Leofwine_draca One of my fondest TV memories from my childhood in the '80s was a spoof adventure serial called THE FLASHING BLADE which they used to show on Saturday morning telly - Going Live, I believe. In it, a rebel hero won the hearts of women around him and valiantly fought off oppressors, and altogether it was a witty and affectionate spoof. Finally, fifteen years on, I catch up with the film which inspired that spoof.THE SCARLET BLADE is an entertaining Hammer swashbuckler, a colourful and lively romp with direction from the stalwart John Gilling, who can usually be relied upon to deliver a dependable movie. The period setting is as good as ever in a Hammer movie, horror or otherwise, and the various action sequences are very well staged and always exciting. On a technical level, the movie is above average in almost every respect. The plot, on the other hand, is basic stuff which happily focuses more on complex characters than other adventures of the period (a lot of Italian movies, for instance). However, it's the acting which stops this film from being an outright classic.Taking the lead of the swashbuckling hero is Jack Hedley (who he?), unfortunately not one of Hammer's most charismatic leads. Sure, he's fine with the physical stuff but otherwise he's quickly forgotten. The same with female lead and love interest June Thorburn, and despite being a traitor her performance is quite uninteresting and the romance between her and Hedley slows the pacing of the film down somewhat. Thankfully two British dependables are on hand to raise the interest a little. First up is Lionel Jeffries, putting in another nice pompously villainous turn, although the film has a slight twist at the end to redeem his character somewhat. By far the most interesting actor in the film is Oliver Reed. Although he's only supporting, he takes on the complex part of one of Jeffries' men, also a traitor, who secretly loves Thorburn and is pushed out into the cold when she falls in love with Hedley. Reed gives a quiet turn as the role calls for, but is also very intense and brooding in the part and his performance excellent as usual. Definitely an undervalued actor. Apart from Reed, this is lightweight and simplistic stuff, old-fashioned escapism which is fun to watch on a rainy afternoon.

bkoganbing The English Civil War much like our own in America has been fodder for numerous historical adventure stories. And the stories have been told from both the Cavalier and Roundhead sides with each taking turn at being the hero and villain of same. It was that kind of period in the United Kingdom history, subject to many different interpretations on all sides.In this one the Royalist cavaliers are the heroes, they've been driven underground pretty much in 1648 and are now concerned with rescuing King Charles I and spiriting him away to safe exile. Charles is now in the custody of Colonel Lionel Jeffries and Captain Oliver Reed of Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides army and is on the way to London for trial and execution. Jeffries has set up headquarters in the manor of the Beverleys who were Royalists now dispossessed of their property. Jeffries is one real pig as I recall and not living the spartan puritan life that his kind were wont to preach about. He's even got a marriage arranged for his daughter June Thorburn to Oliver Reed. But June's a secret Royalist whose heart is set on Jack Hedley the elder of the two Beverley brothers who is leader of an underground group of Royalists.The intrigue in trying to rescue the King is tangled up with the romantic intrigue of this triangle and it leads to a lot of tragedy all around. History tells us what happened to Charles I, if he ruled rather badly, he certainly died nobly for his cause. As for the personal intrigues, you have to see the film for that.The Scarlet Blade was playing as the second half of a double bill as I recall, probably with some Hammer horror feature. I remember at the time thinking how much more interesting Oliver Reed was as the shrewd, but villainous Roundhead than Jack Hedley was as the dashing, but rather wooden cavalier. Maybe Thorburn ought to rethink what she's doing. Of course this was before Oliver Reed became an international star, but his appeal was dead-on.If you get a chance to see The Scarlet Blade, you'll see an average, but entertaining swashbuckler that might have been better with Reed as the hero.

Jonathon Dabell Hammer studios are most fondly remembered for their horror output, but they occasionally dipped their beak into other genres. The Scarlet Blade (US title: The Crimson Blade) is an example of their non-horror releases. Made in 1963 and directed by Hammer veteran John Gilling, this English Civil War swashbuckler cracks along at a brisk pace and, at a mere 83 minutes, never taxes the patience. It also features an early appearance from the brooding Oliver Reed, here perfectly cast as a tough but charming villain. Reed would go on to die 36 years later during one of his countless drinking binges, and his death marked a sad but inevitable loss to the acting profession. It's always pleasant to look back at his early works and remind ourselves what a fine actor he was, especially before years of alcohol abuse took its toll on his features and figure. In fact, roguish Reed's villain is much more interesting in this film than the "good guys" portrayed by June Thorburn and Jack Hedley…. that, coupled with the fact that the other main villain played by Lionel Jeffries is also far more charismatic than the dreary heroes, is probably the film's principal drawback!Cromwellian soldiers Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries) and Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed) capture King Charles of England (Robert Rietty). Colonel Judd has a beautiful young daughter named Claire (June Thorburn). Little does the Colonel suspect that his daughter is actually a Royalist supporter, totally opposed to her father's political sympathies. While Claire is seemingly intended for an eventual marriage to the handsome but ruthless Captain Sylvester, the reality of the matter is that she is very much in love with Cavalier adventurer Edward Beverly (Jack Hedley). Edward and Claire realise that they must gather the sparse Royalist supporters together in their struggle to rescue the king.The Scarlet Blade is pleasing enough whilst on, but soon forgotten afterwards. It paints a typically romanticised view of history, portraying the Cavaliers as whiter-than-white heroes with justice on their side, and the Roundheads as tyrannical baddies with few - if any - likable qualities. The film ends on a rather sour note, much more downbeat than expected, and the decision to do this should be applauded. Happy and convenient endings can sometimes be a bit too conventional, so it's nice to come across a film from time to time which reminds us that things don't always work themselves out perfectly. On a less positive note, the performances are generally wooden and unconvincing (only Jeffries and Reed escape this criticism). Much of the dialogue is unconvincing too, but this is more to do with the film's innocent, old-fashioned charm than anything and provides some unintended pleasures. I'm not going to stand here and claim that The Scarlet Blade is a lost classic, nor am I going to slate it as a lesser-quality time waster. This film is brisk, lively and perfectly forgettable, a period adventure flick that fills a little time harmlessly enough if you're in the mood. If you're lucky enough to find it, give it a go.

filmbuff-51 This was the first Oliver Reed film I ever saw and it's still one of my favourites. He gives an impressive early performance in this good Hammer production. The downslide of it is the main character, played by Jack Hedley, who is a bad actor. One to watch for any Oliver Reed fan.