The very epitome of a matinée adventure, this is a great swashbuckling romp. It has humour, sumptuous costumery, pacy direction, two contrastingly beautiful leading ladies (Parker & Leigh) and two excellent foil - flashing protagonists in Grainger and Ferrer, None of the players are looking for Oscars but they all play their parts with verve and humour. Grainger in particular is luminously dashing in the lead and Janet Leigh in an early role is lovely in waves and waves of chenille, pompadour to the fore. Mel Ferrer cuts a dash as the venal upper class Marquis who slays Granger's best chum and sets in motion the enmity between him and Moreau, while Eleanor Parker provides earthier humour as Granger's long - suffering bridesmaid, happiest when she gets to whack him in his Scaramouche part. Best thing in the movie is the great extended climactic duel at the theatre between Ferrer and Granger, the stunts cleverly edited in. The only thing that really jarred with me was the speeding up of the horseriding sequences to almost Keystone Cop level - which is unfortunately the effect actually conveyed. Nevertheless a smashing film, not too many rungs below its antecedents "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "The Mask of Zorro" from around 10 years earlier in the swashbuckling stakes.
Review of Scaramouche
