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Fri 1 Nov, 2002 02:05 pm
This thought was inspired by Lightwizard's thread on the best musicals. Gene Kelly appeared in a couple of non-singing, non-dancing films. Does anyone remember the hilariously dreadful version of The Three Musketeers in which Kelly was d'Artagnan and, I believe, Van Heflin played Porthos. Or maybe Athos. I know it wasn't Aramis. Lana Turner was Milady!!! And -- are you ready for this? -- June Allison played d'Artagnan's unfortunate love interest, the gal who gets killed by her jealous husband and whose name I can't even remember now. This being the 1940s and the Hayes Offices being what it was back then, they had to change the script from Dumas. novel, so that the June Allison character becomes the niece, not the wife, of the jealous man. But he kills her anyway. What almost saves the movie is the swordplay. As a consummate dances, Kelly could have the dueling sequences choreographed so that they come out more like a ballet than a serious duel.
Anydoy else remember anything about this or any other Gene Kelly non-musical films?
Jespah, my sincere apologies. I just realized that the "best musicals" thread is yours, not Lightwizard's. I'm so used to thinking of all film threads as being Lightwizard's.
No sweat. I missed the - heh - real-live version of "The Dancing Cavalier".
The two roles I remember him in are the newspaper man in "Interit the Wind" which was criticized as a miscasting and D'Artagnan in "The Three Musketeers" which in inject a lot of comedy and much of his dance-like acrobatics. He did have to act in "An American in Paris" and brought off the starving/romantic artist as deftly as he could. Otherwise, I don't think acting is never going to overshadow his balletic tap dancing. Fred Astaire was good as a comedic/romantic lead but without the dancing, you'd have trouble noticing him.
If I recall correctly, he also played a rather sleazy Congressman or Senator in a TV mini-series about the Civil War era. Anyone remember what that was?
The Three Musketeers
MA, would you believe, I was in high school then the Kelly version of the Musketeers came out, and we were taken to see the movie in school time because of its historical value. I was impressed with the sword play, and I fell in love with June Allison.
I've shown this movie to my grandsons, and they get a great laugh out of the sword fight where Kelly cuts his opponent's belt and his pants fall down.
This brings to mind Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester" where he fought Basil Rathbone. Much of that fight was seen with Rathbone's back to the camera because a double was used. Rathbone could not match Kaye's energetic performance. It was a wonderful duel complete with witches spells.
There was a period of about a year when I'd invite the grandsons over, and I'd say, "Should I get a movie?" And they'd say, "Rent The Court Jester."
Hazlitt, the flagon with the dragon has the brew that is true. But the chilce from the palace has the pellet with the poison. A classic film, "The Court Jester,"
But, speaking of swordplay, I think the most intricate and well-staged dueling scene ever was in "Scaramouche" between Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrar. It must last at least 10 minutes.
He also had a part in "Marjorie Morningstar" and the TV miniseries "North and South," not very memorable parts. IMDB has his filmography and it's really a mixed bag -- he really didn't make as many films as one thinks.
"North and South" is what I was thinking of, Lightwizard. Thanx.
I agree that his acting credits are not especially impressive. The reason this whole thing came to mind was because I started to think about "The Three Musketeers." Who played Richelieu in that? Wasn't it Vincent Price? (Too lazy to go to IMDB.) (Besides, asking a question, leaves the conversation open
)
Merry Andrew: I saw The Three Musketeers recently on TV and yes, it was hilariously dreadful, and a great disappointment to me because I had seen it in 1948. (I was just learning to walk :wink: ) and I had been so impressed. It was, I believe, Lana Turner's first technicolor film, and, MGM took full advantage of her beauty with overwhelmng closeups. It was not Gene Kelly who impressed me then, but Van Heflin as Athos. (And, yes, you are correct, Vincent Price played Richelieu.) It's hard to believe now, but at that time, the film was a huge commercial success and was re-released 8 years later.
In 1950 Gene Kelly played an Italian Immigrant in the Black Hand, a tale of the Mafia.
And speaking of sword fights, don't forget Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood, or Ronald Colman and Doug Fairbanks, Jr. in The Prisoner of Zenda. But, that was a long time ago. (sigh)
Hiya, Raggedy.
Welcome!
The swordfight in the "Prisoner of Zenda" remake between James Mason and Stewart Granger was also pretty fantastic, just a hair less impressive than "Scaramouche."
WOW. Thank you for such a warm welcome, Merry Andrew. It's good to be here. I see the Grey Fox next to your name. He looks like the Grey Fox - that Farnsworth guy? Handsome choice.
I agree that Scaramouche was the better of the two mentioned films. I liked Mel Ferrer in that one.
At least Gene Kelly in "Inherit the wind" delivered the best line in the film. A fictional account of the famous Scopes trial with William Jennings Bryan vs. Clarence Darrow. The Bryan character played Fredric March is greeted jubilantly by many of the township. Darrow played by Spencer Tracy is greeted only by the reporter played by Gene Kelly. His grreting was the sardonic "Welcome to the buckle on the bible belt."
He did have some good lines in "Inherit the Wind," that one inparticular, but somehow Kelly's persona seemed out-of-place in the movie even though he did a respectably good job of acting the part. He was, incidentally, portraying the play and film's alter-ego (!) of H. L. Mencken.
Welcome to A2K and the film forum, bosbsmythhawk!
The best commentary on sword play in movies was in the Princes Bride. The villain is challenged and runs away.
Yeah, I had forgotten about Inherit the Wind. Just watched parts of it this week, too. Great film. (That old spiritual "Give me that Old-time Religion" has bever sounded the same to me since seeing the movie the first time.)
The Jack Lemon, George C. Scott TV remake just didn't come off as a potent drama. I think the critics just couldn't believe Kelly as a Mencken-like journalist even if the dialogue was written with a good dose of cynicism. It could be he looked more like he was giving everyone a song and dance...
I think that only somebody like, say, W.C. Fields could ever have played Mencken believably. Kelly was never much of a curmudgeon.
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