When I was growing up, I was addicted to movies, actually I still am, which is why I chose to get into the entertainment business. My favorites as a child, were the swashbuckling, adventure movies that featured those great fencing duals.
That prompted me to take a ten-week Theatrical Fencing Course. I wanted to learn, and experience out how it was done. There were probably twenty students. That translated into ten pairs. We had the same partner for the entire class. The first several classes were dedicated to the use of the sword. They used the saber as the basic weapon. Besides the lunge, and parry, there are five cuts, with their parries. One to the top of the head. A cut to each arm, and a cut to each leg. It all starts off very slow, and stationary, in order to develop the right technique. Then, you start moving, and fencing slowly. The instructor calls out the fencing moves for the entire class to follow. Once the class develops the basic moves, then the pace is increased in increments. The last part of the course is developing a well-choreographed dual. Once the instructor likes your dual, it’s time to start picking up the pace. The last class is devoted to watching each pair perform their dual. If, I remember correctly, my partner, and I incorporated props during our duel. Furniture, and I think a knife. Besides, learning how sword duals are staged, it was a lot of fun. Which brings me back to those swashbuckling movies.
During the golden age of Hollywood, the acknowledged best fencer was Basil Rathbone. I also think he was the best Sherlock Holmes. But, that’s another story. There are three movies with excellent fencing duals that he starred in. They are, “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” also starring Errol Flynn, “Captain Blood,” again with Errol Flynn, and “The Mark of Zorro,” also starring Tyrone Power. Each film, was set in a different period in history, and location.
Unfortunately for Basil Rathbone, he was always cast as the villain, and his performance in all three films are brilliant. The only problem for him was that the big fencing scene, which came at the conclusion of the film, resulted in his death, even though he was the best. It just goes to show you that, competence sometimes does not win out.
