Have You Seen?

Scaramouche (1952) - dir. George Sidney

I think my dad recorded this one onto VHS when I was a kid because I remember thinking Stewart Granger was the coolest guy around since about sixth grade. Based on the novel by Rafael Sabatini, Scaramouche takes place during the French revolution. Andre Moreau (Granger) is the bastard son of a nobleman, unaware of his parentage. His best friend writes an incendiary manifesto criticizing the royal class and receives the business end of a fencing foil belonging to the Marquis de Maynes (Mel Ferrer), the greatest swordsman in all of France, who is in love with his cousin the Queen, who has ordered him to marry the ingenue Aline (Janet Leigh), who is falling mutually in love with Moreau, who may secretly be her brother.  Right?  Moreau swears revenge on the Marquis, but has his work cut out for him since he knows nothing of the sword. He takes up with his on again/off again girlfriend Lenore (Elenore Parker) and her troupe of traveling performers playing the masked Scaramouche. In secret he uses his revolutionist contacts to learn fencing from the Marquis' master instructor. You know how this must end, with probably the greatest sword fight ever caught on film. And, of course, some shocking twists!

Scaramouche kills it. Granger has some of the best written dialogue and timing you're likely to see (think of a more dashing, more poetic Bruce Campbell). Both he and Ferrar give amazing technical performances when it comes to the swordplay, doing their own stunts none the less, and with sharp swords. Ferrar moves like a dancer (he was). There's humor, history, horse chases, love triangles. The costumes are incredible and the music outstanding. Pops knew what he was doing when he dubbed this one on to the old yellow and black Kodak VHS stock. I'm glad he did. I suggest you check it out. But hurry, the dvd is out of print and although I was still able to pick one up through Amazon, there's not that many left. ~ss.