Crossed Swords (1954 film)

Last updated
Crossed Swords
Crossed Swords (1954 film).jpg
1954 theatrical poster
Directed by Milton Krims
Written byMilton Krims
Produced byJ. Barret Mahon
Errol Flynn
Vittorio Vassarotti
John W. Bash
Starring Errol Flynn
Gina Lollobrigida
Cesare Danova
Nadia Gray
Cinematography Jack Cardiff
Edited byDerek Hawkins
Maria Rosada
Music by Gino Marinuzzi
Alessandro Cicognini
Production
companies
Errol Flynn Productions
Viva Films
Distributed by Titanus (Italy)
United Artists (US)
Release dates
29 July 1954 (US)
17 September 1954 (Italy)
Running time
82 minutes
CountriesItaly
United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office1,331,794 admissions (France) [1]

Crossed Swords or The Teacher of Don Juan (Italian: Il Maestro di Don Giovanni) is a 1954 historical swashbuckling adventure film directed by Milton Krims and starring Errol Flynn, Gina Lollobrigida and Nadia Gray. It was co-production between Italy and the United States. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art director Arrigo Equini.

Contents

Plot

The film is set in Early Modern Italy in the Duchy of Sidona. Raniero and Renzo are two friends who have been travelling together for two years, having adventures, fighting duels and womanizing. Raniero is the son of the Duke of Sidona, and the elder Renzo his Don Juan-type mentor.

On their way back to Sidona after a two-year absence, Renzo and Raniero encounter Fulvia, a former lover of Renzo. She attacks him then invites him to her estate.

Fulvia's rich husband Gennarelli is at a meeting at Sidona. Pavoncello, the Duke's counselor, is suggesting a new law where all men under twenty must marry and produce children or face imprisonment. (The aim is to ensure future manpower to defend the duchy). The Duke is unsure whether the law is what the people want and refuses to sign it until he consults them.

Gennarelli returns to his estate and surprises Renzo and his wife. The two men fight a duel which Renzo easily wins. Renzo and Raniero head to the castle where the Duke welcomes them. The Duke's daughter, Francesca, regards Renzo as a bad influence on her brother but is attracted to him.

Fulvia arranges a joust with Indian sticks between Renzo and Pavoncello, who wants to marry Francesca. Both men are wounded and the duke stops the contest.

Gennarelli approaches Pavoncello, suggesting he use the proposed law to drive Renzo out of Sidona. Gennarelli and Pavoncello join forces to persuade the Duke to sign the law.

Renzo flees Sidona with Raniero. Pavoncello hires an assassin, Lenzi, to kill Renzo and Raniero. It is revealed Pavoncello wants to take over Sidona and surrounding areas as well; he arranges Lenzi to hire two hundred mercenaries.

Renzo and Raniero are eating in a tavern when attacked by Lenzi's men but they defeat them. They return to the castle and overhear Fulvia talking to Gennarelli about the latter's plan with Pavoncello.

Renzo and Raniero are captured. Lenzi's mercenary army enters Sidona, and imprisons the Duke and Francesca.

Fulvia helps Renzo and Raniero to escape. They manage to rescue the Duke and Francesca and lead an uprising. Francesca uses the women of Sidona to seduce Lenzi's mercenaries. This enables Renzo to kill Lenzi, and for Raniero to raise the Duke's loyal supporters in rebellion. Renzo kills Pavoncello in a sword duel.

Renzo agrees to marry Francesca.

Cast

Production

Background

Milton Krims announced he was to write and produce a film called The Ninth Man in 1950 based on a 1920 novel by Mary Heaton Vorse set in Italy in the fifteenth century. [2]

In 1952 it was announced Krims would make The Ninth Man with Errol Flynn in the lead for Constellation Films with J. Barrett Mahon to act on Flynn's behalf behind the scenes. [3]

In January 1953 it was announced Flynn would star in Teacher of Don Juan, a co production between Errol Flynn Enterprises and Vittorio Vasserotti. [4]

Flynn produced the film in association with Barry Mahon in an attempt to emulate the success of The Adventures of Don Juan (1948), which had sold well in Europe on its release by Warner Bros. John Bash helped Flynn finance the film. [5]

Shoot

Filming took place in Italy in February 1953. It was shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome with exteriors shot in the village of Lauro. [6] [7] |author=It was the first role for Gina Lollobrigida beyond the Italian market, and her fee was 30 million lira (est. $48,000). [8] She made it immediately before Beat the Devil. [9]

The movie was shot in Pathecolor, a new color process developed by Pathe Industries. [10]

It was known during filming as The Master of Don Juan or Teacher of Don Juan. [11]

Reception

Critical

The Chicago Daily Tribune said the film "offers very little interest" apart from the photography. [12]

Filmink magazine wrote "The most frustrating thing about the movie is that it's full of good ideas... but they don’t develop any of them." [13]

Box office

Box office reception was disappointing – Flynn later claimed the film was sold "very badly". [14] Dorothy Kilgallen later wrote that Flynn's share from the film "amounts to quite a pile of bills" but he never received the money because "they're all Washington-bound to defray his staggering tax debt." [15]

Legacy

The experience prompted Flynn to try another production in Italy, the disastrous William Tell. Shortly after the shoot Flynn's wife gave birth to a baby girl. [16]

Related Research Articles

Gina Lollobrigida Italian actress

Gina Lollobrigida is an Italian actress and photojournalist. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As of 2022, Lollobrigida is among the last living, high-profile international actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

<i>Against All Flags</i> 1952 film by George Sherman

Against All Flags is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman and Douglas Sirk and starring Errol Flynn as Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens and Anthony Quinn as Roc Brasiliano. The film's plot is set in 1700, when British officer Brian Hawke infiltrates a group of pirates located on Libertatia on the coast of Madagascar, and falls in love with pirate captain "Spitfire" Stevens.

<i>Gentleman Jim</i> (film) 1942 film by Raoul Walsh

Gentleman Jim is a 1942 film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn as heavyweight boxing champion James J. Corbett (1866–1933). The supporting cast includes Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, William Frawley, and Ward Bond as John L. Sullivan. The movie was based upon Corbett's 1894 autobiography, The Roar of the Crowd. The role was one of Flynn's favorites.

<i>Adventures of Don Juan</i> 1948 film by Vincent Sherman

Adventures of Don Juan is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in the cast are Barbara Bates, Raymond Burr, and Mary Stuart. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and produced by Jerry Wald. The screenplay by George Oppenheimer and Harry Kurnitz, based on a story by Herbert Dalmas, has uncredited contributions by William Faulkner and Robert Florey.

Cesare Danova Italian actor (1926–1992)

Cesare Danova was an Italian television and screen actor. Best known for his roles in The Captain's Daughter (1947), Mean Streets (1973), and various roles in The Rifleman (1958-1963).

Errol Flynn filmography

The film appearances of movie actor Errol Flynn (1909–1959) are listed here, including his short films and one unfinished feature.

<i>The Prince and the Pauper</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by William Dieterle, William Keighley

The Prince and the Pauper is a 1937 film adaptation of the 1881 novel of the same name by Mark Twain. It starred Errol Flynn, twins Billy and Bobby Mauch in the title roles, and Claude Rains and has been described as "a kids' fantasy."

<i>The Master of Ballantrae</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by William Keighley

The Master of Ballantrae is a 1953 British Technicolor adventure film starring Errol Flynn and Roger Livesey. It is a loose and highly truncated adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson 1889 novel of the same name. In eighteenth century Scotland, two sons of a laird clash over the family estate and a lady.

<i>The Case of the Curious Bride</i> 1935 film by Michael Curtiz

The Case of the Curious Bride is a 1935 American mystery film, the second in a series of four starring Warren William as Perry Mason, following The Case of the Howling Dog. The script was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner, published by William Morrow and Company, which proved to be one of the most popular of all the Perry Mason novels.

<i>The Thief of Venice</i> 1950 Italian film

The Thief of Venice or Il Ladro di Venezia is a 1950 Italian film directed by John Brahm. The US title was "The Thief of Venice".

<i>Cry Wolf</i> (1947 film) 1947 film by Peter Godfrey

Cry Wolf is a 1947 American mystery film directed by Peter Godfrey and featuring Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck, based on the novel of the same name by Marjorie Carleton.

<i>The Perfect Specimen</i> 1937 film by Michael Curtiz

The Perfect Specimen is a 1937 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn and Joan Blondell. The picture is based on a novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams.

<i>The Dark Avenger</i> 1955 film by Henry Levin

The Dark Avenger is a 1955 British-American historical action adventure film directed by Henry Levin. The screenplay was written by Daniel B. Ullman. The film stars Errol Flynn, Joanne Dru and Peter Finch. The music score is by Cedric Thorpe Davie. It is also known as The Warriors in the United States, and had a working title of The Black Prince in the United Kingdom.

<i>Swordsman of Siena</i> 1962 Italian film

Swordsman of Siena is a 1962 French-Italian adventure film directed by Étienne Périer and Baccio Bandini and starring Stewart Granger, Sylva Koscina and Christine Kaufmann. The film is set in Spanish-controlled Italy during the sixteenth century.

<i>Dont Bet on Blondes</i> 1935 film by Robert Florey

Don't Bet on Blondes is a 1935 American romantic comedy film.

<i>Adventures of Captain Fabian</i> 1951 film by Robert Florey

Adventures of Captain Fabian or Adventure in New Orleans is a 1951 American adventure film directed by William Marshall and starring Errol Flynn, Micheline Presle, Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead and Victor Francen.

<i>Mara Maru</i> 1952 noir-influenced film by Gordon Douglas

Mara Maru is a 1952 noir-influenced action film directed by Gordon Douglas. It stars Errol Flynn and Ruth Roman.

<i>Another Dawn</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by William Dieterle

Another Dawn is a 1937 American film melodrama directed by William Dieterle and starring Errol Flynn and Kay Francis. It is based on Somerset Maugham's 1919 play Caesar's Wife. The film received dismissive reviews.

<i>The Story of William Tell</i> Unfinished film directed by Jack Cardiff

The Story of William Tell is an unfinished film about William Tell. It starred and was produced by Errol Flynn. It commenced filming in Italy in 1953 and was meant to be the directorial debut of Jack Cardiff. It was filmed in CinemaScope. A £10,000 model town set was built near Mont Blanc.

Cruise of the Zaca is a short documentary on 16mm about a trip taken by Errol Flynn in 1946 on his boat the Zaca to collect specimens with his father, Professor Theodore Thomson Flynn, an eminent marine biologist. The trip was done in association with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California and took place off the east coast of Mexico and in the West Indies.

References

  1. ↑ 1954 French box office figures at Box Office Story
  2. ↑ Schallert, Edwin (July 26, 1950). "Drama: Artist's Story Inspires Anglo-American Deal; Keith Writes Western". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
  3. ↑ "REPUBLIC TO MAKE FILM ON GABRESKI: Flying Ace May Play Himself in Picture Based on Story by Richard Tregaskis". 30 July 1952. p. 19.
  4. ↑ "Record Number of Co Productions in Italy This Yr". Variety. 21 January 1953. p. 14.
  5. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (Oct 22, 1954). "Pasternak Names Next Jane Powell Musical; Robbins Scores Twice". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
  6. ↑ "Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, The Films of Errol Flynn, Citadel Press, 1969 p 196".
  7. ↑ Berg, Louis (Aug 16, 1953). "MOVIES ON THE MOVE!: Did Hollywood create a Frankenstem by making films abroad? Today cameras are grinding like mad in Italy, France, England--and Hollywood's plenty scared MOVIES ON THE MOVE!". Los Angeles Times. p. I14.
  8. ↑ Schallert, Edwin (Sep 20, 1953). "Gina likes U.S. only as a place to work". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
  9. ↑ Jacks, Allen (Mar 1, 1953). "No. 1 in Europe, Gina Throws Curves at U.S.". Los Angeles Times. p. D4.
  10. ↑ "FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS SIDELIGHTS OF THE DAY". New York Times. Apr 15, 1954. p. 45.
  11. ↑ Schallert, Edwin (Feb 15, 1953). "CinemaScope and 3D Rivalry in Full Swing; Henreid to Direct Play". Los Angeles Times. p. X5.
  12. ↑ TINEE, MAE (Oct 11, 1954). "Gina Gets Her Man in Film: "CROSSED SWORDS"". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. b17.
  13. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (November 30, 2019). "The Films of Errol Flynn: Part 5 – On the Bum, 1950–1955". Filmink.
  14. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (Mar 4, 1956). "Errol Claims He's Now in Like Flynn With Creditors". Los Angeles Times. p. E2.
  15. ↑ Dorothy Kilgallen (July 31, 1954). "Rubi Ready to Ditch Zsa-Zsa?". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. 4.
  16. ↑ "Errol Flynn Gets Baby Girl for Christmas". Los Angeles Times. Dec 26, 1953. p. 8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.