In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
The Three Musketeers (1939)

Release date:
Feb. 17, 1939

Cast:
Don Ameche, The Ritz Brothers, Binnie Barnes, Gloria Stuart, Pauline Moore, Joseph Schildkraut, John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, Miles Mander, Douglass Dumbrille, John “Dusty” King, Russell Hicks, Gregory Gaye, Lester Matthews, Egon Brecher, Moroni Olsen, Georges Renavent, C. Montague Shaw

Studio:
20th Century Fox

Director:
Allan Dwan

Plot:
In a musical comedy adaptation of “Three Musketeers,” D’Artagnan of Gascony (Ameche) is headed to Paris to become a Musketeer. On the way, he meets three Musketeers, Athos (Dumbrille), Aramis (King), and Porthos (Hicks), who insult him. When D’Artagnan arrives in Paris, he’s prepared to fight them. After Athos, Aramis and Porthos have passed out from drinking, and D’Artagnan mistakes three lackeys (the Ritz Brothers) for the Musketeers. After taking a room, D’Artagnan meets Lady Constance (Moore) who accompanies the Queen (Stuart) to meet her lover. D’Artagnan and Constance get caught up in intrigue.

1939 Notes:
• By the numbers:
– Allan Dwan directed three films released in 1939.
– Don Ameche was in five films released in 1939.
– The Ritz Brothers were in three films together in 1939.
– Binnie Barnes was in five films released in 1939.
– Gloria Stuart was in five films released in 1939.
– Pauline Moore was in six films released in 1939.
– Joseph Schildkraut was in seven films released in 1939.
– John Carradine was in eight films released in 1939.
– Lionel Atwell was in nine films released in 1939.
– Douglass Dumbrille was in nine films released in 1939.
– Miles Mander was in seven films released in 1939.

Other trivia:
• Based on Alexandre Dumas’s 1884 novel, “The Three Musketeers.”
• Working title was “All for One.”
• There was concern to how audiences would react to romantic speeches from D’Artagnan so it was adapted as a comedy, according to Allan Dwan’s biographer.

My review: Searching for the “1939 feature”:
This 1939 version of THREE MUSKETEERS has an excellent cast — Don Ameche, Binnie Barnes, Lionel Atwill … But Oh, why did they have to include the Ritz Brothers?!

Rather than making this film a straight adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel, this 1939 20th Century Fox production is a musical comedy. Don Ameche, who admittedly is well cast as D’Artagnan, sings a few joyful, but forgettable tunes.

And truthfully, there’s nothing wrong with this being a comedic version. In fact, “The Three Musketeers” made in 1948, 1973 and 1974 are quite lighthearted films with intrigue and jovial sword fighting (though there are some intense scenes in both, like one between Milady de Winter and Constance).

But the addition of the Ritz Brothers make 80 percent of this film downright unwatchable. As soon as the comedic trio made their entrance plucking chickens and singing about soup, I sighed heavily. Critics of 1939 agreed.

“That isn’t a buzzing in your ears you’ve been hearing; it’s Dumas spinning in his grave as the Ritz Brothers play his ‘Three Musketeers,” wrote New York Times critic Frank Nugent in his review when the film was released.

The portions where the film is played as it should be, without the Ritz Brothers, is largely fine — though abridged. The whole film runs at 1 hour and 12 minutes. It’s like everyone else is playing a film adaptation of the novel, but the Ritz Brothers walked in on the wrong film set.

As for the actual three Musketeers (the Ritz Brothers are just lackeys who are mistake as the musketeers), we hardly see them at all!

Just imagine what this film had been like with a serious cast of 20th Century Fox leading men, with Don Ameche as D’Artagnan and perhaps actors like Tyrone Power or Cesar Romero in other roles.

This whole film feels like a missed opportunity.

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