DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR’S SWASHBUCKLER FILMS

“See how he apes his father” was a saying long associated with contemporary enemies of John Quincy Adams as a complaint about how the younger Adams was as stubborn and single-minded as his father John Adams. He pursued his own ends regardless of political consequences.

On a lighter note, I have always used those words as a compliment to jokingly describe the fun, high-spirited swashbuckler films of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. – especially those moments that were homages to specific scenes from his father’s silent film classics. Here’s a look at Junior’s sword-wielding spectacles.

THE CORSICAN BROTHERS (1941) – Another of the many adaptations of the Alexandre Dumas novel that have very little to do with the original storyline. In this case the tale was transformed into an action-packed sword-fighting, gun blazing, hell-for-leather chase vehicle for Doug Jr.

That’s not a complaint, I’m just letting Dumas purists know in advance. In this movie set in the early 1800s the twin brothers from Corsica are Lucien and Mario Franchi. Due to family vendettas in Corsica the brothers are the sole survivors of their bloodline and as infants are hidden by family friends – Mario in France and Lucien in the Corsican hills.

Each grows into a man of action, Lucien as a bandit chief and Mario as a dueling, gambling ladies’ man. When they are reunited they set out to bring down the man who massacred their family – Baron Colonna (Akim Tamiroff), now the tyrannical ruler of Corsica.

The brothers, with Lucien’s outlaw gang behind them, strike at Colonna and his forces again and again in their quest to free Corsica while avenging their family. Tragically, they both fall in love with the same woman (Ruth Warrick), leading to a bittersweet ending. 111 minutes.

SINBAD THE SAILOR (1947) – Doug’s only color swashbuckler. His father had starred in The Thief of Bagdad and Junior incorporated one of his father’s stunts from that silent work into this film – the leaping in and out of huge clay pots.

This was Fairbanks’ first movie since serving in World War Two but he slipped easily back into playing the kind of daring rogue that swashbuckler fans expected. On one of his voyages, Sinbad (Doug) comes across a ship on which everyone has been poisoned to death. On board, he discovers and takes a map leading to the lost Treasure of Alexander the Great.

The ruler of Basra robs Sinbad of his salvage prize by seizing it for auction. Our hero winds up recruiting a new crew and stealing the vessel before setting out to find Alexander’s Treasure. Naturally, there are others who want the fortune and Sinbad must outfight and outsmart them all.

Rival treasure hunters include the Emir of Daibul (Anthony Quinn) and the mysterious Jamal (Walter Slezak). Along the way, our hero falls in love with and rescues Shireen (Maureen O’Hara), one of the Emir’s harem girls who knows secrets about Alexander’s Treasure. A lot of fun but no Harryhausen monsters in this flick. 118 minutes.

THE FIGHTING O’FLYNN (1949) – Once again the Dougster stars as the title character, in this case an Irish mercenary soldier and poet during the Napoleonic Wars. O’Flynn returns to his ancestral castle in Ireland after his latest military service on the Continent.

He’s not back long before he has to rescue the beautiful Lady Benedetta (Helena Carter) from highway robbers led by Hendrigg (Ludwig Donath). It turns out Lady Benedetta possesses Napoleon’s secret plans for an amphibious invasion of Ireland since England itself seems unapproachable from the Channel.

O’Flynn must protect our heroine from French spies and British traitors, with future Robin Hood Richard Greene among the latter in the role of Lord Sedgemouth. With Benedetta as your regulation Good Woman we also get Patricia Medina as the regulation Bad Girl – the slinky courtesan named Fancy Free.  

This is my favorite swashbuckler from Junior, largely because of his terrific portrayal of the eloquent, devil may care sword and pistols hero. Also because he reproduces his father’s leap from horseback on to a rising drawbridge stunt from the silent Robin Hood. 94 minutes. 

THE EXILE (1947) – Throwing history into the trash can, this actioner depicts Fairbanks as Charles Stuart, the future King Charles II, as a two-fisted, sword-fighting charmer. The story is set during Charles’ Wanderings on the Continent.

In 1660, British discontent with Oliver Cromwell’s successor – his son Richard – opens the way for our main character to return to his homeland and be crowned Charles II for the Restoration of royal flouncery in England. 

Charles is presented hiding as a commoner in the Netherlands and when he saves young female farmer Katie (Rita Corday) from a blackguard, she hires him as a farmhand. While hiding out as a figurative Eb at this Dutch Green Acres, our title figure must fight for his life against enemy agents who want him killed to prevent him being crowned. 

Despite a dalliance with former lover Countess Anabella (Maria Montez), Charles falls in love with Katie. By story’s end, Katie learns who her farmhand really is and they part sadly as he returns to his destiny in England. 95 minutes.

GUNGA DIN (1939) – The title character of the Rudyard Kipling poem is a mere supporting character in this flick, which was really just a vehicle for Cary Grant, Doug Jr. and Victor McLaglen as imitations of Kipling’s Soldiers Three. Sam Jaffe plays Gunga Din in absurdly overdone dark makeup.

Fairbanks played ladies’ man Sgt. Tommy Ballantine, Grant was the plunder-hungry Sgt. Archibald Cutter and McLaglen played the hard-assed Sgt. Mac MacChesney.  Joan Fontaine was Ballantine’s love interest Emaline Stebbins.

In British occupied India of 1880, our heroes are among the troops sent to investigate a fallen outpost. It turns out the deadly Thuggee Cult has returned and has been killing off everyone who opposes them. While making India safe for British oppression the stars also discover the cult’s hidden golden temple, which puts a gleam in the eye of the avaricious Sgt. Cutter. 

Gunga Din is loaded with action and repartee among the leads. The film is one of the most famous swashbucklers of all time and I’m only listing it last because it’s not a pure Fairbanks production but rather an ensemble effort. It was later remade as the American western Sergeants Three starring Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. as U.S. Cavalrymen. 117 minutes.

FOR DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SENIOR’S SILENT SWASHBUCKLERS CLICK HERE.

FOR THE SWASHBUCKLER FILMS OF SEAN FLYNN, ERROL’S SON, CLICK HERE.

FOR JOHN DEREK’S (BO’S HUSBAND) SWASHBUCKLER MOVIES CLICK HERE.