself: in debonair looks, acting and speaking . His fencing looked quite professional: a good replacement for Errol Flynn. He makes money for the rebels, by kidnaping important people in the republic and ransoming them. He uses most of the money to buy the freedom of royalist rebels and fund other rebel activities

It's the usual Hollywood swashbuckle routine but dated, as Errol Flynn was on his way out at this time and Hollywood perhaps needed some sort of a replacement. Tony Curtis does handomely, but the script is on old worn out patterns with a deplorable dialog, while the worst of all is Napoleon totally out of character and as unconvincing as a lackey for the emperor - this actor would have been more credible as a clown. The story is dashing enough and in colours, but of course you miss the classics, Leslie Howard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Ronald Colman and Errol Flynn, but Tony Curtis does his honest best and fair enough. There is a lot of sword fighting, and I doubt Tony Curis has proved so elegant a fencing master before or after. In brief, an entertaining adventure not without qualities, while the plot is a miserable pimpernel offprint imitation.

Have a real fondness for swashbuckling/adventure/historical films, some of which being part of my childhood and still hold up well today, so that was one of my reasons for seeing 'The Purple Mask'. The other being that it was part of my initially accidental quest (having seen many of his films popping up in my recommended for you section) to see more Tony Curtis films, he was not the greatest of actors at this point but he was always a very likeable actor and improved all the time.

'The Purple Mask' is not one of his best films or best performances, everybody else involved have similarly done better. That being said, 'The Purple Mask' is still lots of fun, and achieves in its goal at being an entertaining and amiable film that doesn't take itself too seriously or try to be anymore than it needs to be. Not one of my favourite films by all means but it is a very hard film to dislike.

It may be nonsense in some of the story and it may be a touch talky at times.

Angela Lansbury also has next to nothing to do in a thankless role and it did come over that she had not wanted to do the film (apparently that was actually the case too), a waste of a great actress.

However, Curtis goes for it and is athletic and has boundless energy, he carries 'The Purple Mask' very well regardless of him not being completely fitting in the setting. Coleen Miller is very charming, Gene Barry is his reliable self and the villains are appropriately antagonistic. John Hoyt is a standout and Robert Cornthwaite was a surprising choice for Napoleon but coming off reasonably well. The chemistry is great.

Visually, 'The Purple Mask' looks great, sumptuously designed and costumed with lots of vibrant colour and the photography is suitably lavish. The score is suitably lively and the direction assured. The short length and fast pace thankfully works in 'The Purple Mask's favour. The story has a lot of energy and charm, even with the silliness, and the script doesn't get too camp.

On the whole, lots of fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox