The Iron Mask (1929)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novels)
Douglas Fairbanks (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 February 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

The Further Adventures of "The Three Musketeers"!

Plot:

King Louis XIII of France is thrilled to have born to him a son - an heir to the throne. But when the queen delivers a twin...

Plot Keywords:

Musketeer | Convent | Iron Mask | Heir | Mask

Cast

Douglas Fairbanks	...	D'Artagnan
Belle Bennett	...	The Queen Mother, Anne of Austria
Marguerite De La Motte	...	Constance Bonacieux
Dorothy Revier	...	Milady de Winter
Vera Lewis	...	Madame Peronne
Rolfe Sedan	...	Louis XIII
William Bakewell	...	Louis XIV and Twin Brother
Gordon Thorpe	...	Young Prince and Twin Brother
Nigel De Brulier	...	Cardinal Richelieu
Ullrich Haupt	...	Count De Rochefort
Lon Poff	...	Father Joseph - the Queen's Confessor
Charles Stevens	...	Planchet - D'Artagnan's Servant
Henry Otto	...	The King's Valet
Léon Bary	...	Athos (as Leon Barry)
Tiny Sandford	...	Porthos (as Stanley J. Sandford)

Runtime:

95 min | UK:103 min (restored version) | USA:72 min (edited) (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (talking sequences, musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Elton Corporation

Trivia:

In the prologue, the four musketeers stand in a framing device, as a medieval stage booth, and D'Artagnan steps forward and speaks to the audience, then steps back and resumes his position with the other three, who remained motionless; after the mid-point intermission, the same situation is repeated, with D'Artagnan speaking again to the audience, finishing with the words, "once more, once more...", after which the film resumes with the title card "20 years later". These were the two Douglas Fairbanks' first scenes with spoken dialogue, in his last silent film.

Quotes:

Porthos: Come on! There is greater adventure beyond.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime: The Unbreakable Alibi (#1.7)" (1983)

A Must See Classic

Forget all other versions of this film...including the Leonardo DeCaprio version. This is a Fantastic look back at the Golden Age of Films ! I am actually watching it right now: the version which has the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. narration.

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and truly a 'Cast of Thousands' run through this exciting, wonderful motion picture giving true meaning to the word 'motion' ! The cast is perfect: the heroes, the villains, the beautiful damsels, the sets, the townspeople...all interwoven into a true classic and a superb follow-up to "The Three Musketeers". Dumas himself would be proud.

Like "The Bride of Frankenstein", this sequel almost surpasses the original and for film buffs and historians this is truly a 'must see' film.

Perhaps, in this age of 'short attention spans', maybe some younger viewers won't be able to stick with this film. Silent, Black & White, some over-acting involved. BUT, if you fasten your seat belts, grab a big bowl of popcorn and a large soda or two, and, maybe a "Three Musketeers" Candy Bar for a special tie-in treat, you will laugh, you will cry, you will be impressed. AND, you will take a wonderful trip back in time to the Golden Age of Hollywood...and you WILL ENJOY !!