The Gallant Blade

{{Short description|1948 film by Henry Levin}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = The Gallant Blade | image = File:The Gallant Blade.jpg | caption = | director = Henry Levin | producer = Irving Starr | screenplay = | based_on = | narrator = | starring = Larry Parks | music = George Duning | cinematography = Charles Lawton Jr.<br>Burnett Guffey | editing = Viola Lawrence | color_process = Cinecolor | studio = Columbia Pictures | distributor = Columbia Pictures | released = {{film date|1948|10|23|New York City}} | runtime = 81 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Gallant Blade''''' is a 1948 American Cinecolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin and starring Larry Parks.

==Plot== A peasant becomes the hero of France in the 17th century after the Thirty Years' War.<ref name=NFH/>

==Cast== *Larry Parks as Lt. David Picard *Marguerite Chapman as Nanon de Lartigues *Victor Jory as Marshall Mordore *George Macready as General Cadeau *Edith King as Madame Chauvignac *Michael Duane as Paul Brissac *Onslow Stevens as General de la Garance *Peter Brocco as Sgt. Jacques *Tim Huntley as Mayor Lanier *Ross Ford as Henri

==Production== Columbia announced in 1945 they would make ''The Gallant Blade'' based on a short story by Alexander Dumas. It was to be a follow-up to ''The Fighting Guardsman''.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Schallert, E.|title=Big build-up planned for burnett subject.|date=Jan 30, 1945|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|165580518}}}}</ref> It was part of a boom in swashbuckling pictures in 1945.<ref>{{Cite news|title=HOLLYWOOD ON THE CLEFS|author=FRED, S. H.|date=Apr 15, 1945|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|107182987}}}}</ref>

The film was not made immediately. In 1947 Irving Starr was announced as producer and Charles Vidor as director. Then Vidor was replaced by Henry Levin. Larry Parks was signed to star. He had just made a swashbuckler for Columbia, ''The Swordsman'', then initiated legal proceedings against the studio in July to get out of this contract with them. Parks had refused payment since then; he agreed to be paid for ''The Gallant Blade'' on the proviso it did not affect his legal actions.<ref>{{Cite news|title=LARRY PARKS TO DO FILM FOR COLUMBIA|author=THOMAS F BRADY|date=Nov 18, 1947|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|108042983}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=RKO sets policy of hiring no 'known communists' -- 'all my sons' tailored to the screen -- axe falls at metro|author=T. F.|date=Nov 23, 1947|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|107746935}}}}</ref>

Filming started 1 December 1947. It was also known as ''The Gay Blade''.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Schallert, E.|title=DRAMA AND FILM.|date=Dec 1, 1947|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|165783522}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Parker draws no dough on Blade|url=https://archive.org/details/variety168-1947-11/mode/1up?|magazine=Variety|date=19 November 1947|page=5}}</ref>

==Reception== ''Variety'' wrote "pic can't miss with its pace, color and potent marquee values... Levin keeps the action rolling with headline speed."<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=The Gallant Blade|date=13 October 1948|url=https://archive.org/details/variety172-1948-10/page/n74/mode/1up|page=11}}</ref>

''Variety'' listed the film as a box office disappointment.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=Where stars fail at the b.o.|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1950-01-04_177_4/page/n60/mode/1up?|date=4 January 1950|page=59}}</ref>

==References== <references>

<ref name=NFH>{{citation |title=The New Film History |editor1=J. Chapman|editor2=M. Glancy|editor3=S. Harper |publisher=Springer |year=2007 |isbn=9780230206229 |pages=122–123}}</ref>

</references>

==External links== *{{IMDb title|0040382}} *{{TCMDb title|75902}} {{Henry Levin}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallant Blade, The}} Category:1948 films Category:American swashbuckler films Category:1940s swashbuckler films Category:Films directed by Henry Levin Category:Films set in the 1640s Category:Films set in France Category:American historical adventure films Category:1940s historical adventure films Category:Columbia Pictures films Category:Cinecolor films Category:1948 American films Category:1948 English-language films Category:English-language historical adventure films Category:1940s color films