The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 film)

Infobox Film
name = The Man in the Iron Mask


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director = James Whale
producer = Edward Small
writer = George Bruce
narrator =
starring = Louis Hayward
Joan Bennett
Warren William
Joseph Schildkraut
music = Lucien Moraweck
cinematography = Robert H. Planck
editing = Grant Whytock
distributor = United Artists
released = July 13 1939
runtime =
country = USA
language = English
budget =
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website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0031619

"The Man in the Iron Mask" is a 1939 film,very loosely adapted from the last section of the novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne" by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask. It is notable for containing the first screen appearance of Peter Cushing, [ [http://www.tvguide.com/movies/man-iron-mask/review/105504 TV.com review] ] and for being the source of several subsequent remakes. It was directed by James Whale and stars Louis Hayward as royal twins, Joan Bennett as Princess Maria Theresa, Warren William as D'Artagnan, and Joseph Schildkraut as Nicolas Fouquet.

Plot

The 1939 adaptation alters history significantly by making Fouquet a thoroughly evil, scheming mastermind. He, D'Artagnan and the musketeers are the only ones who know of the existence of a twin brother, and Fouquet uses his influence to keep everyone silent. The main story was changed by portraying Louis XIV as selfish, cruel, and incompetent, and Philippe the kind-hearted brother who is raised by D'Artagnan and the musketeers and does not even know that he has an identical twin.

When the truth is discovered, Louis XIV has Philippe imprisoned with an iron mask placed on his head, hoping that Philippe's beard will grow inside the mask and eventually strangle him. Philippe is rescued by the musketeers, who break into the sleeping Louis's chamber and imprison him in the mask. The guards drag off Louis and lock him in the tower, mistaking him for the escaped Philippe.

When Louis manages to get a message to Fouquet, he is freed, and a chase by coach ensues to stop Philippe from marrying Princess Maria Theresa, (to cement an alliance with Spain) and taking Louis' place on the throne. The coach is waylaid by the musketeers, who all die heroically, but Fouquet and the real Louis XIV are also killed when the driverless coach plunges off a cliff. The mortally wounded D'Artagnan survives long enough to exclaim "Long live the King!" at Philippe's wedding, and then falls dead in the throne room. Philippe finally assumes the throne.

Cast

*Louis Hayward as King Louis XIV / Philippe of Gascony
*Joan Bennett as Princess Maria Theresa
*Warren William as D'Artagnan
*Joseph Schildkraut as Fouquet
*Alan Hale as Porthos
*Miles Mander as Aramis
*Bert Roach as Athos
*Walter Kingsford as Colbert
*Marion Martin as Mademoiselle de la Valliere (as Marian Martin)
*Montagu Love as the Spanish ambassador
*Albert Dekker as King Louis XIII

Influence

Most subsequent film versions, including the 1977 version and the 1998 one, have followed the basic outline of the 1939 film, not of the original novel or the 1929 film.

External links

*imdb title|id=0031619|title=The Man in the Iron Mask

References