The Iron Mask

This was a silent film. However, a running narration was added. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. did the voice-over. His father played D'Artagnan in the film. According to 'Movie and Video Guide 1994' by Leonard Maltin, the version with the narration was a 1940 reissue. Maltin also says that the film had some talkie sequences. So far only the opening scene had actors speaking on camera.

I am currently watching it (17 June 2012) on Rock Valley College's public access channel. I have seen three different versions of this story. Each has its own variations of the storyline. I like this one, maybe because I am partial to silent films. The story depends on action more than inane chatter.

This is an entertaining version of the legend, familiar from the Dumas novels and numerous movies, of the Musketeers and "The Iron Mask". D'Artagnan is a very good role for Douglas Fairbanks, and as always he makes his character human, likable, and energetic. The story-telling is straightforward, but it has plenty of action and moves at a good pace. The version that has the added narration by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. also works well. The narrative is well-written and lively, and nicely complements the action on-screen.

The old-fashioned style of filming works pretty well for this kind of story, Fairbanks is in his element, and he gets good support from the rest of the cast as well. This is a fun feature for anyone who likes silent films.

In Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's extraordinary 1980 documentary about the silent era "Hollywood" the final sequence of "The Iron Mask" is described as Fairbanks' farewell to the silent film. And it is.

Generally this is an inferior film to the amazing 1921 "Three Musketeers". Allan Dwan is not the visual stylist that Fred Niblo is, and so "The Iron Mask" becomes much more of a straightforward action film. But as such it is splendid. I think we tend to forget what a good actor Fairbanks was. His emotional journey here is quite powerful as he faces the death of his lady and of his friends - and he ages convincingly as well.

Most of the cast is different to the "Three Musketeers" but Margueritte de la Motte returns as Constance and the unforgettable Nigel de Brulier again plays Richilieu with extreme venom.

Fairbanks has an athletic field day as well. There seem to be a number of versions of this film around. The one I saw ran 95 minutes and had tinted sequences. I've seen some advertised as having talking sequences, and others with narration by Douglas Fairbanks Jr - the one i saw had neither of these.

It was probably the last large scale silent feature made in Hollywood. And that is what gives those gorgeous last minutes such power. The silent era was truly the golden years of Hollywood and Fairbanks was its king - in this film he sadly abdicates.

With his head encased in THE IRON MASK that hides his identity, the true king of France waits for the elderly D'Artagnan & the Three Musketeers to come to his rescue...

Douglas Fairbanks, silent cinema's greatest swashbuckling hero, bid farewell to the glory days of the silent screen with this joyous romp of a film. As a sequel to Fairbanks' earlier THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1921), it more than surpasses its predecessor in lavish production values, good acting & nonstop action.

Now 46, Fairbanks seems none the worse for wear and his muscular athleticism is still called upon to win the girl, beat the foe & thrill the audience. Fairbanks had a natural spontaneity & authentic joie de vivre, both in his private life and in his screen persona, which audiences of the 1920's found absolutely irresistible. He was unique - unforgettable - utterly irreplaceable.

Fairbanks is supported once again by a fine cast: lovely Marguerite De La Motte as the faithful Constance; Dorothy Revier as the treacherous Milady de Winter; William Bakewell in the dual role of the two princes; Lon Poff as the sinister Father Joseph. That's the excellent character actress Vera Lewis in the tiny role of the Royal Midwife.

The Three Musketeers themselves are rather more finely delineated than in the previous film. Léon Bary as Athos, Tiny Sandford as Porthos & Gino Corrado as Aramis all give good account of themselves throughout the flurry & turmoil of the lively plot.

Special mention must be made of British actor Nigel de Brulier, once again playing the rapacious Cardinal Richelieu. Even though the character disappears half way into the film, de Brulier still manages to invest the Churchman with more than just villainy. He helps the viewer to glimpse the real person behind the facade and to understand some of the reasons for his tyrannical behavior.

One of the versions in which this film is available has all the title cards removed & a rousing narrative read by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. substituted in their place.

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The opening credits state that the film's narrative was based on the story by Elton Thomas (a pseudonym for Fairbanks), which was in turn based on Alexander Dumas' ‘The Three Musketeers' & ‘Twenty Years After.' This is true, but all of the Man in the Iron Mask elements actually came from Dumas' novel ‘Ten Years Later; or, The Vicomte de Bragelonne,' (1848-50). Thus, the events in the latter half of THE IRON MASK take place 30 years after the events in THE THREE MUSKETEERS.

The first film is set in 1625; the second film starts in 1638. Since important plot elements are not handled in THE THREE MUSKETEERS - for instance, Milady's evil behavior towards Constance - they are somewhat incongruously left dangling for 13 years until the beginning of THE IRON MASK. And some of the most fascinating elements of the later books - such as the Musketeers' clash with Milady's malevolent son & the machinations of Richelieu's successor, the wily Cardinal Mazarin - are completely ignored altogether.

But this is a mere quibble and should not detract from the immense enjoyment of a very fine film. It might be helpful to note, in passing, a few historical dates which deal directly with the plot:

Louis XIV born September 15, 1638.

Cardinal Richelieu dies December 4, 1642.

Louis XIII dies May 14, 1643.

Louis XIV is crowned King in 1654, after attaining maturity.

One of the best versions of The Man in the Iron Mask and one of Douglas Fairbanks' best films too. Details-wise, The Iron Mask might deviate from the book but the spirit of the story still remains, and in a much better way than most of the versions that followed it. It does feel rushed at times, and William Bakewell does do much better as the good twin than the evil twin, as the good twin he is sincere but as the evil twin he does over-egg the pudding too much. The sets and costumes are beautiful with the attention to detail authentic, while the photography is equally effective like the shadowy effects in the prison scenes that are most atmospheric. Carl Davis' score fits the action very well and sounds sweeping in an appropriate way. The film is written in a snappy way, the story is as fun, energetic, exciting and tense as the story of The Man in the Iron Mask is, the ending is genuinely moving(and not just mildly, this is emotional stuff) and the action is rousing and leaves you at the edge of your seat biting your nails and cheering for the heroes. Douglas Fairbanks is an as ever lively presence, with stunts and athletic moves that are the envy of anybody regardless of their age, but brings also pathos to his performance as well. In support, everybody is very good but Nigel De Brulier is broadly venomous, Margarite De LaMotte will leave you really identifying with Constance and rooting for her and Ulrich Haupt is a sinister Rochefort but with somewhat a charm of his own. All in all, well worth looking out for, Fairbanks' touted farewell to silent swash-bucklers is an excellent film. 9/10 Bethany Cox