French history has often been altered for Hollywood films, and here, it is the tale of the attempted take-over of the throne by an evil cardinal and his hold on the aging Queen who is acting as a regent for her young son, Louis. The cardinal demands to marry the Princess in order to gain power, and that is where the musketeers come in, this time joined by the sword fighting Maureen O'Hara. She has the stamina of all the musketeers together, giving a feminist aspect to the predictable tale. Leading musketeer Cornel Wilde gets the pleasure of both sparring and romancing her, making this also a variation of Taming of the Shrew where the finale has O'Hara in triumph.
Robert Douglas is an appropriate villain with Gladys Cooper a noble yet regal ailing Queen. Wasted in a generic role is European stage legend Blanche Yurka as a tavern owner without the secret menacing of "A Tale of Two City's" wine shop owner Madame DeFarge. A sly wit dominates the screenplay, and the Technicolor photography is stunning, particularly for O'Hara. But, as her oft-costar John Wayne once said about someone else, she'd look good in a burlap bag.
Robert Douglas is an appropriate villain with Gladys Cooper a noble yet regal ailing Queen. Wasted in a generic role is European stage legend Blanche Yurka as a tavern owner without the secret menacing of "A Tale of Two City's" wine shop owner Madame DeFarge. A sly wit dominates the screenplay, and the Technicolor photography is stunning, particularly for O'Hara. But, as her oft-costar John Wayne once said about someone else, she'd look good in a burlap bag.