The Iron Mask (1929)

Thanks for the memories!

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

THE IRON MASK is a well-mounted version of the popular Alexandre Dumas story, featuring some brief narration from Douglas Fairbanks, no less. It's one of the last silent films made back in 1929 before the new wave of talkies hit cinema screens, and it's directed by the experienced Allan Dwan. With a brief running time the film flies through the thick novel's plot at speed, inserting life and vitality into the story so that it never flags despite its age and dated feel.

For his farewell to the silent screen Douglas Fairbanks chose to continue with the further adventures of The Three Musketeers in The Iron Mask just as Alexandre Dumas did in his novel. It was certainly a worthy farewell.Douglas Fairbanks probably could have continued his career in talkies and he did make a few films in that medium. But silent films were perfect for his boisterous personality. Neither he or Mary Pickford every really learned to dial it down a bit for sound. I like to think of this rather than The Private Life Of Don Juan as his real farewell picture.Actually a bit of The Three Musketeers plot is brought in to set the stage for the twin sons of Louis XIII who threatened a dynastic crisis for the Bourbons in France. Rocheford the villain who dies in The Three Musketeers lives here in the person of Ulrich Haupt who takes over the raising of the second born twin in obscurity in the Pyrenees over the Spanish border. Rocheford works on the kid, but being abandoned by his parents will work on you psychologically no matter what the circumstances.When the time is right Haupt strikes and substitutes one twin for the other, both played by William Bakewell. It's bad karma to kill royalty outright so Haupt devises this iron mask to imprison the real Louis XIV so no one knows who he is and thinks him a mad man. Of course the plot is foiled and Fairbanks repeating the role of D'Artagnan does the foiling together with his musketeer companions of days gone by as they ride one last time for the honor of France.The version I saw eschewed subtitles and had a narration supplied by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. who did the dialog with proper élan and reverence for his father. It makes for marvelous viewing and hearing.The Iron Mask has to be considered one of Douglas Fairbanks best films and holds remarkably well for today's audience.

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.**************************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.

Emotional end to the silent era. ERA