Gene Kelly's athleticism which is usually on full display in his musical films is given full reign in MGM's big budget adaption of The Three Musketeers, a tale very often told on the big screen. Personally I don't think the movies ever got it quite right, especially when none of the three best actors suited to play D'Artagnan, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. never got a crack it on the big screen.The Seventies had an all star epic filming of the Alexandre Dumas classic, but I'm betting that Richard Lester so wished he had all his players under contract to the same studio as Louis B. Mayer did. Look down the cast list, Mayer barely went outside his studio for a player.I don't think I have to relate any of the plot, one of the most familiar in the world. Gene Kelly fresh off the farm from Gascony with the usual bumptiousness associated with folks from that area of France gets himself in hot water with three Musketeers of the King's personal guard Van Heflin, Gig Young, and Robert Coote. But before fighting any duels with them all three join forces to defeat and send packing some of Cardinal Richelieu's guards. The other three like Kelly's style and he's a musketeer from then on.That particular duel is choreographed as Kelly would do in any of his numbers in his musicals. It's so good I expected a song to be coming forth almost any minute. This is where Kelly the dancer and choreographer gets to shine.The rest of the cast is of high quality with Frank Morgan as King Louis XIII, Angela Lansbury as Queen Anne of Austria, Vincent Price as the clever Richelieu, Ian Keith as Price's attack dog Rochefort, Lana Turner as Milady DeWinter who attacks in other ways for Richelieu, June Allyson who's a little too much like her Americanized girl next door as Constance for my taste, John Sutton as the English Prime Minister the Duke of Buckingham, and Keenan Wynn as the loyal if not too bright servant of D'Artagnan.Milady DeWinter is one of the most evil women in literature and Lana Turner was up to the job. Watching her it's like she channeled back her performance in The Postman Always Rings Twice for this role.I was curious however that I could find no reference in the film to Richelieu being a Cardinal. In the film he's simply referred to as Richelieu. Note there is no trace of any clerical garb on Vincent Price. My guess is that MGM didn't want to offend the Catholic Church by having a prince of said church shown as the villain. Also as the Cold War was going into deep freeze, Pius XII and his church were seen as an anti-Communist bulwark.Though I wish that one of the three stars I cited above had ever gotten to play D'Artagnan, The Three Musketeers from MGM in 1948 is not a bad version and Gene Kelly's fans will enjoy it immensely.

"The Three Musketeers" is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel of the same name. The film features sweeping scenes, bright costumes and classical themes. Gene Kelly does well in an energetic performance as D'Artagnan. The rest of the cast is solid as well, particularly Lana Turner and Vincent Price as the scheming villains.The film features a number of sword fights which are well staged, but become repetitive. The filmmakers tried to balance the action scenes with the intrigue of Dumas' novel. This was welcome, but I found the film had tedious stretches and didn't completely capture the excitement of the novel.

"The Three Musketeers" (1948) is probably the most spectacularly miscast film in cinema history. This will be either hilarious or painful; depending on a viewer's sense-of-humor perversity quotient. The idea of casting Lana Turner and June Allyson in a period costume drama was absurd on its face, but the results are actually worse than you could imagine. Turner was arguably the least talented of the big-name actors of her era. Her appeal was strictly physical and she was serviceable playing herself in "Andy Hardy" type stuff. But she simply had no ability (even with good direction) to play anyone else, let alone an exotic villainess like the Dumas' Lady De Winter. And by the late 1940's the aging process had hit her particularly hard; taking away any trace of the youthful glow that had seemed so magical early in her career. At the time of casting Turner (still clueless that she had lost the physical appeal that had made her a star and apparently unaware that her career was already headed steeply downhill) was reluctant to take a "supporting" role. Then there is Allyson; she had a clue about acting but her presence brought no magic to the screen. Her most successful roles were as contemporary tomboys, not as an inspirational love interest in a lavish costume drama. Allyson was all Bronx and that just doesn't fit the tone of the Dumas classic. As D'Artagnan, Gene Kelly at least provides a reason to watch "The Three Musketeers". He is physically suited to the role and handles the acrobatic action sequences quite well. But Kelly was more dancer than actor. As someone said, his acting is much like Bob Hope without the comedic sensibility. I found it hard to keep from thinking about his faux silent film part in "Singing In the Rain". Vincent Price's Richelieu was probably fine in 1948, but his subsequent ghoul movie and "Batman" fame works against him with today's viewers. You won't recognize him in costume, but once you hear the half-witted Planchet speak you will say: "Hey that's Keenan Wynn". Unlike Price, Wynn's wide range of subsequent character roles don't undermine his performance. "The Three Musketeers" is set in 17th century France as young D'Artagnan joins the three best swordsmen in Paris: Athos (Van Heflin), Porthos (Gig Young), and Aramis (Robert Coote). Oz's Wizard, Frank Morgan, plays King Louis XIII, another astonishing bit is miscasting but the part is too small for that to be of much significance. The King and Richelieu are at odds over going to war with England, but Richelieu has the goods on the Queen (Angela Lansbury) and hopes to force a war. There is action, romance, great production design, and an excellent underlying story. Unfortunately the humorous casting decisions make it extremely difficult to suspend disbelief and get into the film as anything more than an old movie. Turner's stuff has mock- fest potential but she is thankfully only a "supporting" character. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

The Three Musketeers is such a terrific adventure story, and one the great Hero Journey stories, that it's very hard to mess up. The Musketeers themselves are hugely appealing characters, drinking, brawling, romancing much of the time but fiercely loyal and devoting their lives to their king. This 1948 is perhaps the best version, and there are many versions. The 1993 Disney version with Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland and the 1973 version with Oliver Reed and Michael York both entertain, but this version has the spirit of fun and wonder that only golden age Hollywood can supply. The actors don't just act, the entertain. Gene Kelly shines. The action is dynamic, spectacular and outshines every other musketeer movie. The visuals are bold and colourful. The script is witty captures the slightly whimsical, boisterous approach of Dumas without the slapstick of the Lester movies.Simply, one of the most entertaining movies you will ever see.