Movie Sword Fights?

[DocWard]

So, I was asked which my favorite sword fight in a movie was. I had to really stop and think, because I can think of a number of good ones, from a number of good movies. I decided to go with the one from my favorite movie of all.

 

So, what are some of the Saloon favorites? After we get some posts, if some of the others I like aren't mentioned, I will post them.

 

 

 

[The Blarney Kid]

The fight between Inigo Montoya and the dread pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 minutes ago, The Blarney Kid said:

The fight between Inigo Montoya and the dread pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.

 

 

Toss up between that andDanny Kaye in The Court Jester. 

[DocWard]

5 minutes ago, The Blarney Kid said:

The fight between Inigo Montoya and the dread pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.

 

 

Another of my favorites

 

[coloradoblackjack]

the final fight in Rob Roy.

[Dorado]

It wasn't a movie but on the first episode of Black Sails when Captain Flynn fought for command of his ship. That looked more authentic than any other I've seen.

[Kingair]

For me all those of Errol Flynn !

 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

1 minute ago, coloradoblackjack said:

the final fight in Rob Roy.

That was brutal, wasn't it?

 

My favorites come from the 3 and 4 Musketeer films starring Michael York, Oliver Reed et al.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072281/?ref_=nv_sr_3

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073012/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[J-BAR #18287]

An oldie but goodie...Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power were both legitimate experts, and it shows:

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

 

With glimpses of smokin' hot Angela Lansbury and Glynis Johns.

[Pat Riot]

My favorite sword fight scene:

 

I just couldn’t help myself...

[Subdeacon Joe]

15 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

An oldie but goodie...Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power were both legitimate experts, and it shows:

 

 

 

 

That is one of the great fight scenes.   

It was always somewhat humorous to me that Sir Basil, who was indeed an accomplished hand with a blade, so often lost to others who knew nothing about the sword other than what their acting coaches/choreographers showed them for a scene.  

Mr. Power was, as you noted, also somewhat skilled.

 

 

ADDED:  I REALLY like what Rathbone and Power are wearing.

[J-BAR #18287]

1 minute ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

 

That is one of the great fight scenes.   

It was always somewhat humorous to me that Sir Basil, who was indeed an accomplished hand with a blade, so often lost to others who knew nothing about the sword other than what their acting coaches/choreographers showed them for a scene.  

Mr. Power was, as you noted, also somewhat skilled.

 

I always wanted to chop a candle like that, but never had a sword to try it!  

[Subdeacon Joe]

Of course, there is the ever-memorable fight scene in  "The Mask of Zorro" between Antonio Banderas & Catherine Zeta-Jones.

[Pat Riot]

Actually one of my favorite movies is Gladiator. I really can’t pick one sword fight scene but I like the entire movie.

 

Now, as far as sword fights in older movies(no movie trickery) I will take Errol Flynn as Robin Hood fighting Sir Guy...I believe that’s one of my favorites.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

The  fight between Jamie and Captain Randall in Outlander was pretty intense.  Jamie was a tad PO'd at Randall...  

 

This is a brief sample:

 

 

 

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

Odd, I was  reading a book on Guy Williams several months back, and a fencing master who taught several actors in the art indicated that there were 4 sword, fencing students he thought were Hollywoods best, Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Errol Flynn and Guy Williams TV Zorro.  MT

 

[Dead River Den, SASS#915]

My dad used to tell me a story about a gentleman in his army unit during WW2 that was a master fencer and Something about the guy teaching fencing in hollywood,  dont know if its the same guy or not, but i know he was an honest man. 

Take care, stay safe

drd

[DocWard]

6 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

My favorite sword fight scene:

 

I just couldn’t help myself...

 

That was actually planned to be a sword against whip fight. Harrison Ford was evidently too sick during the filming to do it, and suggested this instead.

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

25 minutes ago, Dead River Den, SASS#915 said:

My dad used to tell me a story about a gentleman in his army unit during WW2 that was a master fencer and Something about the guy teaching fencing in hollywood,  dont know if its the same guy or not, but i know he was an honest man. 

Take care, stay safe

drd

There were 3 I know of, (don't know if they are the one your dad mentioned), Bob Anderson , Ralph Faulkner, and Fred Cavens  were 3 great fencing/sword teachers for the stars.  MT

[Dantankerous]

Anything from Brave Heart, Gladiator or 300. Awesome. The Patriot had some good scenes as well. 

 

The entire movies were pretty much an extended fight.  Swords, daggers, lances, axes, large blunt objects, chains, whatever. Brutal used to rule the day. 

 

 

 

 

[Pat Riot]

Years ago I worked with a guy that did “Renaissance Fair” shows and also worked at Medieval Times in Orange County CA. He taught people to sword fight but not in “Hollywood “ though he did appear as an Extra in quite a few films.

 

I found all this out when I had unpacked a case of optical sensor chips that came in heavy 4’ long plastic tubes. I stowed the chips wrapped some duct tape around the “handle” of my new found “swords” and challenged him to a Duel. After about 15 minutes of swordplay he told me I was pretty good and offered me a part in his little troupe. I entertained the thought until I went to his home to get more info. Judging by the car he drove and where he lived he definitely wasn’t making out too well in these fairs and shows of his...then he showed me what I would be required to wear. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. “Men in Tights” was a hilarious movie. I wasn’t re-enacting that movie.

[Pat Riot]

4 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

Anything from Brave Heart, Gladiator or 300. Awesome. The Patriot had some good scenes as well. 

 

The entire movies were pretty much an extended fight.  Swords, daggers, lances, axes, large blunt objects, chains, whatever. Brutal used to rule the day. 

 

 

 

 

+1 

 

 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

1 hour ago, DocWard said:

 

That was actually planned to be a sword against whip fight. Harrison Ford was evidently too sick during the filming to do it, and suggested this instead.

 

The version I heard was that the scene had started shooting for the sword/whip fight, but Ford was too sick/tired and spontaneously pulled the gun.  Steven Spielberg liked the idea so much that they repositioned cameras and shot it in one take.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

The entire movie "Three Musketeers"

 

 

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

11 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

An oldie but goodie...Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power were both legitimate experts, and it shows:

 

 

Yep, that's my favorite and I watch the movie frequently. 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

12 hours ago, The Blarney Kid said:

The fight between Inigo Montoya and the dread pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride.

 

I'm torn between this one and several scenec in The Three Musketeers (1993 version)

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

So, speaking of the Three Musketeers...  how come they ain't got no muskets?   

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

24 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

So, speaking of the Three Musketeers...  how come they ain't got no muskets?   

Maybe they couldn't find gun powder and traded them for swords. 

[Rooster Cognizant]

The Gene Kelly D'Artagnan is my favorite for fun.

 

 

[coloradoblackjack]

The Phantom Menace.  the final fight between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jin with Obi-Wan Kenobi trying to keep up (till the end).

a light sabre is a kind of sword...kind of...

[ShadowCatcher]

 

[The O'Meara Himself]

Rasil Nosebone....er........Rasil Bathroom.......Basil Rathbone was a true fencing master.

[Ramblin Gambler]

My favorite is from an old japanese samuai film, but danged if I can recall the name of the actor or the film.  My Martial Artists buddies usually have it queued up whenever we start talking about things like this.  Second favorite is inigo montoya and dread pirate roberts, 

 

But aside from that, adrian paul in the highlander series had a lot of good fights.  He is a martial artist and after the first or second season started studying swords, so the later fights were pretty realistic for hollywood. 

[DocWard]

5 hours ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

 

The version I heard was that the scene had started shooting for the sword/whip fight, but Ford was too sick/tired and spontaneously pulled the gun.  Steven Spielberg liked the idea so much that they repositioned cameras and shot it in one take.

 

That is how I originally heard it as well. Ford is well known for ad-libs in his movies so it made sense. I later read that he suggested it from a couple of sources, including imdb. All sources agree Ford was sick, either from food poisoning or something else, and came up with the idea, though. I do believe that it is more in character, though.