The Iron Mask (1929)

The Iron Mask (1929). 1h 35m | Passed

“With his head encased in THE IRON MASK that hides his identity, the true king of France waits for the elderly Du0026#39;Artagnan u0026amp; the Three Musketeers to come to his rescue…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDouglas Fairbanks, silent cinemau0026#39;s greatest swashbuckling hero, bid farewell to the glory days of the silent screen with this joyous romp of a film. As a sequel to Fairbanksu0026#39; earlier THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1921), it more than surpasses its predecessor in lavish production values, good acting u0026amp; nonstop action.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow 46, Fairbanks seems none the worse for wear and his muscular athleticism is still called upon to win the girl, beat the foe u0026amp; thrill the audience. Fairbanks had a natural spontaneity u0026amp; authentic joie de vivre, both in his private life and in his screen persona, which audiences of the 1920u0026#39;s found absolutely irresistible. He was unique – unforgettable – utterly irreplaceable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFairbanks is supported once again by a fine cast: lovely Marguerite De La Motte as the faithful Constance; Dorothy Revier as the treacherous Milady de Winter; William Bakewell in the dual role of the two princes; Lon Poff as the sinister Father Joseph. Thatu0026#39;s the excellent character actress Vera Lewis in the tiny role of the Royal Midwife.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Three Musketeers themselves are rather more finely delineated than in the previous film. Léon Bary as Athos, Tiny Sandford as Porthos u0026amp; Gino Corrado as Aramis all give good account of themselves throughout the flurry u0026amp; turmoil of the lively plot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSpecial mention must be made of British actor Nigel de Brulier, once again playing the rapacious Cardinal Richelieu. Even though the character disappears half way into the film, de Brulier still manages to invest the Churchman with more than just villainy. He helps the viewer to glimpse the real person behind the facade and to understand some of the reasons for his tyrannical behavior.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne of the versions in which this film is available has all the title cards removed u0026amp; a rousing narrative read by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. substituted in their place.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e**************************u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe opening credits state that the filmu0026#39;s narrative was based on the story by Elton Thomas (a pseudonym for Fairbanks), which was in turn based on Alexander Dumasu0026#39; ‘The Three Musketeersu0026#39; u0026amp; ‘Twenty Years After.u0026#39; This is true, but all of the Man in the Iron Mask elements actually came from Dumasu0026#39; novel ‘Ten Years Later; or, The Vicomte de Bragelonne,u0026#39; (1848-50). Thus, the events in the latter half of THE IRON MASK take place 30 years after the events in THE THREE MUSKETEERS.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe first film is set in 1625; the second film starts in 1638. Since important plot elements are not handled in THE THREE MUSKETEERS – for instance, Miladyu0026#39;s evil behavior towards Constance – they are somewhat incongruously left dangling for 13 years until the beginning of THE IRON MASK. And some of the most fascinating elements of the later books – such as the Musketeersu0026#39; clash with Miladyu0026#39;s malevolent son u0026amp; the machinations of Richelieuu0026#39;s successor, the wily Cardinal Mazarin – are completely ignored altogether.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut this is a mere quibble and should not detract from the immense enjoyment of a very fine film. It might be helpful to note, in passing, a few historical dates which deal directly with the plot: u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLouis XIV born September 15, 1638.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCardinal Richelieu dies December 4, 1642.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLouis XIII dies May 14, 1643.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLouis XIV is crowned King in 1654, after attaining maturity.”