''The Swordsman'' is a 1948 American swashbuckler film directed by

Joseph H. Lewis Joseph H. Lewis (April 6, 1907 – August 30, 2000) was an American B-movie film director whose stylish flourishes came to be appreciated by auteur theory-espousing film critics in the years following his retirement in 1966. In a 30-year direc ...

and starring

Larry Parks Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and film actor. His career arced from bit player and supporting roles to top billing, before it was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been ...

Plot

In 18th-century in Scotland, the McArden and Glowan clans stand a violent and long hostility. Alexander, an attractive member of the McArdens clan, falls in love with the beautiful Barbara Glowan. Quickly, their relationship awakens anger of Barbara's cousin, Robert Glowan, who tries to destroy the enemy family forever. The boyfriend, anxious to marry his lover, intends that the two clans live in peace.

Cast

as Alexander MacArden aka Donald Frazer *

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

as Barbara Glowan *

George Macready George Peabody Macready Jr. (August 29, 1899 – July 2, 1973) was an American stage, film, and television actor often cast in roles as polished villains. Early life Macready was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 29, 1899. He graduated ...

as Robert Glowan *

Edgar Buchanan William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The ...

as Angus MacArden * Ray Collins as MacIan, a MacArden * Marc Platt as Murdoch Glowan * Michael Duane as Colin Glowan *

Holmes Herbert Holmes Herbert (born Horace Edward Jenner; 30 July 1882 – 26 December 1956) was an English character actor who appeared in Hollywood films from 1915 to 1952, often as a British gentleman. Early life Born Horace Edward Jenner, (some sou ...

as Lord Glowan *

Nedrick Young Nedrick Young (March 23, 1914 – September 16, 1968), also known by the pseudonym Nathan E. Douglas, was an American actor and screenwriter often blacklisted during the 1950s and 1960s for refusing to confirm or deny membership of the Comm ...

as Bruce Glowan *

Robert Shayne Robert Shayne (born Robert Shaen Dawe, October 4, 1900 – November 29, 1992) was an American actor whose career lasted for over 60 years. He was best known for portraying Inspector Bill Henderson in the American television series '' Adven ...

as Ronald MacArden * Billy Bevan as Old Andrew

Production

The film was based on an original script by Wilfrid Pitit. It was originally called ''Annie Laurie'', then in November 1946, the title was changed to ''The Forge Man'' by which time Larry Parks was set to star and Joseph H Lewis was to direct. The same month,

Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...

said the movie's title was ''Glencoe'' and that it was filming in secrecy. Filming finished by March 1947.

Reception

The ''New York Times'' called it "a plain old fashioned horse opera" noting many of the situations and dialogue could have come straight from a Western.' The Swordsman,' a Western, of the Scottish Type, With Larry Parks, Ellen Drew, Seen at Capitol By BOSLEY CROWTHER. New York Times 17 Oct 1947: 18.

References

External links

* * *
Review of film
at ''Variety'' American swashbuckler films 1948 films 1940s historical adventure films American historical adventure films Films set in Scotland Films set in the 18th century 1940s English-language films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Joseph H. Lewis Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer 1940s American films {{adventure-film-stub