THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1948) ** As D'Artagnan, Gene Kelly is very Bob Hope-like but without the comedic sensibility. He flits like an acrobatic puppy through the sword and fight scenes but there's absolutely no sense that he could be a dangerous man under any circumstances. As his love interest, June Allyson adds a feel of Americana to the Parisian palace, which I assure you doesn't help. Pivotal moments in their relationship are accompanied by Handel's "Water Music," but you could have guessed that. Vincent Price is a gallows' ghoul of a prime minister (they figured the American audiences of the day might not like seeing Dumas' religious figure/Cardinal implicated in political wrongdoing, who were they protecting?), which adds a bit of hopelessly misplaced, but devoutly affecting, historical reality to the mess. For such an ancient film there aren't many frames without a familiar face-Angela Lansbury, Patricia Medina, Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Keenan Wynn, and Gig Young all cavort in various formations throughout. The British still yell "Frenchman in the castle! Frenchman in the castle!" whenever a French person shows up at a castle, incidentally.
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