AT SWORD'S POINT
aka The Sons of the Musketeers
DIRECTED BY LEWIS ALLEN
PRODUCED BY JERROLD T. BRANDT/ SID ROGEL
MUSIC BY ROY WEBB
RKO RADIO PICTURES
Information from IMDb
Plot Summary
France, 1648: Richelieu and Louis XIII are dead, the new king is a minor,
and the Duc de Lavalle is in virtually open rebellion, scheming to seize power.
As a last resort, Queen Anne summons the heirs of the original Musketeers
to her aid...including Claire, daughter of Athos,
who when she chooses can miraculously pass as a boy,
and wields as fine a sword as any. All their skills will be needed
for a battle against increasing odds. One for all and all for one!
Written by Rod Crawford
Full Cast
Cornel Wilde .... D'Artagnan
Maureen O'Hara .... Claire
Robert Douglas .... Duc de Lavalle
Gladys Cooper .... Queen Anne
June Clayworth .... Comtesse Claudine
Dan O'Herlihy .... Aramis
Alan Hale Jr. .... Porthos
Blanche Yurka .... Madame Michom
Nancy Gates .... Princess Henriette
Edmund Breon .... Queen's Chamberlain
Peter Miles .... Young Louis XIV
George Petrie .... Chalais
Moroni Olsen .... Old Porthos
Eric Alden .... (uncredited)
Gregg Barton .... Regent's Guardman at Fallen Tree (uncredited)
Albert Cavens .... Claire's Fencing Instructor (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin .... Regent's Guardman at Fallen Tree (uncredited)
Ned Davenport .... (uncredited)
Boyd Davis .... Dr. Fernand (uncredited)
Julia Dean .... Madame D'Artagnan (uncredited)
Claude Dunkin .... Pierre (uncredited)
Holmes Herbert .... Mallard (uncredited)
Ed Hinton .... (uncredited)
Fred Kohler Jr. .... (uncredited)
Lucien Littlefield .... Cpl. Gautier (uncredited)
Gregory Marshall .... Henrique (uncredited)
Mickey McCardle .... (uncredited)
Keith McConnell .... (uncredited)
Patrick O'Moore .... Monk (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield .... Cardinal (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt .... Jacques, Regent's Guardsman (uncredited)
Writing Credits
Alexandre Dumas père (novel 20 ans après) uncredited
Aubrey Wisberg (story) and
Jack Pollexfen (story)
Walter Ferris (screenplay) &
Joseph Hoffman (screenplay)
Produced
Jerrold T. Brandt .... producer
Sid Rogell .... executive producer
Cinematography
Ray Rennahan
Trivia
Alan Hale Jr. plays the son of Porthos here. His father, Alan Hale, appeared in The Man in the Iron Mask as an aging Porthos. When that film was remade as The Fifth Musketeer, that role was taken by Alan Hale Jr.. In that same movie the role of an aging D'Artagnan was played by Cornel Wilde, this picture's son of D'Artagnan. Also here, the elderly Porthos is played by Moroni Olsen, who played that character in his younger days in the film of the original Dumas novel, The Three Musketeers.
Completed in 1950, but not released until 1952.
Goofs
Factual errors: The opening narration mentions the year 1648, implying that Cardinal Richelieu died then, and the loss of his "strong hand holding the country together" was the beginning a period of great instability in France that led to the events depicted in this film. However, he passed away in 1642, leaving 1648 to be interpreted as the year this story takes place. The problem with that is the fact that Queen Anne, whose own death is indicated here, died in 1666 when son Louis XIV was 27 years old and long since reigning on his own, not the prepubescent boy for whom she acted as regent seen here. Said regency ended in 1651, not 1648.
Continuity: When D'Artagnan meets Aramis, Aramis is with a girl. When D'Artagnan kisses the girl, the background is an obvious backdrop for it does not match the background in the long shot. The types of trees are different and the river is missing.
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: As Cornel Wilde chops wood in his first scene, there is a "THWACK" sound effect for each chop. Then, when he throws down the ax onto the grassy ground, the "THWACK" effect is used again. However, there is another fallen tree just beyond the one he is chopping on, and the ax could very easily have landed on it, creating a similar blade/wood impact for which the same sound effect would be appropriate.
Anachronisms: As with all movies made at the time of this one, the weapons used were epees, not the historically correct rapiers. This is particularly notable given the cutting for presentation on television.
Continuity: SPOILER: During the assembly of the sons of Musketeers in the scenes of men riding through the woods, they men wear green and carry bows (a la Robin Hood movies), neither of these is seen in later shots. Presumably, footage was used from other movies.