MovieChat Forums > The Court Jester (1956) Discussion > Best swordplay ever??? Other contenders...

Best swordplay ever??? Other contenders . . . . . .

posted 15 years ago by jackmronner
17 replies | jump to latest

Interestingly, my top two swordfights ever co-starred Basil Rathbone. In the first, he fights Tyrone Power (whose long family acting heritage included mastery of stage fencing) as Zorro. This scene in "jester" tops even that. Not only is the fencing crisp, prolonged and well-choreographed, it also incorporates comedic, panicked ineptitude. And you know the universal truth: Tragedy is easy, comedy is hard.

Another, longer classic is in "The Princess Bride" between Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes. They even witch hands (or did they flop the negative?"

Honorable Mention: Maureen O'Hara vs. Cornel Wilde (a member of the US Olympic team) in "At Swords Point." I never appreciated Errol Flyn, a bit of a hacker.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hachmom-1 15 years ago

I have watched a lot of sword fights and Court jester and Princess Bride surely win for comic swordplay....for straight up sword fighting though i would have to pick either adventures of Robin Hood or either the ROnald Coleman or Stewart Granger versions of Prisioner of Zenda....I have heard the one in Scaramouche is also superb but i have never seen it.

It is not our abilities that make us who we are...it is our choices

[–] jackmronner 15 years ago

DEAR HACHMOM,

YOU'VE A REALLY GOOD EYE. I'D FORGOTTEN ABOUT "SCARAMOUCH" WHERE STEWART GRANGER WAS PHENOMENAL. WAS JAMES MASON HIS OPPONENT IN THE "ZENDA" REMAKE? IN HE ORIGINAL "ZENDA," FAIRBANKS, JR. SHOWS THE PEDIGREE OF HIS FATHERS SILENT EXPLOITS AND HAS A GREAT LINE (ABOUT COLMAN'S PROPENSITY FOR USING THE SCENERY AGAINST HIM) THAT SUMS UP HOW I FEEL ABOUT ERROL FLYNN'S FENDCING STYLE: "DO ALL YOU ENGLISHMEN FIGHT WITH FURNITURE?" FLYNN'S SWORD FIGHTS SEEMED VERY CHOREOGRAPHED/STAGED. I THINK I REMEMBER HIM AS A "HACKER" SINCE HIS GREATEST ROLES USUALLY HAD HIM WIELDING A MJORE MEDIEVAL, TWO EDGED WEAPON, AS IN "ROBIN HOOD," WHICH INVOVLED MORE OF AN EDGE-TO-EDGE STYLE OF HACK AND BLOCK. ALL OF OUR FAVORITES, ABOVE, SEEM TO BE RAPIERS, EPEES, WHATEVER. LIGHTER SWORDS THAT PERMIT THE FINESSE OF THE WRIST, AND A LIGHTNING FAST SERIES OF MOVES.

ALSO, ITS SEEMED TO ME THAT, ESPECIALLY IN "R. HOOD" THAT THEY SPEEDED UP THE FILM, AS THEY SOMETIMES DID BACK IN THE DAY DURING FIGHT FIST FIGHTS.

I HAVE RECENTLY RESEARCHED ELWES' PROWESS WITH THE SWORD, AND IT SEEMS THAT HE DID NOT, AS I'D ASSUMED, HAVE A BACKGROUND IN THEATRICAL FENCING, BUT RATHER HAD TO LEARN HOW TO USE BOTH (!!!) HANDS BEFORE PRODUCTION BEGAN.

CIAO FOR NOW,

JACK

[–] grizzledgeezer 10 years ago

The Rob Roy sword fight is certainly one of the greats. And it doesn't use fencing blades, but REAL SWORDS.

Note how an earlier scene has Rob Roy grabbing a sword by the blade and cutting himself. This prepares the viewer for his willingness to do the same in the duel.

[–] PillowRock 14 years ago

or did they flop the negative?

No. The set isn't nearly symmetrical enough for that ploy to have worked.

Flynn and Rathbone have another decent duel in Captain Blood.

[–] Rascar-Capac 13 years ago

At least the best fun swordsplay. According to Author Tony Thomas ("The Great Adventure Films") Danny Kaye turned out to be an incredibly gifted swordsman. After some weeks of training he was capable to completely outfence Basil Rathbone.
I don’t give that much to "Princess Pride", which is vastly overrated IMO, but perhaps you may find pleasure in checking out some of these:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114287/board/thread/167227091?d=167227091#167227091

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] vinidici 12 years ago

Rathbone could easily have passed for ten years younger; in fact, until checking IMDb I had thought this picture was made in the late 1940's.

By 1955 and at his age, I would venture the guess, this would be Rathbone's final picture in which he'd utiized his gift for swordplay. (Unless someone can find a later example?)

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!

[–] Piperson 12 years ago

"Incorporates comedic panicked ineptitude".

Danny Kaye has to switch back and forth from an inept frightened bumbler to the most graceful confident swordsman in the world. He does this. It is wonderful to see.

I almost skipped this movie when TCM ran a 24 hour DAnny Kaye marathon to honor his 100th birthday. But they also showed an old Dick Cavett interview that had the fencing clip from this movie. Danny Kaye explains a lot about how he quickly learned fencing and also how Basil Rathbone had no idea what Kaye was going to do when he switched to the "Bumbling" fencer. If you watch it, the fight scene is incrediby spontaneous.

So after seeing Cavett I watched the whole film and really enjoyed it.

I love TCM.

[–] liscarkat-2 12 years ago

Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone in "Zorro" (the end of the fight is shockingly abrupt);

Michael York and Leonard Whiting in "Romeo and Juliet" (not theatrical finesse--they seem like they're really trying to kill each other).

[–] spud-boy 11 years ago

What about Michael York and Christopher Lee in "The Four Musketeers?" Not too fancy, Lee is on record criticizing York's swordsmanship, but it has the desparation of a real fight to the death.

[–] liscarkat-2 9 years ago

"Romeo and Juliet" and "The Four Musketeers": Michael York involved in two of the most brutal, exciting sword fights ever!

[–] spud-boy 9 years ago

Also, the two sword fights in Akira Kurasowa's masterpiece, "Roshomon." Purportedly the same sword fight, told from two different points of view. In one, the combatants are cowardly and can barely touch swords. In the other, they are brave and expert foes.

[–] louiseculmer 9 years ago

court Jester tops my list.

[–] liscarkat-2 9 years ago

And Tyrone Power vs. Basil Rathbone in "The Mark of Zorro". Brutal, abrupt end.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 7 years ago

What about the Scaramouche film?

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 6 years ago

[deleted]