User reviews

It's 1948. Three years after WW2. The American public has not yet been drawn to the glass nipple of TV. Costume dramas do great at the box office. Larry Parks is a few years away from his blacklisting and character assassination and stars in a Scottish swash buckler with lots of swash. It's fun and entertaining. A story with clan wars, colorful kilts and lots of swordplay. Parks was no Flynn, mind you and we probably wouldn't even know him but for his Jolson roles, but this film was great entertainment. What else could you get for $.32, which was what a ticket cost for a kid in 1948. Parks was married to Betty Garrett of musical fame and the Leverne and Shirley TV comedy. It should be mentioned that she stuck by Parks all through those dark years and cared for him while he was dying of a chronic heart condition. No video, at this writing, but if it shows up on the late show, check it out.

William Snyder was the cameraman on this Scottish swashbuckler with the clever framing eye of B director Joseph H Lewis (Gun Crazy) at the helm and the use of rich Technicolor. The result offers some of the most beautiful exterior footage ever filmed, with California mountains filling in for Scotland.Several striking moments: A full busted Ellen Drew introduced in her coach, and later her saddled on a horse just before riding to meet her lover. Though the American actors put on phony accents, the visual charms in this little programmer overcome any such quibbles.

For audiences who had just seen Larry Parks rise to fame in his "Jolson" roles, this must have seemed a bit of a stretch for the actor in 1948--a swashbuckling role tailored for an action star. But to his credit, Parks gives a believable performance as the man who wants the clans to stop feuding so he can marry his sweetheart (Ellen Drew) and live a peaceful life happily ever after.

It's all filmed in gorgeous settings with lush Technicolor values and there's a stirring background score by Hugo Friedhofer with Scottish themes filling the soundtrack.

A good supporting cast of Columbia players includes Ray Collins, Marc Platt, George Macready, Edgar Buchanan and Michael Duane. Ellen Drew makes a lovely heroine in a strictly one-dimensional role.

Purely predictable escapist stuff, it's handsomely packaged, good for light entertainment and moves at a quick pace. The color photography is mighty impressive.

After the 'BIG ONE', WWII, Costume Drama's still were popular and would continued to be so for the next fifth-teen (15) years. Some were big prestige pictures like SAMSON & DELILAH (1949) Paramount or IVANHOE (1952) M.G.M. Others were diminutives like THE SWORDSMAN (1948) Columbia, but they were not the only studios to produce these epics, both major and minor, even those including Serials and T.V.

THE SWORDSMAN had Columbia's fair-haired boy of the day Larry Parks as Alexander MacArden. His main goal is to bring peace between the feuding Clans of the GLOWAN's -vs- MacArden's. High-Lands -vs- Low-Lands, just like Cattlemen -vs- Farmers in the OLD WEST. The film features a strong supporting cast including George MaCready/Robert Glowan, head nasty and general all around skunk. As well as the attractive Ellen Drew/Barbara Glowan. A-lot of double dealing and nefarious goings on before PEACE and TRUE LOVE completes there course.

Filmed in brilliant Three (3) Strip Techni-Color, the film runs a brisk 81". It will not task any 21st Century viewer (one time) and it is appropriate for Family viewing. Larry Parks though is not up to Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, let alone Douglas Fairbanks (Sr. & Jr.), etc. Columbia, after Larry Parks' fall through his political associations moved on to John Derek and ex W.B. heart-throb Paul Henried. Showing that if you could just keep your mouth shut and fill a pair of tights you could still have enjoyable employment.

Joseph H lewis was mostly known for his masterpiece GUN CRAZY and several westerns, plus SO DARK THE NIGHT, another gem. This swashbuckler is often forgotten but is far better, if not one of the best from Columbia Pictures, which was a specialist for this kind of films, with nearly - if not always - every time George Mc Ready as the unavoidable villain. The future black listed Larry Parks gives here one of his best performances; he was very good in this kind of stuff. Yes, Joseph H Lewis, for whom it is not the speciality, it is a success in terms of quality. Adventure, romance, action, splendid settings and photography.

In many ways, "The Swordsman" is like "Romeo & Juliet" set in Scotland. Two clans, the McArdens and the Glowans hate each other and have done so for generations. However, when Alexander McArden (Larry Parks) meets the lovely Barbara Glowan (Ellen Drew), he rethinks all these years of hatred and tries to get the clans to put aside their differences. However, he doesn't realize that the hate is so deep, one member of the Glowans murders his own brother in order to pin it on the McArdens and keep the feud alive! Is there any hope for peace as well as the young couple?

While this film was filmed in California, it loks very nice and is in vivid color. Mammoth Lakes, in particular, looks very nice. As for the story, it's decent but I couldn't help but marvel at some of the accents...or lack of Scottish accents. I'm sure real Scots saw this thing and thought as much...or more. But for a Hollywood creation of Scotland, it's not bad and is appropriate considering the emnity which used to actually exist between some of the clans.

Revisiting this swashbuckler Columbia picture from far off 1948 bringing good memories of this forgotten genre, despite the leading character Larry Parks hasn't any dexterity with blade as well as his main opponent the stereotyped villain George Macready, so it brought many damages for the movie reputation, the plot is rather commonplace in 18th century at Scottland two opposite clans the Glowan & MacArden in a long feuding, a sort of Romeo & Juliet affair, in other hand Ellen Drew fulfills the required attribute to play the leading lady somewhat makes up for a change.

To enhance the preposition the screenwriter Wilfrid H. Pettitt inserts some colorful characters on humor oriented as the priceless wary Angus (Edgar Buchanan) and the boozer old Andrew (Billy Bevan) living in lonesome shack on the woods to appease the menacing atmosphere between opposing clans, the producers pick up on California a similar valley to portrait the old Scottish to built up a front of old fortress from Middle Ages for emulate a perfect scenario.

As said above the weak point were those fake sword fighting, some using stunts fighter along the movie, it undermines deeply the offering, the final showdown is another far-fetched outcome, too much brainless and unreasonable break up a prearranged peace settled in few days ago, anyway the movies survives, I've find a restored colorful print available at all-weather friend Youtube, worthwhile a look for nostalgic reasons!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1995 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.25.

This equals the best of all those Errol Flynn and de Havilland romantic films of spectacularly romantic settings, and although the actors are none of the dominating Hollywood film stars, they do well enough, and James Macready as the villain never played more dirty. The main asset of the film is not the plot or the actors but the overwhelmingly marvellous outdoor scenery mainly with horses racing through one of the most beautiful landscapes ever displayed on film. Larry Parks is dashing enough, and Ellen Drew actually cuts a lovelier figure than de Havilland, while Ray Collins as an old fighter and Edgar Buchanan as an old die-hard also grace the film. Hugo Friedhofer's music finishes the touch of a magnificent entertainment all the way through, a feast for the eyes and a delight for the romantic mind.