The Three Musketeers (1948)

The Three Musketeers - 1948

Our next installment which features that famous Alexandre Dumas classic is 1948's "The Three Musketeers".  Again we follow D'Artagnan as he embarks on a quest to join the ranks of the fabled Musketeers.

The film's cast includes Gene Kelly, Lana Turner, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Angela Lansbury, Frank Morgan, Vincent Price, Keenan Wynn, John Sutton, Gig Young, Robert Coote, Reginald Owen, and Ian Keith.

D'Artagnan, a young man from Gascony, sets out for Paris to become one of the King's Musketeers.  He carries a letter of introduction from his father to the commander of the Musketeers.

Along the way, he meets a mysterious lady, who becomes suspicious of D'Artagnan.  She has her guards knock him out and burn his letter of introduction before she drives away in her carriage.

D'Artagnan arrives in Paris and meets up with some Musketeers: Athos, Aramis, and Porthos.  He finds himself in hot water when all three Musketeers challenge him to separate duels for some grievance he's made against them.

When Cardinal Richelieu's guards try to arrest them for dueling, D'Artagnan joins in the fight and endears himself to the Musketeers, who welcome him with open arms to their ranks after defeating the guards.

Later at an inn, D'Artagnan meets the innkeeper's goddaughter Constance, who is a lady-in-waiting to the Queen.  The two are instantly attracted to one another and fall in love.

The Queen is in love with the Duke of Buckingham.  But for the peace of their two countries, she tells him to go and never see her again.  She gives him a present of a set of twelve diamonds as a keepsake.

Wanting to start a war with England and hearing of the Queen's gift to Buckingham, Cardinal Richelieu dispatches the Countess de Winter to use whatever means necessary to retrieve the diamonds, thus embarrassing the Queen and making the King begin the war.

Constance goes to D'Artagnan and tells him about the plot to start a war.  He agrees to help and bring back the diamonds so the Queen can wear them to a dinner that the Cardinal is planning.

He enlists the help of Athos, Aramis, and Porthos, who agree that if they all pitch in, one of them has a chance of making it out alive and foiling the Cardinal's plan.

D'Artagnan meets with Buckingham, who is only too happy to help out the Queen.  When the jewel box is opened, it's discovered that two of the jewels are missing.  (Countess de Winter had already been there to see the Duke).  The Duke has two replacements hurriedly made and then sends D'Artagnan on his way.

Countess de Winter gives Cardinal Richelieu the two diamonds she took.  He orders his guards to not let D'Artagnan into Paris.

On the night of the dinner, the Queen nervously prepares to face the Cardinal without her jewels.

D'Artagnan has to be crafty in the way he enters the palace.  He swings from ropes and scales the rooftops to get to Constance.

The Queen enters the room with the King and Richelieu.  Constance appears and gives her the box of twelve diamonds, just as the Cardinal pulls out the two he has.  Puzzled, the Cardinal deduces that D'Artagnan was able to outsmart his guards.  The Queen apologizes and says she didn't have time enough to display the jewels properly because her dressmaker was late.

The Cardinal has D'Artagnan brought to him and offers him a position in his own guards.  He has also kidnapped Constance in an attempt to entice D'Artagnan to accept his offer.  The Countess de Winter is also recruited to help persuade him.  When D'Artagnan and the Countess meet, instant recognition lights up both of their eyes.

Musketeer Athos tries to warn D'Artagnan that the Countess de Winter is his former wife who is also a traitor to France.  D'Artagnan, falling under the Countess's spell, doesn't believe him.  Athos tells him that she bears the mark of a criminal on her shoulder.

The Countess tries to kill D'Artagnan and in the ensuing fight, the mark which Athos told him about is revealed on the Countess's shoulder.

The Queen finds Constance and is planning to send her away for safekeeping to Buckingham.  She and D'Artagnan are married before she leaves.

Things aren't going well with the war that Richelieu had hoped to start, so he sends the Countess to London to assassinate Buckingham.  She asks for a carte blanche (official letters stating that she has the full power to act), which Richelieu grants.

The Musketeers hear the Countess discussing their plans and follow the Countess to London.

Unfortunately, they are too late.  The Countess assassinates Buckingham and kills Constance, but D'Artagnan and Athos track her to Athos's ancestral home.

Athos interrupts her while she is fixing her hair.  She begs for mercy, but Athos remains firm in his resolve that she is too dangerous to be left alive even though he still loves her.  She walks unaided to her execution.

The Cardinal's men arrest D'Artagnan and the Musketeers and they are brought before the King.

When they produce Richelieu's letter of carte blanche, the tables are turned and Richelieu must navigate the situation quickly, advising the King to reward them for stopping a war.

This the King is only too glad to do.  D'Artagnan is rewarded with a position with the Musketeers.  Aramis is allowed to join a monastery.  Athos is granted the restoration of his lands and title.  And Porthos is to be given an introduction to a rich widow.  Happy that they have finished their quest, the Musketeers take their leave of the King.

Cast rundown:

   Gene Kelly..........................................D'Artagnan

   Lana Turner........................................Countess de Winter

   June Allyson.......................................Constance de Bonacieux

   Van Heflin..........................................Athos

   Angela Lansbury..................................Queen Anne

   Frank Morgan.....................................King Louis XIII

   Vincent Price......................................Cardinal Richelieu

   Keenan Wynn.....................................Planchet

   John Sutton........................................Duke of Buckingham

   Gig Young..........................................Porthos

   Robert Coote......................................Aramis

   Reginald Owen....................................Treville

   Ian Keith............................................Rochefort

And that's all for this edition of The Three Musketeers.  This was Gene Kelly's first non-musical role, and it was also Lana Turner's first appearance in a colorized film.  Angela Lansbury felt she was too young to portray Queen Anne, and actually wanted the role of Countess de Winter.  Vincent Price portrayed Cardinal Richelieu again in a television movie version of "The Three Musketeers".  This version of the film was the first that uses the whole storyline of the novel.  All previous adaptations (and most since) stop halfway through it and end with the successful return of the Queen's jewels.

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