At Sword's Point

At Sword's Point, also known as The Sons of the Three Musketeers, is a 1952 American historical action adventure film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Cornel Wilde and Maureen O'Hara. It was shot in Technicolor by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was completed in 1949, but was not released until 1952.

At Sword's Point
Directed byLewis Allen
Written byAubrey Wisberg
Jack Pollexfen
Produced byJerrold T. Brandt
StarringCornel Wilde
Maureen O'Hara
CinematographyRay Rennahan
Edited bySamuel E. Beetley
Robert Golden
Music byRoy Webb
Constantin Bakaleinikoff
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Pictures
Release date
  • February 4, 1952 (1952-02-04) (US)[1]
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Three Musketeers' offsprings of Aramis, Porthos, D'Artagnan and Claire, the daughter of Athos, are reunited by the ageing Queen Anne to halt the villainy of her treacherous nephew, the Duc de Lavalle.[2]

Plot

The sons (and a daughter) of the original Four Musketeers ride to the rescue of besieged Queen Anne in 1648 France.

D'Artagnan and his companions are alerted that the terminally ill Queen (Gladys Cooper) is being pressured by the evil Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas) into agreeing to a marriage with Princess Henriette (Nancy Gates). Too old (or dead) to respond, their sons (and one daughter) race to Court to help.

After much derring do – including episodes of imprisonment and betrayal, with a burgeoning love sub-plot between D'Artagnan Jr. and Claire, daughter of Athos (Maureen O'Hara) thrown in for good measure – they succeed.

Cast

Production

In 1947 Republic Pictures announced they had purchased a script, Sons of the Musketeers by Aubrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen.[3] Eagle Lion also announced they would make a film called Sons of the Musketeers which concerned MGM who were making a version of The Three Musketeers.[4] Eventually the project went to RKO where it was set up as a vehicle for Cornel Wilde.[5][6] Lewis Allen was announced as director on 15 November 1949.[7]

Filming started 14 December 1949.[8]

MGM had some difficulties depicting Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers so the filmmakers decided to not show Cardinal Mazarin, even though he was in the original script.[9]

Notes
  • Porthos in At Sword's Point is played by Moroni Olsen, who played that character in his younger days in the 1935 film of the original 1844 Alexander Dumas novel, The Three Musketeers while Alan Hale Jr. plays the son of Porthos. His father, Alan Hale, Sr., appeared in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) as an aging Porthos.
  • In another Three Musketeers movie, The Fifth Musketeer (1979), which retells the story of The Man in the Iron Mask, two of the young Musketeers from At Sword's Point reappear in the roles of their own fathers: Cornel Wilde stars as D'Artagnan and Alan Hale Jr. as Porthos.

References
  1. "At Sword's Point: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  2. "At Sword's Point (1952) - Lewis Allen, Paul Lynch | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  3. Schallert, Edwin (Mar 22, 1947). "French Star to Keynote Korda Bilingual Series". Los Angeles Times. p. A5.
  4. THOMAS F. BRADY HOLLYWOOD. (Feb 1, 1948). "HOLLYWOOD DEALS: Prospects Brighten for United Artists -Budget Runs Wild and Other Matters". New York Times. p. X5.
  5. "FOX WILL BORROW M'NALLY FROM U-I: Actor Will Play White Doctor Who Befriends Negro Interne in Studio's 'No Way Out'". New York Times. Oct 13, 1949. p. 33.
  6. THOMAS F. BRADY (Nov 16, 1949). "FILM WRITERS VOTE FOR CONSERVATIVES: Screen Guild Names Valentine Davies Its President -- Tally for Left Wing Is Light". New York Times. p. 39.
  7. THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. (Nov 16, 1949). "FILM WRITERS VOTE FOR CONSERVATIVES: Screen Guild Names Valentine Davies Its President -- Tally for Left Wing Is Light". New York Times. p. 39.
  8. Schallert, Edwin (Dec 5, 1949). "Zero Mostel Villain; Clayworth Role Tops; 'Wyoming Mail' Slated". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
  9. THOMAS F. BRADY (Jan 22, 1950). "HOLLYWOOD DIGEST: Selznick Plans to Shift Production to Europe--Garbo Returns--Other Matters On Again Satisfied Exit, the Cardinal Paper Reports". New York Times. p. 85.
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