The 5th Musketeer (1979)

The 5th Musketeer - 1979

Coming up next is 1979's "The 5th Musketeer", a version of Alexandre Dumas's "The Man In The Iron Mask", a story in which we find two contenders to the throne of France: one living with the Musketeers, and one fighting to keep a hold of his struggling throne.

The film's cast includes Beau Bridges, Ursula Andress, Cornel Wilde, Alan Hale Jr., Ian McShane, Lloyd Bridges, Jose Ferrer, Sylvia Kristel, Olivia de Havilland, Rex Harrison, and Helmut Dantine.

Colbert, an important figure at the French court and the orchestrater of the upcoming French/Spanish matrimonial alliance, visits his friend D'Artagnan and the young man who was placed in the charge of the Musketeers when he was just an infant.  Colbert marvels at how closely he resembles King Louis.  Colbert soon returns to Paris.  However, he isn't the only one who's heard of Philippe.  French officers arrest him and the Musketeers and place him in the Bastille.

Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa is not looking forward to marrying the King of France.  She's heard all sorts of terrible things about him: including laziness, arrogance, and mistresses.  She warns the ambassador that if she cannot bring herself to love him, she will leave France and return to Spain.

We find that the real power behind the throne is Fouquet, the King's right hand man.  It was he who ordered Philippe and the Musketeers' arrest.

We also meet Louise de la Valliere, the King's mistress.  She strictly controls courtiers' access to the King, who concerns himself largely with eating, sleeping, and pleasure.

The King and Fouquet inform Louise of a plot to assassinate the King.  They heard of the young man who bears a striking resemblance to him, and they decide to use him as a double.  When the real King appears after his "assassination", public opinion is supposed to be swayed in his favor.

Philippe is brought to the King's chambers in the iron mask used to conceal his identity.  And the two men are shocked at how much they resemble each other.

While Philippe pretends to be Louis in Paris welcoming his future bride, the King waits safely in the country with Louise.

Colbert is stunned when the "King" recognizes him from their earlier exchange in the country, and Colbert warns him to be on his guard.  Philippe jumps off the pier at the right moment before it explodes and is saved.  The crowd roars their approval, and the "King" issues a proclamation that prisoners in the Bastille, including the Musketeers, are to be set free.

Philippe and Maria Theresa ride back to Paris together, and the two become close.  She tells him that he's different than she thought he would be.  "Naturally, I have heard certain things," she says.  "Such as?" asks Philippe.  "Such as do not agree with what I see," says the smiling Infanta.

At a celebration that night, Philippe and Maria Theresa share a kiss before he leaves with the Musketeers to return to the country.  Not knowing that he is not the king, Maria Theresa gets him to promise to return to her soon.

Meanwhile, a nun named Sister Anne is being summoned to Paris.  As she prepares to leave the convent, she is released from her vow of silence until her return by the Mother Superior.

During negotiations for their upcoming marriage, Maria Theresa finds that the King is not the person she had fallen in love with the day before.  She angrily storms out of their meeting.  She eventually runs away from the palace with her ladies in waiting.

Philippe is told the truth of his parentage by the Musketeers.  He is the twin brother of the King and was separated at birth to protect him and his brother from warring over the crown.  No one knows which was born first.

"Sister Anne" turns out to be Queen Anne, the mother of Louis and Philippe.  When Louis is shocked that Fouquet left his brother alive, Queen Anne implores him not to kill his brother.  "By harming him, you will risk even greater danger to yourself.  I shall not demand your word...for you have never felt obliged to keep it.  But remember well my warning.  It is the last thing you shall hear from me," she tells him.

Philippe catches up with Maria Theresa, and he tells her the whole truth about his circumstance.  The two rekindle their romance.

The next day, Philippe is arrested and returned to the Bastille, where he is once again made to wear the iron mask.

Louise once again restricts access to the King.  She and Maria Theresa have a stand off.  "Madame, you permit yourself great privileges for someone of such minor consequence," says the Infanta.  During their exchange, Louise reveals to Maria Theresa that Philippe is in the dungeon awaiting execution.

She goes to Colbert and tells him of Philippe's current situation.  She also has the beginnings of a plan to rescue him.

Colbert goes to the Musketeers to make sure they are all on board to rescue their young friend.  Of course, they are more than ready to help.

On the night before her wedding, Maria Theresa goes to the King and drugs his drink.  The Musketeers bring Philippe up from the Bastille through a secret passage to the King's bedroom.  There, they exchange the two and put the King in the iron mask and place him in the dungeon.

The next day, Philippe strides into the cathedral as Louis.  He gives a knowing smile to Maria Theresa, and no one is the wiser.

However, just as the ceremony begins, Porthos stumbles into the church bearing a mortal wound.  He whispers the words "Fouquet", "other one", and "free" before he dies.  Aramis and Athos, together with Philippe, pause the ceremony and rush to the Bastille.

There, Philippe and Louis fight a duel.  Eventually, Philippe emerges the victor as Louis is swept away by some rushing water to his death.

After cleaning up, Philippe returns to the cathedral to continue with the marriage ceremony.

Louise de la Valliere stops the proceedings and proclaims that that man is not Louis of France.  Everyone is stunned and looks around in disbelief.

Queen Anne goes to the Cardinal and gives her most solemn word that the man standing before them is her son.  Philippe kisses her hands as she returns to stand with the rest of the congregation.

The marriage ceremony continues without a hitch.  Philippe know reigns France as King Louis XIV in the place of his dissolute brother.  And Maria Theresa now happily reigns beside him as his queen.

Cast rundown:

   Beau Bridges.................................King Louis XIV/Philippe

   Ursula Andress...............................Louise de la Valliere

   Cornel Wilde..................................D'Artagnan

   Alan Hale Jr....................................Porthos

   Ian McShane..................................Fouquet

   Lloyd Bridges..................................Aramis

   Jose Ferrer.....................................Athos

   Sylvia Kristel..................................Infanta Maria Theresa

   Olivia de Havilland..........................Queen Anne

   Rex Harrison..................................Colbert

   Helmut Dantine..............................Spanish Ambassador

And that's it for The 5th Musketeer.  Originally titled, "The Man In The Iron Mask", the film was retitled as it was to capitalize on the success of the earlier '70s versions of The Three Musketeers adaptations.  It was hoped that the success of those films would be carried over to this one.  Filming locations for this movie included Schönbrunn Palace, Palais Auersperg, and the Votivkirche, all in Vienna.

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The Four Musketeers (1974)

The Four Musketeers - 1974

Coming up next we have 1974's "The Four Musketeers", the continuing story of a version of "The Three Musketeers" that had been released the previous year.  This second part in the series focuses on the war between France and England and the Musketeers part in helping to stop an evil Cardinal achieve his endgame.

The film's cast includes Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Richard Chamberlain, Raquel Welch, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, and Simon Ward.

Constance, dressmaker to the Queen of France, is kidnapped by the Count de Rochefort under Cardinal Richelieu's orders.

When D'Artagnan tries to intervene, he is rendered unconscious by the Cardinal's guards.  Milady de Winter comes to his rescue and seduces him in order to provide a distraction from Constance's kidnapping, enabling her captors to get away.

When the Queen is told of Constance's disappearance, she immediately suspects the Cardinal's hand at work.

Over drinks one night, Musketeer Athos talks to D'Artagnan about a dangerous lady he was involved with (Milady de Winter) and her eventual downfall because of her being branded a criminal.

During another meeting with Milady, D'Artagnan discovers that all Athos said about her was true when he discovers the mark of a criminal on her shoulder.

The Cardinal offers D'Artagnan a place in his army, but he is refused, as D'Artagnan prefers to remain with his Musketeer friends.

Cardinal Richelieu is overseen giving Milady de Winter a letter which authorizes the bearer of it to do whatever is best in the interest of the state.  It also bears Richelieu's signature.

Richelieu sends Milady de Winter to England, where she threatens the Duke of Buckingham with the exposure of his affair with the Queen.  Unhindered by her threats, Buckingham is murdered after Milady intervenes.

Meanwhile, D'Artagnan and the Musketeers have rescued Constance and placed in her in a convent for safekeeping.  He tells Queen Anne of her safety.  However, a lady-in-waiting hears this information and passes it to the Cardinal.

Count de Rochefort and Milady de Winter make their way to the convent where Constance is hiding, and they post guards at every entrance.  Richelieu has now turned his attentions to killing both D'Artagnan and Constance.

Disguised as a nun, Milady de Winter finds Constance and strangles her with a rosary before escaping.  However, she is caught by the Musketeers.

D'Artagnan duels with the Count de Rochefort and ultimately wins the battle.

Athos, as a nobleman entitled to make such decisions, condemns Milady de Winter to death.  They take the letter from the Cardinal from her, and she is executed.

Immediately afterwards, the Musketeers and D'Artagnan are arrested by the Cardinal's guards.  When D'Artagnan tells the Cardinal that he has a letter authorizing him to act, the Cardinal wants to know from who.  "The Queen couldn't, and the King wouldn't," he says.

Richelieu is surprised when D'Artagnan hands over the letter from Milady de Winter.  The Cardinal mutters something about having to be careful about what one puts in writing.

D'Artagnan is promoted to the rank of lieutenant within the Musketeers, and the four friends walk away as free men.

Cast rundown:

   Michael York...............................D'Artagnan

   Oliver Reed.................................Athos

   Frank Finlay................................Porthos

   Richard Chamberlain....................Aramis

   Raquel Welch..............................Constance de Bonacieux

   Christopher Lee...........................Count de Rochefort

   Geraldine Chaplin........................Queen Anne

   Jean-Pierre Cassel........................King Louis XIII

   Faye Dunaway.............................Milady de Winter

   Charlton Heston..........................Cardinal Richelieu

   Simon Ward................................Duke of Buckingham

And that's it for The Four Musketeers.  The core cast of this film and its predecessor reunited in 1989 for a third film, set 20 years after the events of these films, entitled "The Return Of The Musketeers", which was not very well received.

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