"The Son of Monte Cristo" is a nice swashbuckler that stars Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett and George Sanders. The story is a familiar one, involving a fictitious country in Eastern Europe. It was a curious thing for such a movie while World War II was going on in Europe. But, the screenplay and script are quite good. I agree with another review on the beautiful and rather elegant set, especially for the castle of the Grand Duchess. Hayward plays Edmund Dantes, Jr., Bennett is the Grand Duchess Zona of Lichtenburg, and Sanders is the evil – but almost likable, Gen. Gurko Lanen who would rule the kingdom. Even with the sword play and fisticuffs in this movie, there isn't a lot of gruesome killing or torture. As I watched Hayward with his energy and vigor, and his funny quips just at the right moments, it struck me that that was a common trait of most swashbuckler films. They had some level of humor. It was most often a talent of the hero. The South African-born Hayward played mostly drama, mysteries and action films during his career. He did do some comedy, and was in a few good war films – mostly about World War I. He also starred as Simon Templar in the early three films made about the detective known as "The Saint." He planed opposite leading ladies of the time and worked in films from various studios – MGM, Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, RKO and United Artists. He also made some British films. In the 1950s and 1960s, he did mostly TV work with an occasional film. Bennett also had a long, successful career in Hollywood. She didn't reach the star status of the biggest names, but she starred in many films and played opposite many of the leading men of the time. She did some comedy but her forte seemed to be drama and mysteries. She too drifted more into TV work from the mid-1950s through the 1970s, with just an occasional Hollywood movie here and there. A very attractive woman, Bennett had something of a Bob Hope nose – that turned up just a bit at the end. It was cute, but she was seldom seen from the side – I suspect for that reason. But I did notice her side shot and cute nose a couple of times in this film. The acting is very good all around. Another reviewer noted some of the young supporting cast who would go on to fame in some specific roles. Clayton Moore plays Lt. Fritz Dorner and would later become the Lone Ranger. There are a couple of silly aspects here as well. The idea of a whole outside wall of a curved turret swinging open to reveal a hidden passage is quite funny. Then in the catacombs, there were skeletons exposed and not in crypts or niches. Also, the catacombs were lower than the city sewers. Well, this film has lots of action and makes for an enjoyable time with the whole family.

Louis Hayward stars in a film that is supposed to be a sequel to the story "The Count of Monte Cristo" but it really has very little to do with the story and really could have stood pretty well on its own. My advice is not to worry about the original film—just watch this one and enjoy.The film, is set in a small mythical European country in 1855. A vicious general (George Sanders) has taken over the country and is keeping the rightful queen (Joan Bennett) from running the nation. To help him do this, he has the army behind him as well as an army of sniveling spies. When the Prime Minister and Queen try to make a break for it, he captures them and threatens to have the Prime Minister executed and force the Queen to marry him. But, the Count of Monte Cristo arrives and decides to help. Posing as a character VERY similar to the foppish persona of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Monte Cristo joins up with the underground and tries REPEATEDLY a variety of plans to stop the General.Overall, this is a very fun swashbuckling film. While a lot of it seemed very familiar, it was quite enjoyable throughout—with a nice pace and excellent characters. I liked how the Count was not above killing people (he killed at least 3or 4) and Sanders made for an excellent villain. The ending was also quite nice. The only complaints I have are that the plot was, at times, too busy. Too many twists and failed plots—I think it could have been streamlined just a bit. Also, a silly mistake are the skeletons in the crypt—some of them are obviously anatomy skeletons—with the tops of their skulls sawn in two—something you'd NEVER find in a normal crypt!

As a previous commenter has stated,George Sanders' Gurko Lanen character isn't all unsympathetic,in fact in "reality" he would've been labeled a great national figure if he had pulled his coup off. If the country had been(and it seems to be implied) founded and ruled by Germanic lords over Slavic types,Lanen coming up from a peasant artisan background already is a true man of the people. The officer class featuring a non masked Clayton Moore represents the old outland overlords are especially resentful that such a one as Lanen has gained ascendancy . Miss Snooty is being properly Victorian looking down on the upstart,but if a climatic sword duel had been written the other way,I am assured Miss Bennett would've become a good Nasty Girl ala Woman In the Window,cooing and ooing at her Lany Nany. And if Louis Hayward had actually been a banker from such a background as the original Count, his sympathies would have gone to a fellow self made man. But it didn't and Gurko Lanen fell to lie in an unmarked grave of swashbuckling cinematic badguys. But unlike many of them,his is still cared for by adherents much like many of Basil Rathbone's blood and thunderers( though I'm sure Robin Hood's foe lies in the family crypt-he was a Norman you know).

It was done on the cheap - see how the backdrops are so obvious in the first scenes where the Duchess and Cristo meet, see how the stunt 'doubles' are, well, hardly doubles - but it is very funny, very loveable, and wins you over. I will admit to a soft spot for little Louis, the very small hero of this, and Joan Bennett has that haughty beauty of so many B pic heroines. But it delivers, and that's what counts. It manages to be entertaining and move along quite well. Perhaps it could have been a bit better in quality but I'm certainly not complaining ...