The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 film)

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The Man in the Iron Mask

Directed by	James Whale
Produced by	Edward Small
Written by	George Bruce
Starring	Louis Hayward Joan Bennett Warren William Joseph Schildkraut
Music by	Lucien Moraweck
Cinematography	Robert H. Planck
Editing by	Grant Whytock
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	July 13, 1939
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1939 film adaption of the last section of the novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask. It is notable for containing the first screen appearance of Peter Cushing,^[1] and for being the source of several subsequent remakes. It was directed by James Whale and stars Louis Hayward as royal twins, Joan Bennett as Princess Maria Theresa, Warren William as D'Artagnan, and Joseph Schildkraut as Fouquet.

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Influence
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Plot

The 1939 adaption alters the plot significantly by making Fouquet a thoroughly evil, scheming mastermind. He, D'Artagnan and the musketeers are the only ones who know of the existence of a twin brother, and Fouquet uses his influence to keep everyone silent. The main story was changed by portraying Louis XIV as selfish, cruel, and incompetent, and Philippe the kind-hearted brother who is raised by D'Artagnan and the musketeers and does not even know that he has an identical twin.

When the truth is discovered, Louis XIV has Philippe imprisoned with an iron mask placed on his head, hoping that Philippe's beard will grow inside the mask and eventually strangle him. Philippe is rescued by the musketeers, who break into the sleeping Louis's chamber and imprison him in the mask. The guards drag off Louis and lock him in the tower, mistaking him for the escaped Philippe.

When Louis manages to get a message to Fouquet, he is freed, and a chase by coach ensues to stop Philippe from marrying Princess Maria Theresa, (to cement an alliance with Spain) and taking Louis' place on the throne. The coach is waylaid by the musketeers, who all die heroically, but Fouquet and the real Louis XIV are also killed when the driverless coach plunges off a cliff. The mortally wounded D'Artagnan survives long enough to exclaim "Long live the King!" at Philippe's wedding, and then falls dead in the throne room. Philippe finally assumes the throne.

[edit] Cast

Louis Hayward as King Louis XIV / Philippe of Gascony
Joan Bennett as Princess Maria Theresa
Warren William as D'Artagnan
Joseph Schildkraut as Fouquet
Alan Hale as Porthos
Miles Mander as Aramis
Bert Roach as Athos
Walter Kingsford as Colbert
Marion Martin as Mademoiselle de la Valliere (as Marian Martin)
Montagu Love as the Spanish ambassador
Albert Dekker as King Louis XIII

[edit] Influence

Most subsequent film versions, including the 1977 film and the 1979 version, have followed the basic outline of the 1939 film, not of the original novel or the 1929 film.