THE FLASHING BLADE (1967) – FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

THE FLASHING BLADE (1967) – This 13-episode French adventure series was later dubbed – a bit clumsily – into English. Each English-dubbed episode was in color and filled a half-hour time slot with commercials. The French title was actually The Tempestuous Knight or The Stormy Knight but was changed to The Flashing Blade for the English dubs. The original French airings were in four 75-minute episodes.

Part Alexandre Dumas tale, part Rafael Sabatini swashbuckler, this series is fun and features more action than the much later Euro-series Crossbow, about William Tell. The Flashing Blade was set during the War of the Mantuan Succession between France and Spain from 1628-1631. France backed the Duke of Nevers for the throne while Spain supported the Duke of Guastalla. 

The characters:

FRANCOIS, THE CHEVALIER DE RECCI (Robert Etcheverry) – The hero of the story. He and his sidekick Guillot (Jacques Balutin) reach the Fort of Casale, which is under siege by the Spanish forces in the alps near Savoy and Monferrato. (Some reviews of the show say the castle is on the border between France and Spain, but I believe that mistake comes from the reviewers casually noting that the war is between French and Spanish forces and just assuming that meant the war was being fought along their national borders.)

The castle garrison’s French commander, Thoiras (Gilles Pelletier), is a mopey, less than inspirational leader and our fiery hero Francois clashes with him over his lethargy and lack of initiative. Soon, de Recci disobeys a direct order from Thoiras by raiding the Spanish forces for supplies.

The resulting court-martial sentences our hero to death, but Thoiras offers Francois the opportunity to instead undertake a suicidal mission to fight through the surrounding enemy forces and summon aid. Naturally, de Recci accepts, then he and loyal Guillot set out on their perilous adventure, with the Spanish officer Ricardo (Franck Estange) and his men hounding them all the way.   

ISOBEL DE SOSPEL (Genevieve Casile) – The tale’s regulation beautiful heroine. Isobel and her father, the Duke de Sospel (Jean Martinelli), are taken hostage by a group of bandits while on a diplomatic mission.

That diplomatic mission was scheduled with Don Alonso (Mario Pilar) on the Spanish side. Isobel and her father wind up rescued from the bandits by Francois and Guillot with our hero and heroine falling in love. 

MIREILLE (Claude Gensac) – A ballsy, butt-kicking woman among the bandit community. She, too, has a certain chemistry with Francois as they come in and out of each other’s lives during the run of the series.

For a while, the courageous Mireille even delivers covert messages to Isobel at Don Alonso’s place regarding de Recci’s status as the adventure rolls along. 

ZERBINETTE (Michele Varnier) – An actress in a traveling troupe of performers. The Flashing Blade borrows a bit from Sabatini’s Scaramouche as Francois lays low with the actors for a time.

Zerbinette develops a thing for our hero, too, and when Isobel gets the wrong impression from glimpsing the pair exchanging a goodbye kiss it prompts the jealous Isobel to inform on Francois’ location among the actors.   

CARDINAL MAZARIN (Giani Esposito) – The real-life figure who would go on to be very tight with a few kings of France. In this adventure he is part of the Peace Mission called by the Pope to negotiate a truce in the War of the Mantuan Succession.

Don Alonso and his military crony Ricardo have been doing everything they can during the series to prevent the peace conference from taking place and/or sabotage its results.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Chevalier de Recci and Guillot spend the 13-episode series in and out of danger but in the end, of course, there is a happy ending.

Some sources claim that The Flashing Blade has only 12 episodes, but that confusion comes from the way that telecasts in the U.K. had visual problems with the 13th and final episode and rarely – some say never – aired the 13th episode again.

“Hello … howarya? I’m Arnold Hor-SHAAK.”

That is certainly possible due to the poor pacing of the 12th and 13th episodes, with the latter almost serving as a mere epilogue to the series. In the 12th episode the French stronghold at Casale was saved and Francois made the peace treaty known to both sides despite Don Alonso’s efforts to prevent that.

However, Isobel, having heard a few episodes earlier that de Recci had been killed due to her betraying his hiding place to Don Alonso, had joined a convent and took her vows. A saddened Francois and Guillot traveled to the Holy Land to serve as soldiers of fortune in what seemed like a melancholy ending to the series … to anyone not familiar with the 13th episode.

In the REAL series finale, the Chevalier de Recci and Guillot return from warfare in the Middle East to be reunited with assorted characters from their main adventure. Francois gets a happy ending with one of the ladies mentioned above. 

FOR MY REVIEW OF THE RUTGER HAUER/ PAUL VERHOEVEN SWASHBUCKLER SERIES FLORIS (1969 and 1975), SET DURING THE GUELDERS WARS OF THE 1500s, CLICK HERE.