Main Cast: Edward Albert, Dana Barron, Timothy Bottoms, Brigid Brannagh, Fannie Brett
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 85 minutes
Plot
Actor-director William Richert (Winter Kills), who directed the late River Phoenix in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988), originally planned this low-budget adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1848-50 classic adventure, as a vehicle for River Phoenix. Casting his son, Nick Richert, in the dual role of Philippe and King Louis XIV, he continued on with the project, despite the competition of the heavily promoted, more lavish MGM production scheduled for release almost the same month. The future King of France is kidnapped as a boy, put inside an iron mask, and imprisoned in the Bastille. Court intrigue then places his younger twin on the throne as Louis XIV. A decade later, the queen confesses on her deathbed, revealing the truth to Count Aramis (William Richert), who recruits the three Musketeers (Edward Albert, Dennis Hayden, Rex Ryon) in order to bring truth and justice to the situation. Filmed at the historic Mission Inn in Riverside, California. Previous film versions: the 1939 James Whale version with Louis Hayward, the 1976 TV movie with Richard Chamberlain, and Ken Annakin's The Fifth Musketeer (1978, aka Behind the Iron Mask) with Beau Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, Ursula Andress, Cornel Wilde, Jose Ferrer, Rex Harrison, and Olivia de Havilland. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Meg Foster - Queen Anne; James Gammon - The Commandant; Dennis Hayden - D'Artagnan; William Richert - Count Aramis; Nick Richert - Philippe; Rex Ryon - Porthos; R.G. Armstrong; Robert Littman
Credit
Dennis Hayden - Associate Producer, Louis Meserole - Associate Producer, Gloria Pryor - Co-producer, Salvador Perez - Costume Designer, Ray Essler - First Assistant Director, William Richert - Director, Andre Vaillancourt - Editor, Mark Terry - Executive Producer, Jerry Seltzer - Executive Producer, Jim Ervin - Composer (Music Score), Jacques Hebert - Production Designer, William D. Barber - Cinematographer, William Richert - Producer, William Richert - Screenwriter, Alexandre Dumas - Book Author
