User reviews

A low-budget but worthy companion to "The Three Musketeers", "The Gallant Blade" moves at a brisk pace and has enough plot and derring-do to hold interest throughout. The performances are uniformly good and it is quite a surprise to see George MacReady, who usually plays the dastardly villain, in a venerable and heroic role. But Victor Jory is on hand to supply all the dastardliness and treachery one could want. Marguerite Chapman is the spirited female agent in the toils of Jory, who honestly believes she is serving the cause of France until she's informed of the true designs of Jory. Though I have only seen this film in black and white, I suspect it would be even more effective if viewed in the original color. It's a good-natured period adventure, the kind that is seldom made anymore. Most viewers who enjoy swashbucklers will be pleased with this film, as well as with "The Swordsman" an equally satisfying film in the same genre made the same year and with several of the same cast members.

And that's not so better than if it was produced by the "infamous" Katzman. OK, watch it just as as poor man's THREE MUSKETEERS. Columbia pictures will provide many of this kind, not only Universal Studios. THE SWORDMAN, from director Joseph H Lewis and also starring Larry Parks, is also more or less as this one. Don't forget too, from Columbia Pictures: THE FIGHTING GUARDSMAN, RETURN OF MONTE CRISTO. And William Castle will also make many of adventure, costume adventures, but not a Musketeer's like film though. Any period of "history" but not this one, as far as I remember. This is a shame not watch it in the genuine Cinecolor, but Cinecolor movies is hard to find else than black and white. Agreeable cloak and dagger - swashbuckler costume action flick. Nothing else. And notice that finding a swashbuckler film from Columbia Pictures without George Mc Ready in the late forties, is like finding a western without a horse or a gun.