Customer Reviews

The Son of Monte Cristo

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Menaced by more powerful nations, the country of Lichtenburg - tiny but proud - is known as the Jewel of the Balkans. Steeped in the ancient tradition of romance and chivalry, her people hold unswerving loyalty to the throne - on which now sits the young Grand Duchess Zona, who rules under the sinister shadow of one man - General Gurko Lanen."

And with this opening crawl, we're off on one of Hollywood's better swashbucklers. Gurko Lanen (George Sanders) is a cruel, smart tyrant. He's the son of a stone mason, determined to win legitimacy for his rule by marrying the lovely Zona (Joan Bennett). A nascent group of freedom fighters, sworn to overthrow Lanen and free Zona, is on the verge of being crushed. Zona is fleeing to France with a secret message imploring the French to come to her aid. Her loyal premier has been accused of treason by Lanen and imprisoned. Then just as Zona's racing carriage is forced to stop with a troop of Lanen's cavalry in pursuit, to her aid comes a handsome stranger (Louis Hayward), apparently out hunting. She's not to worry, he tells her, because his father was the best swordsman in France. Only later, when he secretly determines to help her by playing the fop with Lanen, does she realize that he is the son of the Count of Monte Cristo. The movie reaches a climax when Monte Cristo, who has also become the leader of the rebels as The Torch, unleashes a plot upon Lanen that will destroy him, free Zona and bring happiness once again to Lichtenburg.

The Son of Monte Cristo, as a rip-roaring adventure, is a darn good movie, but it was cursed with having "public domain" painted across its forehead. It has great sets filled with dank dungeons, weeping stone walls, hidden passages, a crypt full of moldering skeletons, sumptuous halls of state, and massive oak doors with iron hinges. It also has some clever dialogue. "General von Lanen," Zona orders, "I command you to set Baron von Neuhof free at once!" "Ordinarily, your wish would be my command," Lanen replies with a smirk, "but von Neuhof must die. I understand your grief. You're thinking of his services to you. But I must consider his danger to me." "I consider that you're having him murdered," Zona says. Lanen smiles at her. "When the same thing happened to Caesar and Louis XVI," he says, "they called it patriotism."

George Sanders nearly walks off with the movie. He looks the part, big shouldered, standing erect and with a buzz cut. Gurko Lanen is no fool, he doesn't believe in luck, and he doesn't take unnecessary chances. And in a nice touch, as much as he intends to force Zona to marry him, it appears he really loves her. Joan Bennett is gorgeous. As an actress she always seemed more intelligent than many. Here. she's more than the standard maiden in distress. Louis Hayward plays Edmund Dantes, the rich son of Monte Cristo, with great panache. He can use a sword with ease, leap over walls and down from balconies. He's a hero with a sense of humor. "I'm worn out climbing in and out of windows and up and down chimneys," he says. "It'll be such a relief to go through an ordinary door again." He makes an engaging fop and a believable action figure.

Incidentally, the director, Rowland V. Lee, also directed 1934's The Count of Monte Cristo with Robert Donant. It's a genuine classic and deserves to be on DVD in a sumptuous transfer.

The DVD I have is from Alpha Video. The picture is clear enough, but faded. Scratches and specks are visible but not too distracting. There are no extras and only four chapter stops.

This brings back many wonderful memories of Saturday nights at the pictures. (movies to our American friends) Louis Hayward swashbuckles his way through a ruritanian tale of treachery and betrayal whilst George Sanders presents a truly menacing adversary. In black and white and no doubt tame by the present day offerings of violence and bad language, nevertheless people of my generation would enjoy this.

I bought this film because I missed the good old days when I was athletic and young. I fenced as a kid and was always happily surprised when a new SwashBuckler (SB) came out. In this typical "B" film the old Louis Hayward sword and cloak genre, of many Monte Cristo and other SB's, Monte Cristo saves a nation from evil in the usual manner, by the clanging of sharp steel and innocent and childlike planning, which strategies would not win a checkers game, let alone a game of life and death chess. But in the end, the fun of watching a film from one's days of innocence, trumps it's lack of intellectual stimulation. If you are in a nostalgic mood, or buying for a boy under age 10, you can't go wrong here, despite the black and white film. I give it 3.5 stars, the last star and a half for nostalgic reasons

THE SON OF MONTE CRISTO begins as a typical 40s swashbuckler and stays that way from start to finish. This is not necessarily a bad thing either as audiences of any decade tend to be mesmerized by dashing heros swinging from chandeliers as they duel, by plotting but smooth talking villains who enunciate with crisp diction their nefarious deeds, and by lovely damsels who are loved by the former but lusted by the latter. This is, in essence, the thrust of this film, which is, more or less, a sequel to the COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, with Robert Donat as the count. Here it is Louis Hayword as the count's son who like his father plays the Superman/Clark Kent identity reversal made popular by earlier and later versions of ZORRO and the SCARLET PIMPERNAL. For a swashbuckler to work, the hero must convince on two levels: he must be a rich fop whose smiles radiate a sense of weakness and whose diction is cloyingly annoying. Further, as the masked hero, he must possess athletic ability while dueling, leaping over walls, and all the while trading quips and witticisms with the bad guys. This Hayword does with panache. Yet, the hero does not live in a cinematic vacuum. For his swashbuckling to form the moral center, this hero needs a worthy villain. The villain here is George Sanders, who has made a career of playing the elegant smooth talking heel. Director Rowland Lee had to walk a fine line by not permitting the more dashing Sanders to steal scenes from Hayword. It is a tribute to Sanders that it is he who is the unintended moral center, which in his case is the immoral center to which the audience responds. Hayword smiles, laughs, and plunges ahead in scene after scene but mostly on a one note basis. We rarely glimpse the man behind the smile as we so easily can with say Errol Flynn as Robin Hood. But with Sanders, we are mesmerised from the start. He is tall, immaculately dressed, resonant, and possesses the good manners of a villain who knows when to ditch them. Further, when he lusts after Joan Bennett as Princess Zona, we are truly unsure whether he desires her with the same zeal that he does her throne. We can see a soul in torment. We can see a man who leaves nothing to chance. And we can see a man who can improvise on the fly when chance insists on rearing its unwanted and unexpected head. Thus, the film revolves around the triangle of Hayword, Sanders, and Bennett with the plot aiming squarely at the upcoming nuptials of Sanders and Bennett with Hayword as the determined masked party pooper. The movie is aided by both a panoramic succession of royal scenes of castles and Gothic hidden rooms and by a very able supporting cast led by Ian Wolfe and Montague Love, both of whom were dependable staples of the age. What emerges by the film's end is a totally enjoyable trip in the celluloid world where hero and villain fight over the most basic of ends, the love of a woman or of power even if it is not always clear which is the stronger.

This was a great movie. Louis Hayward was one of my favorite swashbucklers. They don't make movies like this anymore.

"The Son of Monte Cristo" is a most enjoyable swashbuckler. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Dumas -- apart from the title and the most glancing reference to the Count his father -- but the story is exciting, suspenseful, and romantic, and the primary performances are excellent. Louis Hayward displays his characteristic enthusiasm and élan in the lead role, Joan Bennett is more utilized than in many of her other Hayward co-starring vehicles, and George Sanders makes a fine and dastardly villain, as ever. Production values are pleasing as well.

The film is only marred by some regrettably wooden supporting acting -- notably by a pre-"Lone Ranger" Clayton Moore, and a story that goes on, perhaps, fifteen minutes too long and falls thereby into a more contrived ending than was necessary. This is unfortunate, since the story establishes a ready-conclusion around the 85-minute mark, but, perhaps trying for one more action set-piece, things are carried along to the point where story-logic is sadly damaged.

That said, this is a most worthwhile film, and the Alpha Video release is acceptable -- better than their usual low-quality "slap it on video" efforts. By the by, I have both the VHS and the DVD Alpha releases, and the DVD is a bit better in video quality.

I found this originally on sale at a library in Connecticut and had intended to leave it behind when I moved but couldn't bear to part with it. I'm very excited to own it on DVD at last!

If you love ridiculous swashbucklers with unlikely plots, bizarre costumes, collapsing furniture and lots of overacting, this is a must-own. The fight scenes are particularly over the top. Best watched late at night with a group of like-minded friends.

I would also recommend Zorro, the Gay Blade, if this type of movie is your cup of tea. These two films completed many a fencing club gathering in my college years.

This movie has nothing to do with the Count of Monte Cristo other than saying, his son, the central character, inherited his wealth from his father. A misleading title.

1-hour of story is stretched to 1-hour and 42-minutes. Promising; but falls short. The damsel in distress has no personality; a poker-face throughout the entire film. Thus, we do not care if she marries the bad-guy or not. The hero opens the story, by ruining the damsel's escape. The hero proclaims himself the best swordsman in Europe at the beginning of each and every sword-fight; and then proceeds to lose each and every sword-fight. Thus, we are in doubt of the hero's competence throughout the film.

The film has good interior sets of old European charm, but most of the film takes place in the castle on the same sets. Good costumes. We hate the bad guy. There are secret passages, and a traitor, and friends helping the hero. Thus, the film has promising elements, but fails to satisfy for a lousy, script.

The hero has his sword-point pressed against the stomach of the bad-guy, but inexplicably, allows the bad-guy to just run-away; and then shouts, "After him", running after the bad-guy.

I recommend instead: All of the several versions of "The Count of Monte Cristo", "The Scarlet Pimpernel", "At Swords Point", "Kidnapped" Disney version, and "Captain Blood".