@@Rob-z7kAntonio Banderas was not a trained swords man, so they used stuntmen to pull that off. Power ( playing De la Vega\Zorro ) and Rathbone ( playing the villain ) were trained swordsmen both and they performed their sword fighting sequences on their own in this and every other movies where they had to perform one.
@@scottwalker6947 Yes, he was a two time British military champion and made everyone else look good. He famously said that "Tyrone Power could fence Errol Flynn into a cocked hat". I actually met his widow in the early 1970s in New York and she said that he didn't like working with Flynn because Rathbone had to "work so damn hard to make him look good". He also had problems with Flynn's (rather famous) lack of professionalism on set.
@@Euripides_Panz Imdeed, Rathbone was already 47, when he made this movie, Power wss only 26 ! Rathbone's dynamic agility and athletisim at that age was really astonishing !
I just noticed that when Diego cuts the candle, that’s not a camera trick, or at least it doesn’t seem to be since if you look close you can see the cut in the candle. Tyrone Power really did cut the candle so quickly and smoothly that it didn’t go out or seem to move at all. All that and yet it’s Basil Rathbone, his opponent, who was unquestioned as the best fencer in Hollywood. God these two must have been something else.
When I took a fencing class in college, my instructor said that this was the most difficult duel ever filmed. My instructor was an alternate on the women's Olympic team in the 60's. She trained the college team, and they studied this duel. Tyrone Power's mother was an Olympic level competitor. Basil Rathbone was a fencing master and had training with the foil, Sabre, epee and could duel with weapons in both hands at the same time. His skill was what made others look good. When George Takei did some sword play in an early Star Trek episode, he studied with Craven, who choreographed this duel. Takei said the teacher told him that Basil Rathbone was a wild man with a sword, and that everybody was afraid of him, because he was so skilled.
Rathbone was a trained stage fencer. There were a few competitive fencers of Hollywood's golden era. The best of them was Cornell Wilde, a sabreur, who trained for the 1936 Olympics. The greatest fencer to ever appear in a Hollywood movie was Aldo Nadi, world champion and multiple Olympic winning foil fencer. Oddly, the film Nadi appeared in, he didn't fence. He played a crooked policeman in To Have and Have Not, starring Humphrey Bogart. There is footage of Nadi fencing in competition in the 1930s on TH-cam. Well worth checking out.
Whenever Basil Rathbone dueled Errol Flynn on the movie screen (twice that I know of) he went made sure that he made Errol Flynn look good. In this particular sequence Tyrone Power, an accomplished fencer himself, and Basil Rathbone did their very best to make each other look good!
@𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆𝟳𝟬𝟴𝟱 It was a great movie but am not entirely certain that it surpasses the 1920 version with Douglas Fairbanks. That movie was quite a film gem!
Americanized fight choreography for movies these days is horrid, always with the cuts to new camera angles at every attack, constant facial closeups, way too much shaking camera.
Well, because modern sword fights choreography takes more precautions on actors' safety, which causes usage of strikes which are out of measure, mistakes are often fixed with cuts etc. Back in the day those sequences were made with one shot, but requires lots of swordsmanship skill and practice for particular scene, as a mistake with steel blade (even a dull one) might be fatal (especially with sabres, longswords and other swords heavier then the fencing foils used here). Your skull will break if hit by a sword, it's sharpness doesn't matter.
What makes this scene even more remarkable is the fact that Rathbone was born in 1892 so was 47 or 48 when this scene was filmed. Truly a great actor and swordsman.
Truly, one of, if not the greatest swordfight of all time! Tyrone died at 44,of a heart attack, after filming a swordfight, so it's amazing that Rathbone was 47, possibly doing this multiple times!
Another great feature about this sword fight is that it shows the actors, or stuntman's, entire body; similar to the way Fred Astaire used to show his entire body while dancing. The viewer gets to see how the players move. Unlike the majority of today's films which rely on fast editing, and one only sees parts of the actor's actions during a fight or dance scene.
Basil Rathborne, also did a super sword fight as Guy of Gisbourne in, "The Adventures of Robin Hood," 1938. He was 46 years old in that movie. Imagine, fighting so well against much younger actors, and the actors are, Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, both lady's men, and both dying young about the age that Basil Rathbone is while playing this part.
Wow! No one? A lot of people don't know that Tyrone Power was an actual master swordsman and he was so good with a sword he actually cut that candle in half for real. My mother told me when I was little first watching the movie. If you slow it down to .25 speed you can see the blade going through the candle.
Born in 1963. Saw this as a kid. Was Zorro for several Halloweens. Whenever I was hit with a stick or a ball or a snowball or whatever it was always, "I needed that scratch to wake me up" and back into the fray redoubled. We can all learn a lot from Zorro. Especially mustache maintenance.
@FredCarpenter-pm8bf So you'd already been sword fighting for an year by the time @Greatbonestructure was born! Fantastic! You can legitimately say to him, "I was fighting duels while you were still in your nappies."
@@zulkifliali8832 Tyrone Power trained hard for the film, including under Basil Rathbone, but still needed a double for the most difficult passes. Rathbone needed no double.
Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Powell were both amazing swordmen. This was back in the time actors were "studio men", contractually attached to an studio, and trained whenever they were not filming.Basil Rathbone in particular was even an olympic fencer. For me, the best sword fight was the one in Robin Hood, with Rathbone playing Guy of Gisborne to Errol Flynn's Robin.
This one is the best for its technical skills. But there are many others great ones, ... the Sea Hawk with Errol Flynn, The Black Swan, Prisioner of Zenda, etc....
Basil Rathbone said; “Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat.”
@@davidciscwhite8994 Basil Rathbone was a first class swordsman and he said Tyrone Power was the best. So good at it, in fact, that he "could sword fight Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
@@theminister1154 YES! And you were referring to The Deluge from 1974 (the Polish film). That famous sword fight was incredible & amazingly realistic. The film itself was meant to take place in the mid 17th Century during Poland's war with Sweden. That fight was indeed very epic!
My dad used to LIVE for these old movies especially when sword fighting was involved. He loved Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power lol I miss hearing him talk about these kinds of scenes.
What did I just witness then? Absolute perfection. The hours Messrs Rathbone and Power must have put in to get that right must have been immeasurable. In these days of CGI, this is harks back to the golden days when everything was done by pure skill. Excellent. 👍👍
It helped that they were world class swordsmen in real life! Basil Rathbone was a renowned swordsman with every class of sword!!! There were some movies where he actually forgot the script and demolished his co star!!! If there was a movie in that age that needed an evil baddie it was Send for Basil!!!!
It helped that they were world class swordsmen in real life! Basil Rathbone was a renowned swordsman with every class of sword!!! There were some movies where he actually forgot the script and demolished his co star!!! If there was a movie in that age that needed an evil baddie it was Send for Basil!!!!
The realistic bleeding pierce to the chest is the most remarkable thing in this scene. Must have been startling to audiences of the time, as they were accustomed even years after this to seeing nothing remotely realistic, no wound that looked like even the shirt was pierced, let alone the flesh. This was one of my earliest favorite movies as a kid, one of the heroes I loved pretending to be. It wasn't enough for Sir Guy to die in a swordfight with Robin Hood. He had to be reincarnated as Captain Esteban Pasquale so he could do it all over again in this fight with Zorro!
This is, IMHO, the Greatest Fencing scene in all of Cinema...I've seen "The Mark Of Zorro", a number of times & it's a "Classic"...Bravo to Tyrone Power & Sir Basil Rathbone for this magnificent performance!.. ******
I just watched some modern movie sword fight scenes. Troy, Gladiator, Spartacus, stuff like that, then checked this one out. So much more fun, and the end was truly shocking. Bravo.
Basil Rathbone had good form. He was always great at making the heroes look good. If you watch carefully, you can see the hero "search for the blade." Rathbone puts his blade in line, where the hero can find it. Other films featuring him also show this trait.
This is at 1:45 right? It looks like they pause the blades come together and it sounds almost like a tuning fork while it pauses stops and then the action restarts? And I saw it again at 2:04
Greatest fencing ever seen on film. I never knew that Rathbone was an Olympic fencer. He and Tyrone's swordplay in this movie was nothing short of absolutely awesome. Let's not forget master swordsman Cavens and his son Albert, beautiful work, hats off to all. I don't believe we will see the beauty of this art again in my lifetime. This was the work of true craftsmen at it's best. Peace
Ive seen hundreds of duel scenes from both old and new movies. As a fencer, a despise most of the terrible hollywood choreography. This duel has to be one of my favorites. Its not perfect but its fast, well paced, no suicidal spinning. But best of all, each reposte tries to hit the open target. I absolutely love it
@ernestkhalimov7407 What's a fencer? Is it someone who mends fences? Why would a fence-mender be so interested in sword fighting? I really don't see the connection.
As an actor, Basil Rathbone seems to have been an outstanding swordsman. He was likewise as awesome and believable in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Erroll Flynn. I would not have wanted to cross swords with him, even if it was all choreographed. Honestly, how do you choreograph something like this without both actors getting sliced up? Truly remarkable athleticism, skill and artistry.
Once again, Tyrone Power was not an expert. The great Fred Cavens who choreographed this and many of the best swordfights of the time, was. Of course, Rathbone was an excellent fencer but what makes Cavens so great isn't experts like Rathbone but making inexpert swordsmen like Tyrone Power look like experts!
@@robertmcpherson1617 You seem to be trying very hard to discredit Tyrone's skill with the sword. While he may not have been as good as Basil, one of the best in Holllywood, he WAS very good too. Basil said that he was a better swordsman than Errol FLynn also. You appear to have some bias against Tyrone and are spouting nonsense that is unsupported by facts.
@@SR-iy4gg I got my information from an excellent book by Jeffrey Richard's, film historian. I also observed his form. I have been a classical fencer for forty years and I have instructed in that art for about 37 years. I started choreographing fights for the stage about 35 years ago. A teacher spots things...such as the angle of Mr. Powers's hip and the lean into the sword. These are signs that one is not an expert swordsman but they are difficult for most to see. Once again though, it does NOT take an expert swordsman to look good in a movie swordfight; it takes an excellent actor. That, Tyrone Power was! My main point though is that these fights were largely the product of a fight choreographer! A side note, Tyrone Power himself once disputed claims of his sword mastery. Up until these films he wasn't even trained. I love Tyro e Power; I love this film and that fight is my favorite fight from the movies. I do apologize if I have offended anyone; it was never my intention.
Helping this scene along was the compressed space; most sword fights on film involved large areas and running from room to room -- but having them fight here, in close quarters, ratcheted up the tension and allowed them to use their skills to the fullest
Definitely one of the best sword fights on film. I enjoyed the story over all how they established Diego as a well trained and seasoned soldier who has experience with one on one combat.
Loved how Diego maintained his fake fop persona (such as how he takes the sword from Esteban) until he actually goes en guarde. Pasqual has no idea what he's facing.
Ok, so here we are - about 84 years since that scene was filmed - and yet to my mind, it's still the single best fencing scene in cinema. It reminds me of how after 53 years, the car/tram chase in The French Connection still remains the single best car chase scene of all time. I guess that just goes to show how damned hard it is to make a classic.
I must have seen this film about forty years ago. The one part I remembered well was the candle scene. Seeing this again - wow - amazing swordsmanship on display.
Master swordsman Fred Cavens choreographed this fight. His son Albert doubled for Tyrone Power to perform the more difficult and dangerous swordplay. Basil Rathbone won the British Army Fencing Championship twice, and thus needed no double. He was an expert swordsman that helped train Errol Flynn & Tyrone Power. The only actor equal to Rathbone for loveable bad guys is Alan Rickman, may they dine forever in Valhalla! The Albert Caven scenes: 1:43 to 1:50 2:00 to 2:09 2:40 to 2:50 3:18 to 3:32
As a fan of Basil Rathbone portraying the series of Sherlock Holmes, I never knew he was an excellent swordsman and in this movie! Great talent Mr. Rathbone and you will always be the best Sherlock Holmes!
@@rowanaforrest9792 Two times champion in millitary fencing and he used his fencing in real battle on the first wordl war, he even has a military cross medal.
@@vagiasthanasis I read here on TH-cam that Tyrone Power was taught fencing by his Mother . Is that true ? Or did he learn Fencing from another instructor ?
DAMN, this is good. I know that in real life, it's the fight choreographer who is the unsung hero of scenes like this, but what a job he did here, and what perfection both Rathbone and Power (and whoever doubled for Power in some of the parts - you can tell when Zorro has his back to the camera that it is not always Power) displayed! The whole key to scenes like this is that although the sword fighters are really "dancing" to the steps orchestrated by the fight choreographer, they don't LOOK like they are "dancing" - they really do look like they are fencing in earnest and that only one of them is going to emerge on his feet when it is over. It's like the "train fight" scene in From Russia With Love -- you really do suspend all belief and are "hooked" into the scene. Compare that with some of the sloppy fight choreography in so many modern "martial arts" films (including, IMHO, the boxing scenes in the "Rocky" franchise, none of which look like genuine boxing matches) -- totally over the top, looking more like jitterbug dancing than actual fighting.
Basil Rathbone was a first class swordsman and he said Tyrone Power was the best. So good at it, in fact, that he "could sword fight Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
The swordfight choreographer was Fred Cavens, who doubled Tyrone Power in at least one shot. But the actors themselves did all but the most hazardous scenes themselves. Quite a piece of work!
Rathbone was a master fencer, and instructed and choreographed many sword fighting scenes. He taught both Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn, and stated that Power was a far superior fencer. Of course, since he usually played the villain, Basil almost never won an on screen sword fight
The only part of your post with which I disagree is your statement that Rathbone "usually played the villain." You seem to have forgotten that his best-known role was playing Sherlock Holmes, one of cinema's most iconic heroes. Of course, Holmes never had to fight with a sword, just a violin.
@@josephosheavideos3992 😂you are correct of course and I do absolutely remember his classic portrayal of Holmes. I should have clarified by saying in his roles before Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone was one of the best swordsmen in Hollywood at that time. And he said Tyrone Power was an excellent fighter. If you can find other sword fights with Basil Rathbone I recommend viewing them.
His opinion in this has been called into question. Fred Cavens (you know, the choreographer) said virtually the opposite about Power. Another thing is that Rathbone wasted no words denigrating Errol Flynn, whom he found unprofessional and too idolized.
@@robertmcpherson1617 I'll take Basil Rathbone's opinion, that of an expert, over yours, some anonymous Tyrone Power basher, any day of the week. Basil actually knew how to swordfight and fought against Tyrone and others, so he had expert and first-hand experience.
@@kenchristie9214 I know Basil Rathbone was an Olympic-quality swordsman, and I've heard that although Danny Kaye didn't become a swordsman, he had enough aptitude that he could have become an excellent one.
I 💯Agree ! Great swordsman ship and the intensity is great by both of them ! The trickle of blood after he pulls the sword out is almost too realistic even now 85 years later !
What makes this fight so real is also the sound effects. Not sure if they were from the raw recordings on set but unlike most movies were the sword sounds sound grand and polished with the metalic tangs, each crossing of swords here are less a tang and more a WHACK! Any of those contacts could kill you making the fight so much more deadly.
Very astute. In fencing, we have tac parries and opposition parries. The consensus is that tac is from the sound of a beat. In general, swords don't clang.
Not sure if it was the case here, but on other sword-fighting productions, swords that look like sabres were actually epee blades with sabre grips. Modern sabres are actually very light and flexible; so they wouldn't bend and whip round in the air potentially injuring an actor, they put epees, the heaviest and stiffest of the blades, in the sabre grips. That might account for the good, solid sound as they clash (though it is likely that they dubbed the sounds in at least partially, I doubt the mics would have picked them up clearly enough)
The sound almost certainly would have been done in Foley, ie faked after the filming by Foley artists. The microphones and electronics they had in those days were very poor for getting live sound, a lot of times even the vocals would be dubbed later to match the video.
@@fionatsang9353 They actually appear to be sabres (but acting as sort of rapiers). The sabres of the late1800s to the early 1900s were very substantial. My classical fencing club uses replicas of them (and ours aren't even quite as beefy). At the time, they were considered heaviest of all three. There were still plenty around during Hollywood's golden age. However, most of the old "rapier" fights used theatrically hilted epee blades. I still use them for the stage quite often. On stage, the sound of clashing blades definitely works! No clang either! 😏
Played villains so many times, he won only two on-screen sword fights. Besting the friar in this movie and a fight in the film _Romeo And Juliet_ , 1936.
The duel was staged by the great Fred Cavens. He made sure the actors worked out and were well-rehearsed. Cavens wanted his fencing scenes to look like fights and not choreographed routines, hence no jumping on furniture or spinning around. Power was doubled by Albert Cavens (Fred's son) in the flashier moments such as the shot where Don Diego's saber crashes through the bookcase.
In fact all those shots from Diego's back where the swordplay became dizzying were Albert. Some of the long shots and of course that final series of disengages ending in Estaban's death (where we don't see Diego's were as well.
What's also fascinating about the scene is that this is one of the few times de la Vega showed his prowess as a fencer, rather than using his Zorro persona.
Loved how Diego took the sword when Estaban handed it to him.(Kept his fop persona to the end.) And Estaban's ever so tiny look of puzzlement (doubt?) when Diego sliced the candle.
A very impressive sword fight by two skilled masters of the art. Excellent skills demonstrated by both. One of the very finest displays of swordsmanship on film.
Rathbone was a participant in three of the greatest screen sword fight - Zorro with Tyrone Power, and Robin Hood and Captain Blood with Errol Flynn. Magnificent!
Don't forget his duel with Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester"! Though a comedy, Basil said Danny did remarkably well, esp. after being"bewitched" by Mildred Natwick!
Absolutely classic. I completely love this movie and this is one of my favorite sword fight scenes. The other being the fight in The Princess Bride between Inigo and Wesley.
Their exchanges are insane. Steady cam, few to no cuts during the action. It's choreographed not unlike a stage play. If only we could marry this way of filming fights to more historical accuracy we would have awesome fights in films.
Are you sure the audience want historical accurate fights in the movies? Problem with the realistic duels is that they are almost always short and lack of dramatism audience could understand.
I clicked on this really bit ready for how good the fencing was actually going to be. And readable, too. So many fights scenes are either really bad fencing, impossible to read or both. Great scene.
It's impressive how fast and athletic these two men are, though not surprising considering that Rathbone is a real master with the sword. Actors these days depend on fancy editing and a shaky camera to look like they know how to fight.
@@superdicas7815 correct. Side note, Power was not all that athletic, certainly not with the sword! He was heavily doubled by the choreographer's son. There is actually a strong resemblance. Check out the 1950 Cyrano de Bergerac. Valvert is the guy who is doubling for Tyrone Power here.
Wow! What a great sword fight! Basil Rathbone was a superb swordsman for real and said once in an interview that he was a much better fencer than Errol Flynn. This scene really shows how skilled he was, but kudos to Tyrone Power as well. Power really looked good! I'd love to know how long it took to choreograph this fight! It actually appears much more real and complex than Rathbone's fight with Flynn in Robin Hood, which is generally considered to be the best sword fight in cinema history!
Rathbone had a duel with Danny Kaye (their characters, that is) in "The Court Jester." I've read that although Danny Kaye didn't train as a swordsman, Rathbone and others said he showed such aptitude that he could have become a really good swordsman. Not something you'd expect of Kaye, who was mostly a comedian.
No. This scene is considered the best swordfight in movie history by those that know something of the sport. Rathbone said Flynn was lazy and not a good student. Power was trained early on, and for years by his mother, an Olympic fencer. Rathbone would always say Power was the most skilled screen swordsman he ever fought.
Daaaaaaaaaamn...I saw this once before,years ago.It's even more exciting now than it was back then! Basil Rathbone was a great swordsman and he had nothing but good things to say about Tyrone Power's skill with a blade."-the most agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera.Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat" High praise! Such a shame that he passed away so young.Only 44!
I still remember the day the first time I saw this in a afternoon movie during some school holidays. They don't show the best bit which is when Rathbone and Power cut the candles in half. We laughed and cheered like crazy. Fast forward some 30 years when my kids were watching it. Their reaction didn't disappoint, first disbelief then laughing then cheering. They don't make them like they used to. No CGI not even stunt doubles just great story telling. Ageless.
Sir Basil Rathbone was one of the great swordsmen of his generation and won many competitions. He gave lessons and practice sessions to the likes of Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and others.
Tyrone had already developed his excellent fencing abilities long before this. His mother insisted he take lessons, as it was needed for stage acting and he descended from a long line of black Irish theatre performers including his father and grandfather. From Wikipedia: "The great Hollywood swordsman, Basil Rathbone, who starred with him in The Mark of Zorro, commented, "Power was the most agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
This movie was filmed 84 yrs ago and this duel still stands the test of time.
so true absolute best
Just like the fight scene in the Antonio Banderas movie when he fights the 2 bad guys at the same time
@@Rob-z7kAntonio Banderas was not a trained swords man, so they used stuntmen to pull that off. Power ( playing De la Vega\Zorro ) and Rathbone ( playing the villain ) were trained swordsmen both and they performed their sword fighting sequences on their own in this and every other movies where they had to perform one.
One of the beauties of being an O.M.C. Member is looking at this one the second time around and TRULY!! enjoying it. Thank you Lord.
84 yrs? Wow
Fantastic! Basil Rathbone really Had a ton of skill and energy.
Unless my numbers are estimated wrong, he had more than 20 years over Tyrone.
Love all the Sherlock Homes that Basil did
@@Euripides_Panz IIRC, Rathbone was an Olympic level fencer.
@@scottwalker6947 Yes, he was a two time British military champion and made everyone else look good. He famously said that "Tyrone Power could fence Errol Flynn into a cocked hat". I actually met his widow in the early 1970s in New York and she said that he didn't like working with Flynn because Rathbone had to "work so damn hard to make him look good". He also had problems with Flynn's (rather famous) lack of professionalism on set.
@@Euripides_Panz
Imdeed, Rathbone was already 47, when he made this movie, Power wss only 26 !
Rathbone's dynamic agility and athletisim at that age was really astonishing !
I just noticed that when Diego cuts the candle, that’s not a camera trick, or at least it doesn’t seem to be since if you look close you can see the cut in the candle. Tyrone Power really did cut the candle so quickly and smoothly that it didn’t go out or seem to move at all.
All that and yet it’s Basil Rathbone, his opponent, who was unquestioned as the best fencer in Hollywood.
God these two must have been something else.
I heard someone quote Basil Rathbone as saying that Tyrone Power could have fenced Errol Flynn "into a cocked hat."
Greatest fencing scene of all time. And the whole movie a classic
So natural , like it when they stand there and trade blows
Way way WAY better than the other imposters …😏
My favourite movie! Tyrone Power was wonderful!
When I took a fencing class in college, my instructor said that this was the most difficult duel ever filmed. My instructor was an alternate on the women's Olympic team in the 60's. She trained the college team, and they studied this duel. Tyrone Power's mother was an Olympic level competitor. Basil Rathbone was a fencing master and had training with the foil, Sabre, epee and could duel with weapons in both hands at the same time. His skill was what made others look good. When George Takei did some sword play in an early Star Trek episode, he studied with Craven, who choreographed this duel. Takei said the teacher told him that Basil Rathbone was a wild man with a sword, and that everybody was afraid of him, because he was so skilled.
George had only a week to train for the episode, "The Naked Time."
@Kingsman * Yes, and he did a lot of push ups as part of getting in shape for the part.
If Rathbone lived now he could have drastically improved some of the lightsaber scenes in Star Wars. Lord knows they needed it.
Rathbone was a trained stage fencer. There were a few competitive fencers of Hollywood's golden era. The best of them was Cornell Wilde, a sabreur, who trained for the 1936 Olympics. The greatest fencer to ever appear in a Hollywood movie was Aldo Nadi, world champion and multiple Olympic winning foil fencer. Oddly, the film Nadi appeared in, he didn't fence. He played a crooked policeman in To Have and Have Not, starring Humphrey Bogart. There is footage of Nadi fencing in competition in the 1930s on TH-cam. Well worth checking out.
Whenever Basil Rathbone dueled Errol Flynn on the movie screen (twice that I know of) he went made sure that he made Errol Flynn look good. In this particular sequence Tyrone Power, an accomplished fencer himself, and Basil Rathbone did their very best to make each other look good!
This film was by far the best version of this great story.
@𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆𝟳𝟬𝟴𝟱
It was a great movie but am not entirely certain that it surpasses the 1920 version with Douglas Fairbanks. That movie was quite a film gem!
The choreography is far better than those of so many movies nowadays
Basil era un experto en la materia pero lamentablemente siempre tenía que perder por qué era el malvado de la película
Americanized fight choreography for movies these days is horrid, always with the cuts to new camera angles at every attack, constant facial closeups, way too much shaking camera.
Well, because modern sword fights choreography takes more precautions on actors' safety, which causes usage of strikes which are out of measure, mistakes are often fixed with cuts etc. Back in the day those sequences were made with one shot, but requires lots of swordsmanship skill and practice for particular scene, as a mistake with steel blade (even a dull one) might be fatal (especially with sabres, longswords and other swords heavier then the fencing foils used here). Your skull will break if hit by a sword, it's sharpness doesn't matter.
Take a look for Kmicic Wołodyjowski fight in "Potop"
@@kolega4ever well it wasnt a real fencing match, there was a lot of show boating with the clash of blades just to make it look awesome
Efffing Christ this is Fast!!. Oh and both Basil Rathbone n Tyrone Power were amazing actors.
What makes this scene even more remarkable is the fact that Rathbone was born in 1892 so was 47 or 48 when this scene was filmed. Truly a great actor and swordsman.
Truly, one of, if not the greatest swordfight of all time! Tyrone died at 44,of a heart attack,
after filming a swordfight, so it's amazing that Rathbone was 47, possibly doing this multiple
times!
The greatest on-screen swordsman ever. He was absolutely brilliant.
Another great feature about this sword fight is that it shows the actors, or stuntman's, entire body; similar to the way Fred Astaire used to show his entire body while dancing. The viewer gets to see how the players move. Unlike the majority of today's films which rely on fast editing, and one only sees parts of the actor's actions during a fight or dance scene.
What do you expect from a 47y/o? Walking on a crutch?😂
Basil Rathborne, also did a super sword fight as Guy of Gisbourne in, "The Adventures of Robin Hood," 1938. He was 46 years old in that movie. Imagine, fighting so well against much younger actors, and the actors are, Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, both lady's men, and both dying young about the age that Basil Rathbone is while playing this part.
Wow! No one? A lot of people don't know that Tyrone Power was an actual master swordsman and he was so good with a sword he actually cut that candle in half for real. My mother told me when I was little first watching the movie. If you slow it down to .25 speed you can see the blade going through the candle.
Born in 1963. Saw this as a kid. Was Zorro for several Halloweens. Whenever I was hit with a stick or a ball or a snowball or whatever it was always, "I needed that scratch to wake me up" and back into the fray redoubled. We can all learn a lot from Zorro. Especially mustache maintenance.
@FredCarpenter-pm8bf So you'd already been sword fighting for an year by the time @Greatbonestructure was born! Fantastic! You can legitimately say to him, "I was fighting duels while you were still in your nappies."
@GreatBoneStructure I understand that you were born in 1963 bit that's no reason to to stare at us so malevolently with one eye.
Good story.. we often forget the joy we had as children, when EVERYTHING was real ..
"Mustache maintenance "
Good one!😊
😂👍
I love it. No effects, just good choreography, acting and athleticism
Not stund man. Actual actor did the sword fight.
@@zulkifliali8832 Tyrone Power trained hard for the film, including under Basil Rathbone, but still needed a double for the most difficult passes. Rathbone needed no double.
Filming appears to have been speeded up a bit
@@michaelcohen2760 In places. Which is unfortunate, it is a bit distracting and does not seem necessary.
Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Powell were both amazing swordmen. This was back in the time actors were "studio men", contractually attached to an studio, and trained whenever they were not filming.Basil Rathbone in particular was even an olympic fencer. For me, the best sword fight was the one in Robin Hood, with Rathbone playing Guy of Gisborne to Errol Flynn's Robin.
This one is the best for its technical skills. But there are many others great ones, ... the Sea Hawk with Errol Flynn, The Black Swan, Prisioner of Zenda, etc....
Basil Rathbone said Tyrone was the finest swordsman on film! Even greater than Errol Flynn!💙
@@janetlieb2507 These old movies make Hollywood seem so boring and washed-up now great film making long gone
Take a look at the duels between Mel Ferrer & Stewart Granger in "Scaramouche" & between Granger & James Mason in "The Prisoner of Zenda".
What's your opinion of Guy Williams as a ,swordsman ?
Basil Rathbone said; “Power was the most agile man with a sword I’ve ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat.”
Everyman's boyhood fantasy, the classic swordfight. We lived for these scenes.
i must confess i have spent to much time in real fights posturing and trying to come up with witty retorts due to movies like this .
Undeniable true
A friend of mine, who was a fencer, back in the 1970s, told me that this was the most realistic fencing he'd ever seen in a movie.
HOLY SHIT MAN.... I had no idea sword fighting like THIS existed in cinema
Ikr ik😄
It's a shame more people don't watch these old gems , cgi is great but you can't beat a great story line.
Check out Rathbone against Errol Flynn in Captain Blood & The Adventures of Robin Hood! ⚔
the rapier fighting in the old movies are so much better
Check out The Princess Bride
I thought it was going to be corny but it was actually really good. Wow... better than any other modern fencing scenes.
No no this is some awesome shit.
Rathbone was twice the British Army Fencing champion, so he knew swordsmanship.
They obviously sped up the fencing scenes.
Most of what we see in film is hack-and- bash.Different types of swords,different sorts of combat.I'd read that Basil Rathbone was a great swordsman.
Yeah, it actually feels like thier fighting to death then just another fight scene in climactic loud music fight slash brawl
Outstanding portrayal of Zorro...my absolute favorite!!
I always respected the acting of Basil Rathbone.
He was great as Sherlock Holmes!
Arguably, the best swordfight on film Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power, amazing actors and both expert swordsmen. So friggin' fast!
I think the film was speeded up for effect
Maybe a little 😊
Error Flynn was great also..
Burt Lancaster..part of their training..as actors back then....
@@jcw9539 Nope. They were that fast.
@@davidciscwhite8994 Basil Rathbone was a first class swordsman and he said Tyrone Power was the best. So good at it, in fact, that he "could sword fight Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
This is honestly one of the better fencing scenes ever filmed
It's always best when they really look like they want to kill each other. That one famous polish film has a similar quality.
@@theminister1154 YES! And you were referring to The Deluge from 1974 (the Polish film). That famous sword fight was incredible & amazingly realistic. The film itself was meant to take place in the mid 17th Century during Poland's war with Sweden. That fight was indeed very epic!
Short but sweet might check out The Great Race.. Natalie Wood is a bonus.
@@theminister1154 That is actually my favorite fencing scene
Tyrone Power was a Marine pilot in Pacific combat zones during WWII. A real hero!
Yes! My favorite uncle was a combat Marine in WWII and met Tyrone Power in San Francisco right after the war ended.
And Basil Rathbone was a British officer and trench raider awarded the Military Cross for bravery in WWI. Another hero.
@jaybennett: You're right!
I loved him Captain from Castille.
My dad used to LIVE for these old movies especially when sword fighting was involved. He loved Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power lol I miss hearing him talk about these kinds of scenes.
Yes! Basil And Tyrone Are Wonderful!💙💙
What did I just witness then? Absolute perfection. The hours Messrs Rathbone and Power must have put in to get that right must have been immeasurable. In these days of CGI, this is harks back to the golden days when everything was done by pure skill. Excellent. 👍👍
It helped that they were world class swordsmen in real life! Basil Rathbone was a renowned swordsman with every class of sword!!! There were some movies where he actually forgot the script and demolished his co star!!! If there was a movie in that age that needed an evil baddie it was Send for Basil!!!!
It helped that they were world class swordsmen in real life! Basil Rathbone was a renowned swordsman with every class of sword!!! There were some movies where he actually forgot the script and demolished his co star!!! If there was a movie in that age that needed an evil baddie it was Send for Basil!!!!
"I needed that scratch to awaken me."
What a legend.
My old friend and I used to quote that line to each other. RIP Louie.
That's Spanish for, "NOW you've pissed me off!"
Both military men - well disciplined!
The realistic bleeding pierce to the chest is the most remarkable thing in this scene. Must have been startling to audiences of the time, as they were accustomed even years after this to seeing nothing remotely realistic, no wound that looked like even the shirt was pierced, let alone the flesh.
This was one of my earliest favorite movies as a kid, one of the heroes I loved pretending to be.
It wasn't enough for Sir Guy to die in a swordfight with Robin Hood. He had to be reincarnated as Captain Esteban Pasquale so he could do it all over again in this fight with Zorro!
You remind me of how a person could get shot and not see any evidence of it as they fell down.
Rathbone was considered just about the most skilled fencer in Hollywood in those days...nice touch showing blood...
Seeing it left no doubt💀
Cuánto realismo muestra está escena
I had not seen this movie and was shocked when he was pierced and died.
I barely have a word to talk about this duel. It's 1940 and yet, it is still amazing.
I'm not sure whether there is an actor living today who is a true sword master like Basil Rathbone. He was an Olympic-quality swordsman, an expert.
This is, IMHO, the Greatest Fencing scene in all of Cinema...I've seen "The Mark Of Zorro", a number of times & it's a "Classic"...Bravo to Tyrone Power & Sir Basil Rathbone for this magnificent performance!.. ******
Haha...No disputes in my neighborhood... We're all Just 1 Big Happy Family!!!!!..(LOL)
I haven’t seen this duel in years. One of my favourite duels ever
An Exciting Duel! Wonderful Movie!💙
WOW! WHAT an exhibition! Fabulous! Best ever! Makes the swordplay in ballet look amateurish! Bravo!
I just watched some modern movie sword fight scenes. Troy, Gladiator, Spartacus, stuff like that, then checked this one out. So much more fun, and the end was truly shocking. Bravo.
Whole different style with the Roman gladius. I always preferred the foil/ rapier fighting.
Basil Rathbone had a great voice and presence. He was real class act.
I agree. I can't think of any modern actor to come close.
The actors at the time had real talent.. nowadays difficult to find on shows.
They also had an image to maintain. The public viewed than as larger -than-life figures, not just regular people.
This is Amazing!! You can really feel the danger between two man, which is what modern movies cant give
That sense of danger is due mainly to the fight choreographer, Fred Cavens!
Basil Rathbone had good form. He was always great at making the heroes look good. If you watch carefully, you can see the hero "search for the blade." Rathbone puts his blade in line, where the hero can find it. Other films featuring him also show this trait.
This is at 1:45 right? It looks like they pause the blades come together and it sounds almost like a tuning fork while it pauses stops and then the action restarts? And I saw it again at 2:04
Greatest fencing ever seen on film. I never knew that Rathbone was an Olympic fencer. He and Tyrone's swordplay in this movie was nothing short of absolutely awesome.
Let's not forget master swordsman
Cavens and his son Albert, beautiful work, hats off to all.
I don't believe we will see the beauty of this art again in my lifetime.
This was the work of true craftsmen at it's best.
Peace
Ive seen hundreds of duel scenes from both old and new movies. As a fencer, a despise most of the terrible hollywood choreography. This duel has to be one of my favorites. Its not perfect but its fast, well paced, no suicidal spinning. But best of all, each reposte tries to hit the open target. I absolutely love it
"no suicidal spinning" 😂
@ernestkhalimov7407 What's a fencer? Is it someone who mends fences? Why would a fence-mender be so interested in sword fighting? I really don't see the connection.
@@sidhu139 fencing is swordplay
@@ernestkhalimov7407 And some comments are supposed to be jokes. But thanks anyway. 😉😉👍
@@sidhu139I'm not sure English is their first language, though I always have liked this joke.
As an actor, Basil Rathbone seems to have been an outstanding swordsman. He was likewise as awesome and believable in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Erroll Flynn. I would not have wanted to cross swords with him, even if it was all choreographed.
Honestly, how do you choreograph something like this without both actors getting sliced up? Truly remarkable athleticism, skill and artistry.
One of the best swordfights in all of cinematic history.
2 Sophisticated gents going at it in the most stylish and sophisticated way... EXCELSIOR!!!
Two masters of their craft. This is the 1930's equivalent of Jet Li and Jackie Chan going at it. My personal favorite fencing scene of all time.
Once again, Tyrone Power was not an expert. The great Fred Cavens who choreographed this and many of the best swordfights of the time, was. Of course, Rathbone was an excellent fencer but what makes Cavens so great isn't experts like Rathbone but making inexpert swordsmen like Tyrone Power look like experts!
@@robertmcpherson1617 You seem to be trying very hard to discredit Tyrone's skill with the sword. While he may not have been as good as Basil, one of the best in Holllywood, he WAS very good too. Basil said that he was a better swordsman than Errol FLynn also. You appear to have some bias against Tyrone and are spouting nonsense that is unsupported by facts.
@@SR-iy4gg I got my information from an excellent book by Jeffrey Richard's, film historian. I also observed his form. I have been a classical fencer for forty years and I have instructed in that art for about 37 years. I started choreographing fights for the stage about 35 years ago. A teacher spots things...such as the angle of Mr. Powers's hip and the lean into the sword. These are signs that one is not an expert swordsman but they are difficult for most to see. Once again though, it does NOT take an expert swordsman to look good in a movie swordfight; it takes an excellent actor. That, Tyrone Power was! My main point though is that these fights were largely the product of a fight choreographer! A side note, Tyrone Power himself once disputed claims of his sword mastery. Up until these films he wasn't even trained. I love Tyro e Power; I love this film and that fight is my favorite fight from the movies. I do apologize if I have offended anyone; it was never my intention.
They do not use rope and crane assisted tricks just pure skill, they're way above anything today's actors can do.
@@robertmcpherson1617 you have not offended anyone. You speak the absolute truth
Helping this scene along was the compressed space; most sword fights on film involved large areas and running from room to room -- but having them fight here, in close quarters, ratcheted up the tension and allowed them to use their skills to the fullest
It's sad how many people are missing out on great films like this all because they don't want to watch "old movies" or "black & white" movies.
Yes! Wonderful Movies! Also The Wonderful Silents! 💙
They are fools. Sad but true.
@@chriswood1054 yes!💔
Colorization was unnecessary
Yes. So very true. The interesting thing is that great movie directors of today like Tarentino are inspired by the old films.
I feel honoured to have witnessed this duel, again. A superb and realistic scene.
I think its cgi myself
Great sword fight
And to think this was the last movie the Waynes saw before they were shot in an alley on Park Row in Gotham City.
You absolutely rock with that comment. If I had seen this movie as a kid, I would have fenced in college.
Fabulous! I remember this movie. You don't see fights like this anymore. All you get is crazy quick cut camera action. These boys knew swordsmanship
Definitely one of the best sword fights on film. I enjoyed the story over all how they established Diego as a well trained and seasoned soldier who has experience with one on one combat.
Loved how Diego maintained his fake fop persona (such as how he takes the sword from Esteban) until he actually goes en guarde. Pasqual has no idea what he's facing.
Ok, so here we are - about 84 years since that scene was filmed - and yet to my mind, it's still the single best fencing scene in cinema. It reminds me of how after 53 years, the car/tram chase in The French Connection still remains the single best car chase scene of all time. I guess that just goes to show how damned hard it is to make a classic.
One of the most famous sword fights in all of cinema.
Its so good it killed Batman's parents.
I must have seen this film about forty years ago.
The one part I remembered well was the candle scene.
Seeing this again - wow - amazing swordsmanship on display.
Master swordsman Fred Cavens choreographed this fight. His son Albert doubled for Tyrone Power to perform the more difficult and dangerous swordplay. Basil Rathbone won the British Army Fencing Championship twice, and thus needed no double. He was an expert swordsman that helped train Errol Flynn & Tyrone Power. The only actor equal to Rathbone for loveable bad guys is Alan Rickman, may they dine forever in Valhalla!
The Albert Caven scenes:
1:43 to 1:50
2:00 to 2:09
2:40 to 2:50
3:18 to 3:32
Wow! Thanks for the information
Thank you for sharing! I had always had a feeling there was someone else doubling for him in some scenes.
Varlet! Thou dost call Albert craven?
Where are you getting this? I believe Bob Anderson was the swordmaster on this film and many other classics, including the Princess Bride.
That explains it. Thanks
One of The Greatest Swordfights in cinematic history!
I would also rank Cyrano (1950) along with this one (actually 2 of my favorites and that's including Shaw Brothers lol)
only scaramouch comes close
He actually stabbed the guy in the end! That was insane!
As a fan of Basil Rathbone portraying the series of Sherlock Holmes, I never knew he was an excellent swordsman and in this movie! Great talent Mr. Rathbone and you will always be the best Sherlock Holmes!
I'm not sure whether Rathbone did compete in the Olympics, but I heard long ago that he was an Olympic-quality swordsman. Very impressive!
@@rowanaforrest9792 Two times champion in millitary fencing and he used his fencing in real battle on the first wordl war, he even has a military cross medal.
@@vagiasthanasis Wow, thanks! :)
@@vagiasthanasis I read here on TH-cam that Tyrone Power was taught fencing by his Mother .
Is that true ? Or did he learn Fencing from another instructor ?
Wonderful actor swordsman and a great Sherlock HOLMES but Jeremy Brett will always be the Holmes
DAMN, this is good.
I know that in real life, it's the fight choreographer who is the unsung hero of scenes like this, but what a job he did here, and what perfection both Rathbone and Power (and whoever doubled for Power in some of the parts - you can tell when Zorro has his back to the camera that it is not always Power) displayed! The whole key to scenes like this is that although the sword fighters are really "dancing" to the steps orchestrated by the fight choreographer, they don't LOOK like they are "dancing" - they really do look like they are fencing in earnest and that only one of them is going to emerge on his feet when it is over. It's like the "train fight" scene in From Russia With Love -- you really do suspend all belief and are "hooked" into the scene.
Compare that with some of the sloppy fight choreography in so many modern "martial arts" films (including, IMHO, the boxing scenes in the "Rocky" franchise, none of which look like genuine boxing matches) -- totally over the top, looking more like jitterbug dancing than actual fighting.
Basil Rathbone was a first class swordsman and he said Tyrone Power was the best. So good at it, in fact, that he "could sword fight Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
The swordfight choreographer was Fred Cavens, who doubled Tyrone Power in at least one shot. But the actors themselves did all but the most hazardous scenes themselves. Quite a piece of work!
yeah, they did look like they were trying to impale each other, but doing so at a very high level of skill.
Rathbone was a master fencer, and instructed and choreographed many sword fighting scenes. He taught both Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn, and stated that Power was a far superior fencer. Of course, since he usually played the villain, Basil almost never won an on screen sword fight
The only part of your post with which I disagree is your statement that Rathbone "usually played the villain." You seem to have forgotten that his best-known role was playing Sherlock Holmes, one of cinema's most iconic heroes. Of course, Holmes never had to fight with a sword, just a violin.
@@josephosheavideos3992 😂you are correct of course and I do absolutely remember his classic portrayal of Holmes. I should have clarified by saying in his roles before Sherlock Holmes
This is the best fencing duel in movie history .
It's great for sure but it has some competition :) th-cam.com/video/MkYjdPCyYjk/w-d-xo.html
Check out the swordfight in "The Prisoner of Zenda' with Stewart Granger (I think?). As good or better than this one.
Goodness, never thought the sword fighting in classic movies is this intense and mind blowing!
Basil Rathbone was one of the best swordsmen in Hollywood at that time. And he said Tyrone Power was an excellent fighter. If you can find other sword fights with Basil Rathbone I recommend viewing them.
His opinion in this has been called into question. Fred Cavens (you know, the choreographer) said virtually the opposite about Power. Another thing is that Rathbone wasted no words denigrating Errol Flynn, whom he found unprofessional and too idolized.
Yes! Basil And Errol Sword fight In Captain Blood!💙
@@robertmcpherson1617 I'll take Basil Rathbone's opinion, that of an expert, over yours, some anonymous Tyrone Power basher, any day of the week. Basil actually knew how to swordfight and fought against Tyrone and others, so he had expert and first-hand experience.
My favourite fencing scene was Scaramouche with Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer.
Another one is Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester.
@@kenchristie9214 I know Basil Rathbone was an Olympic-quality swordsman, and I've heard that although Danny Kaye didn't become a swordsman, he had enough aptitude that he could have become an excellent one.
I 💯Agree ! Great swordsman ship and the intensity is great by both of them ! The trickle of blood after he pulls the sword out is almost too realistic even now 85 years later !
I *loved* this movie as a kid, and now that I'm a young adult, I love this movie even more. This part was my favorite then, and it still is now.
A Wonderful Movie!!💙
Tyrone Power was the "Tom Cruise" of his day! Amazing 'action' actor & WWII Marine combat pilot!
i still love this movie, the reboot is great in its own right but nothing can top these two.
That last lunge and stab looks so real....
Show this to actors today who say they trained hard.
What makes this fight so real is also the sound effects. Not sure if they were from the raw recordings on set but unlike most movies were the sword sounds sound grand and polished with the metalic tangs, each crossing of swords here are less a tang and more a WHACK! Any of those contacts could kill you making the fight so much more deadly.
That's a great point. Didn't even need a music soundtrack during the fight.
Very astute. In fencing, we have tac parries and opposition parries. The consensus is that tac is from the sound of a beat. In general, swords don't clang.
Not sure if it was the case here, but on other sword-fighting productions, swords that look like sabres were actually epee blades with sabre grips. Modern sabres are actually very light and flexible; so they wouldn't bend and whip round in the air potentially injuring an actor, they put epees, the heaviest and stiffest of the blades, in the sabre grips. That might account for the good, solid sound as they clash (though it is likely that they dubbed the sounds in at least partially, I doubt the mics would have picked them up clearly enough)
The sound almost certainly would have been done in Foley, ie faked after the filming by Foley artists.
The microphones and electronics they had in those days were very poor for getting live sound, a lot of times even the vocals would be dubbed later to match the video.
@@fionatsang9353 They actually appear to be sabres (but acting as sort of rapiers). The sabres of the late1800s to the early 1900s were very substantial. My classical fencing club uses replicas of them (and ours aren't even quite as beefy). At the time, they were considered heaviest of all three. There were still plenty around during Hollywood's golden age. However, most of the old "rapier" fights used theatrically hilted epee blades. I still use them for the stage quite often. On stage, the sound of clashing blades definitely works! No clang either! 😏
Better than ANY sword fight I have seen on modern TV. All the ones today are overdone cartoon special effects.
Still the best on screen sword fight of all time.
Check out the movie 'Scaramouche' from the 1950s it has some truly exciting fencing scenes at least equal to or better than this.
That was the most remarkable duel on film, I have ever seen. Incredible ~
The great Basil Rathbone supreme actor and champion swordsman, no role he couldn't play. Hero or villain he's adorable ❤️
Played villains so many times, he won only two on-screen sword fights. Besting the friar in this movie and a fight in the film _Romeo And Juliet_ , 1936.
That blood curdling look Basil gives Tyrone when putting the other actor back into the chair is worth the admission price alone 😂
The duel was staged by the great Fred Cavens. He made sure the actors worked out and were well-rehearsed. Cavens wanted his fencing scenes to look like fights and not choreographed routines, hence no jumping on furniture or spinning around. Power was doubled by Albert Cavens (Fred's son) in the flashier moments such as the shot where Don Diego's saber crashes through the bookcase.
In fact all those shots from Diego's back where the swordplay became dizzying were Albert. Some of the long shots and of course that final series of disengages ending in Estaban's death (where we don't see Diego's were as well.
Did you know that Mr. Cavens played Edmund Dantés fencing instructor, in the Robert Donat version of "The Count of Monté Cristo?
EXCELLENT INDUSTRY "insider story". I can't imagine how many hours went into training and staging!
Love Tyrone Power as Zorro in this classic movie! Saw it as a kid and never forgot it ❤
What's also fascinating about the scene is that this is one of the few times de la Vega showed his prowess as a fencer, rather than using his Zorro persona.
Loved how Diego took the sword when Estaban handed it to him.(Kept his fop persona to the end.) And Estaban's ever so tiny look of puzzlement (doubt?) when Diego sliced the candle.
that is becuase he now had permission from the alcalde to kill him. he did nto need to hid his abilites anymore
Also, besides eliminating his most dangerous enemy, he also wanted to be jailed to help free his old friend the friar! A true classic!
A very impressive sword fight by two skilled masters of the art. Excellent skills demonstrated by both. One of the very finest displays of swordsmanship on film.
A classic and the best sword fight ever.
Today’s actors it would be done on a green screen with plenty of edits.
Rathbone was a participant in three of the greatest screen sword fight - Zorro with Tyrone Power, and Robin Hood and Captain Blood with Errol Flynn. Magnificent!
"Court Jester" is good as well !
Don't forget his duel with Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester"! Though a comedy, Basil said Danny did remarkably well, esp. after being"bewitched" by Mildred Natwick!
Absolutely classic. I completely love this movie and this is one of my favorite sword fight scenes. The other being the fight in The Princess Bride between Inigo and Wesley.
One of the most impressive choreographies I have seen from the golden age of cape and sword cinema
The best swordfight fencing ever!
Their exchanges are insane. Steady cam, few to no cuts during the action. It's choreographed not unlike a stage play. If only we could marry this way of filming fights to more historical accuracy we would have awesome fights in films.
Are you sure the audience want historical accurate fights in the movies? Problem with the realistic duels is that they are almost always short and lack of dramatism audience could understand.
@lar4agames576 which why I said "marriage" between the two. Many HEMA practitioners have examples of how to do this.
Best Hollywood sword fight, ever!!! These two guys had to have taken quite a few fencing lessons to put on such an exhibition. Great movie as well!
Basil was an actual fencing instructor in the British Army. Tyrone did remarkably well keeping up with him in this movie.
Why wasn't he asked to play Zorro
@@dwightlove3704 I guess he wasn’t quite as big of a name as Tyrone.
@@donparker1823 But he has the obvious background I disagree with you on that he was just as big of a name in his era.
@@dwightlove3704 I must confess I would rather watch a BR movie 🍿 over a TP movie 🎥.
@@donparker1823 Sherlock Holmes over Zorro
"The Princess Bride" has nothing on this! Pure quality!👍✌✊
I'm guessing the swordfight in the princess bride is an "Homage" to this scene, a lot of parallels/ details even in the camera angles!!
Princess Bride was a different story with different tone, goals and style. Apples and oranges.
@@stephenorourke7005 i thought so too, it's definitely a tribute to some of the great swordfights on the screen
not for swordplay but as a charcter study.
One of the two best scenes. The other was Powers and Darnell dancing to El Sombrero Blanco!
I clicked on this really bit ready for how good the fencing was actually going to be. And readable, too. So many fights scenes are either really bad fencing, impossible to read or both. Great scene.
What choreography, artistry, and athleticism, bravo!
It's impressive how fast and athletic these two men are, though not surprising considering that Rathbone is a real master with the sword. Actors these days depend on fancy editing and a shaky camera to look like they know how to fight.
I believe it actually is a bit edited to be faster than reality.
@@alceste424 some frames were. Most of them not
@@superdicas7815 correct. Side note, Power was not all that athletic, certainly not with the sword! He was heavily doubled by the choreographer's son. There is actually a strong resemblance. Check out the 1950 Cyrano de Bergerac. Valvert is the guy who is doubling for Tyrone Power here.
@@robertmcpherson1617 more spam from you
& CGI! visual effects version of Auto tune.
One of the all time greats, who ever worked out the choreography for the fencing was absolutely brilliant, bravo sir bravo
What a movie! What actors ! Basil and Tyrone. Just the best of the bests.
Thats how it looks, when the 2 actors are actually trained sowrdmen. No amount of choregraphy or cgi can substitute experience.
Basil Rathbone, a man for all seasons.
Wow! What a great sword fight! Basil Rathbone was a superb swordsman for real and said once in an interview that he was a much better fencer than Errol Flynn. This scene really shows how skilled he was, but kudos to Tyrone Power as well. Power really looked good! I'd love to know how long it took to choreograph this fight! It actually appears much more real and complex than Rathbone's fight with Flynn in Robin Hood, which is generally considered to be the best sword fight in cinema history!
Rathbone had a duel with Danny Kaye (their characters, that is) in "The Court Jester." I've read that although Danny Kaye didn't train as a swordsman, Rathbone and others said he showed such aptitude that he could have become a really good swordsman. Not something you'd expect of Kaye, who was mostly a comedian.
I prefer their fight in Captain Blood, myself.
Tyrone Power trained hard for this film, but they used a double for the most difficult sequences. Rathbone didn't need one.
No. This scene is considered the best swordfight in movie history by those that know something of the sport. Rathbone said Flynn was lazy and not a good student. Power was trained early on, and for years by his mother, an Olympic fencer. Rathbone would always say Power was the most skilled screen swordsman he ever fought.
Daaaaaaaaaamn...I saw this once before,years ago.It's even more exciting now than it was back then! Basil Rathbone was a great swordsman and he had nothing but good things to say about Tyrone Power's skill with a blade."-the most agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera.Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat" High praise! Such a shame that he passed away so young.Only 44!
I still remember the day the first time I saw this in a afternoon movie during some school holidays. They don't show the best bit which is when Rathbone and Power cut the candles in half. We laughed and cheered like crazy. Fast forward some 30 years when my kids were watching it. Their reaction didn't disappoint, first disbelief then laughing then cheering. They don't make them like they used to. No CGI not even stunt doubles just great story telling. Ageless.
Wow, this was an amazing sword fight! In the best way possible, this has now ruined all other movie sword fights for me forever!
Definetelly the best I've ever seen! Still recall watching it for the first time as a child and get deeply impressed by their skill.
Basil Rathbone, the best swordsman in Hollywood. Expert swordsman. Fencing Master.
Probably a little accelerated somewhere, but insanely good! Forget to see this in modern movies...
Wow 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 didn't expect that level of fencing choreography, purely perfect
Sir Basil Rathbone was one of the great swordsmen of his generation and won many competitions. He gave lessons and practice sessions to the likes of Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn and others.
Tyrone had already developed his excellent fencing abilities long before this. His mother insisted he take lessons, as it was needed for stage acting and he descended from a long line of black Irish theatre performers including his father and grandfather. From Wikipedia: "The great Hollywood swordsman, Basil Rathbone, who starred with him in The Mark of Zorro, commented, "Power was the most agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."
The speed is what surprises me most here. Modern fights feel slower. This faster style is so cool
This is one of the most memorable and chilling fencing combat scenes in c.ne history. I saw the movie as a child and was very impressed.
This was the first Zorro movie I watched with my parents. Got me to love old movies, where they did their own stunts