Scaramouche | | Cast : | Stewart Granger, Janet Leigh | | Director : | George Sidney (II) | | Studio : | Warner Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | June 27, 1952 | | DVD Released Date : | July 01, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 21, 2005 | | Summary | Towering film! | Content
 | Stewart Granger makes an unforgettable role in this lovely picture, plenty of a splendid fine cast. Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer and Richard Anderson were outstanding in this ravishing movie.photograph, an enjoyable and dynamic script, an impressive design costume and a very impressive cast completes the whole cycle.
The final sword duel in the theater is unique in the cinema story.
A beautiful homage to Beaumarchais and Moliere.
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| Rating | | | Date | September 15, 2004 | | Summary | The best swordfight in all movies! | Content
| Okay, so this is far more than just that swordfight... it's a knockout in technicolor cinematography... and it's beautifully restored. The actors are all terrific, the story is great adventure, and ... well... it's just dear to so many of us that remember it when it came out so long ago that it's just great to see it looking so fresh... and it's complete entertainment from start to finish. I wish movies were made like this today. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 25, 2004 | | Summary | En Garde! They Don't Make 'em Like THIS Anymore! | Content
| WHAT A GLORIOUS MOVIE! I've loved it since I was a kid, and somewhere between 20-30 viewings haven't dimmed its lustre for me, especially in the sparkling DVD presentation - I never fail to have my spirits lifted by the end of this grand adventure. Eleanor Parker and Janet Leigh never looked lovelier than in Charles Rosher's glorious Technicolor photography, and Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer make a fine sparring duo. This is one of Granger's best performances - he makes Andre Moreau eminently likeable, while Ferrer is properly smarmy as his noble nemesis. And boy, do sparks fly between Granger and Parker in their romantic scenes! Parker is wonderful throughout - this is some of her best screen work. Supporting performances by Robert Coote, Henry Wilcoxen and Lewis Stone are also excellent (Stone appeared in Rex Ingram's spectacular 1923 version, playing what was essentially the Ferrer role).
The film's climactic 7-minute sword fight is justly famous and spectacularly staged and photogaphed, but there is much else to enjoy - the Commedia dell'arte sketches are amusingly played, and throughout the film is one of Victor Young's most gorgeously melodious scores, with beautiful themes for the main characters and an incredibly beautiful 'revelation' theme which precedes and ends the famous sword-fight (which itself has no musical underscoring at all). That his magnificent SCARAMOUCHE score didn't even receive an Oscar NOMINATION is a gross oversight!
There's hardly a French accent in sight, and the story has been considerably simplified from the original Sabatini novel and Ingram's film, though the basic plot-line and character motivations remain the same - in fact, the French Revolution sub-plot has been dropped almost entirely, though the film's trailer and production shots in circulation hint that it was originally given more screen-time.
The DVD extra's (2 trailers, an interview with Ferrer) are good, but I really wanted more - perhaps interviews with the 2 leading ladies as well - but believe me, I'm not complaining - this film took forever to get to VHS video and, given the studios resistance to spending much $$$ to get older films in shape for DVD, we're lucky they've honored us with this one already!
This one's a DON'T-MISS!!!!! |
| Rating | | | Date | February 29, 2004 | | Summary | It is not France. | Content
| Film is a`great story but filmed in San Francisco. The out door shots are done in Golden Gate Park. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 22, 2004 | | Summary | Forget the swordplay--LOOK at it! | Content
| Scaramouche has possibly the most beautiful Technicolor cinematography of any MGM film. It's just gorgeous! The film, of course, is a delight in the great Errol Flynn tradition, but with Janet Leigh and Eleanor Parker, it's primarily a feast for the eyes. Incidentally, this is the only film I know of that gives an accurate representation of commedia dell'arte, and the theatrical scenes are a delight. |
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