"The Iron Mask" is a sequel to 1921's "Three Musketeers" with Douglas Fairbanks, in his final silent again playing D'Artagnon. The time is 1638 about 13 years after the first film and D'Artagnon still hasn't wed Constance (Marguerite De La Mottre)
The Musketeers, D'Artagnon, Athos (Leon Bary), Porthos (Tiny Sandford) and Aramis (Gino Corrado) are enjoying fame and fortune as the swashbuckling heroes of France. A special event is about to take place, the birth of an heir to the throne of Louis XIII (Rolf Sedan) . The King is presented with a son who will inherit the throne as Louis XIV. All of Paris rejoices. Unbeknownst to the King, the Queen delivers a second son.
Cardinal Richelieu (Nigel De Brulier) fearing potential for revolution, sends the second son off to Spain with his assistant Father Joseph (Lon Poff). Richelieu figures that only five people are aware of the second birth, the Queen (Belle Bennett), Constance, the Queen's servant, the mid wife, Richelieu and Father Joseph. Constance is spirited off to a convent by Richelieu's men as a precaution.
D'Artagnan is outraged when her learns of Constance's banishment. He makes plans to rescue her. Milady de Winter (Dorothy Revier) has been tasked with watching Constance and not letting her speak to anyone. The Musketeers storm the convent but before D'Artagnan can reach her, Constance is stabbed by de Winter in a scuffle. She dies in D'Artagnon's arms. He is devastated.
The Musketeers carry Milady de Winter off to be executed. Richelieu heads them off with his men and in an effort to break up the Musketeers, banishes Athos, Porthos and Aramis to their native provinces. D'Artagnon is allowed to stay because of his prowess with a sword, to protect the young prince. Richelieu gives the King and D'Artagnon a necklace containing two halves of a coin when put together, form one coin which both will carry to ensure that , unknown to D'Artagnan, will prevent any imposter from taking over the throne.
Twenty years pass and King Louis XIV has assumed the throne. Meanwhile the treacherous De Rochfort (Ulrich Haupt) had hatched a plan to take the throne. He had kidnapped the second son years earlier and raised him to take over from his twin brother. De Rochfort and his men break into Louis' bedroom and carry him off to a secluded castle. Before he is imprisoned, Louis is fitted with an iron mask which will hide his identity from outsiders. The second son assumes the throne and replaces his brother as monarch.
In prison Louis scratches a message on a metal plate along with a picture of his half of the coin given him by Richelieu. He drops it from his cell window to a fisherman (Francis McDonald) below. He brings the message to D'Artagnon who now reslizes that "the other one" referred to by Constance and Richelieu was indeed a second brother.
D'Atagnon sends his faithful servant Planchet (Charlie Stevens) to fetch his three comrades in exile. In the meantime, D'Artagnon having recognized the coin symbol begins to try and break through a wall to the prison. De Rochfort learns of the attempt to rescue the King and sends his men to prevent it. In the interim, Athos, Aramis and Porthos arrive and aid their pal in securing the King's release. They must now get him to the castle and expose the imposter.
The Musketeers fight gallantly and are killed one by one in the battle with De Rochfort and his troops. De Rochfort is slain by Athos (I think) in the process. At the castle the evil twin tries to poison his mother but D'Artagnon arrives just in time. While fitting the imposter with the iron mask, the evil twin stabs D'Artagnon in the back.
The final scene where the Four Musketeers walk away into the beyond is legendary supposingly signaling the end of the silent film era. The film is divided into two distinctive parts, 1638 and 20 years later. In some versions, Fairbanks speaks to the audience at the beginning of each part. There are also several versions of the film ranging from running times from a re-edited 72 minutes (with a narration by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) to 103 minutes. There is apparently some versions that contain color sequences as well. The version on which my comments are based runs 100 minutes so I assume that it is an almost complete version. It is all Black and White and there was no sound and no addresses to the audience.
In addition to Fairbanks, Leon Bary, Nigel de Brulier, Marguerite De La Motte, Lon Poff and Charlie Stevens reprise their roles from the earlier film.
The Musketeers, D'Artagnon, Athos (Leon Bary), Porthos (Tiny Sandford) and Aramis (Gino Corrado) are enjoying fame and fortune as the swashbuckling heroes of France. A special event is about to take place, the birth of an heir to the throne of Louis XIII (Rolf Sedan) . The King is presented with a son who will inherit the throne as Louis XIV. All of Paris rejoices. Unbeknownst to the King, the Queen delivers a second son.
Cardinal Richelieu (Nigel De Brulier) fearing potential for revolution, sends the second son off to Spain with his assistant Father Joseph (Lon Poff). Richelieu figures that only five people are aware of the second birth, the Queen (Belle Bennett), Constance, the Queen's servant, the mid wife, Richelieu and Father Joseph. Constance is spirited off to a convent by Richelieu's men as a precaution.
D'Artagnan is outraged when her learns of Constance's banishment. He makes plans to rescue her. Milady de Winter (Dorothy Revier) has been tasked with watching Constance and not letting her speak to anyone. The Musketeers storm the convent but before D'Artagnan can reach her, Constance is stabbed by de Winter in a scuffle. She dies in D'Artagnon's arms. He is devastated.
The Musketeers carry Milady de Winter off to be executed. Richelieu heads them off with his men and in an effort to break up the Musketeers, banishes Athos, Porthos and Aramis to their native provinces. D'Artagnon is allowed to stay because of his prowess with a sword, to protect the young prince. Richelieu gives the King and D'Artagnon a necklace containing two halves of a coin when put together, form one coin which both will carry to ensure that , unknown to D'Artagnan, will prevent any imposter from taking over the throne.
Twenty years pass and King Louis XIV has assumed the throne. Meanwhile the treacherous De Rochfort (Ulrich Haupt) had hatched a plan to take the throne. He had kidnapped the second son years earlier and raised him to take over from his twin brother. De Rochfort and his men break into Louis' bedroom and carry him off to a secluded castle. Before he is imprisoned, Louis is fitted with an iron mask which will hide his identity from outsiders. The second son assumes the throne and replaces his brother as monarch.
In prison Louis scratches a message on a metal plate along with a picture of his half of the coin given him by Richelieu. He drops it from his cell window to a fisherman (Francis McDonald) below. He brings the message to D'Artagnon who now reslizes that "the other one" referred to by Constance and Richelieu was indeed a second brother.
D'Atagnon sends his faithful servant Planchet (Charlie Stevens) to fetch his three comrades in exile. In the meantime, D'Artagnon having recognized the coin symbol begins to try and break through a wall to the prison. De Rochfort learns of the attempt to rescue the King and sends his men to prevent it. In the interim, Athos, Aramis and Porthos arrive and aid their pal in securing the King's release. They must now get him to the castle and expose the imposter.
The Musketeers fight gallantly and are killed one by one in the battle with De Rochfort and his troops. De Rochfort is slain by Athos (I think) in the process. At the castle the evil twin tries to poison his mother but D'Artagnon arrives just in time. While fitting the imposter with the iron mask, the evil twin stabs D'Artagnon in the back.
The final scene where the Four Musketeers walk away into the beyond is legendary supposingly signaling the end of the silent film era. The film is divided into two distinctive parts, 1638 and 20 years later. In some versions, Fairbanks speaks to the audience at the beginning of each part. There are also several versions of the film ranging from running times from a re-edited 72 minutes (with a narration by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) to 103 minutes. There is apparently some versions that contain color sequences as well. The version on which my comments are based runs 100 minutes so I assume that it is an almost complete version. It is all Black and White and there was no sound and no addresses to the audience.
In addition to Fairbanks, Leon Bary, Nigel de Brulier, Marguerite De La Motte, Lon Poff and Charlie Stevens reprise their roles from the earlier film.