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Crossed Swords (1954 film)

Crossed Swords
Crossed Swords (1954 film).jpg
1954 Theatrical Poster
Directed by Milton Krims
Vittorio Vassarotti (Italian edition)
assistant
Piero Mussetta
Produced by J. Barret Mahon
Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Vittorio Vassarotti (Italian edition)
executiveJohn W. Bash
Written by Milton Krims
Starring Errol Flynn
Gina Lollobrigida
Cesare Danova
Music by Gino Marinuzzi
Alessandro Dicognini
Cinematography Jack Cardiff
Edited by Derek Hawkins
Vittoria Vassorotti (Italian edition)
Production
company
Errol Flynn Productions
Viva Films
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
1954
Running time
82 mins
Country Italy
USA
Language English
Box office 1,331,794 admissions (France)

Crossed Swords is a 1954 Italian made swashbuckler film starring Errol Flynn and Gina Lollobrigida.

It was also known as Il Maestro di Don Giovanni ("The Teacher of Don Juan") and The Golden Blade.

The film is set in medieval Italy, in the duchess of Sidona. Raniero and Renzo are two friends who have been travelling together for two years, having adventures, fighting duels and womanizing. Raniero is the son of the Duke of Sidona, and the elder Renzo his Don Juan-type mentor.

On their way back to Sidona after a two year absence, Renzo and Raniero encounter Fulvia, a former lover of Renzo. She attacks him then invites him to her estate.

Fulvia's rich husband Gennarelli is at a meeting at Sidona. Pavoncello, the Duke's counselor, is suggesting a new law where all men under twenty must marry and produce children or face imprisonment. (The aim is to ensure future manpower to defend the duchy). The Duke is unsure whether the law is what the people want and refuses to sign it until he consults them.

Gennarelli returns to his estate and surprises Renzo and his wife. The two men fight a duel which Renzo easily wins. Renzo and Raniero head to the castle where the Duke welcomes them. The Duke's daughter, Francesca, regards Renzo as a bad influence on her brother but is attracted to him.

Fulvia arranges a joust with Indian sticks between Renzo and Pavoncello, who wants to marry Francesca. Both men are wounded and the duke stops the contest.

Gennarelli approaches Pavoncello, suggesting he use the proposed law to drive Renzo out of Sidona. Gennarelli and Pavoncello join forces to persuade the Duke to sign the law.

Renzo flees Sidona with Raniero. Pavoncello hires an assassin, Lenzi, to kill Renzo and Raniero. It is revealed Pavoncello wants to take over Sidona and surrounding areas as well; he arranges Lenzi to hire two hunderd mercenaries.

Renzo and Raniero are eating in a tavern when attacked by Lenzi's men but they defeat them. They return to the castle and overhear Fulvia talking to Gennarelli about the latter's plan with Pavoncello.

Renzo and Raniero are captured. Lenzi's mercenary army enters Sidona, and imprisons the Duke and Francesca.

Fulvia helps Renzo and Raniero to escape. They manage to rescue the Duke and Francesca and lead an uprising. Francesca uses the women of Sidona to seduce Lenzi's mercenaries. This enables Renzo to kill Lenzi, and for Raniero to raise the Duke's loyal supporters in rebellion. Renzo kills Pavoncello in a sword duel.

Renzo agrees to marry Francesca.

Milton Krims announced he was to write and produce a film called The Ninth Man in 1950 based on a 1920 novel by Mary Heaton Vorse set in Italy in the fifteenth century.James Woolf of Romulus Films was originally announced as producer.


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