It's a pretty good movie, with swordplay, secrets, murder, and horseback riding...reminiscent of the old Zorro movies. There's a bit of romance, too.
Good over all.
Good over all.
11 Reviews
Interesting
Melissa Alice11 December 2000
Disappointing "B" Swashbuckler With A Wooden Script And A Star On A Downhill Slide!
wgie22 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
At one time actor John Derek appeared to have a very promising career in films after appearing in various supporting roles in such quality films as "Knock On Any Door" (1949) and "All The Kings Men" (1949). These films afforded him the opportunity to portray character roles that focused on a range of expressions, emotions and flaws of the character he was playing. It wasn't too long after these initial successes that he soon became a "star/leading man" in films like "Rogues of Sherwood Forrest"(1950) and "Mask of the Avenger" (1951). Obviously, the studios were trying to cash in on Derek's good looks, and were trying to make him the next Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power. Unfortunately for Derek, films like "Mask of the Avenger" paled in comparison to films such as "Mark of Zorro" and "Adventures of Robin Hood". Even the talented Anthony Quinn, who had just returned from a long successful run on Broadway as Stanley Kowalski in "Streetcar Named Desire" could not save this Saturday matinée turkey. It would be unfair to blame John Derek for this film's failings. Personally, I blame the people who adapted the Alexander Dumas novel (Ralph Gilbert Bettison, George Bruce,Jesse Lasky, Phillip MacDonald). Perhaps it was a case of "too many cooks spoil the broth." The writers not only seemed to have difficulty with the films wooden and lifeless dialog, but also in deciding who the real hero was. In fact, when Derek (Capt. Renato Dimorna)is fighting Quinn (Viovanni Larocca) he loses his sword and is temporarily relieved by his girlfriend Jody Lawrence (Maria d'Orsini)in a manner similar to a low budget tag team wrestling match. Consequently, it was films like this that eventually drove Derek out of Hollywood, and relegated him to the real life role of husband and photographer of some of the screens most beautiful women.... Ursula Andress, Linda Evans, and Bo Derek. To this day, I believe John Derek had the talent to be a leading actor but because of his "pretty face" he became a stereotype to "B" swashbucklers to which he was not suited.
MASK OF THE AVENGER (Phil Karlson, 1951) **1/2
Bunuel197630 March 2014
Judging from the vintage of this swashbuckler, the Hollywood studio which produced it (Columbia), the two leads that star in it (John Derek and Anthony Quinn) and its director, I was negatively surprised by quite a few things in hindsight: it only received a measly ** rating on Leonard Maltin's Film Guide, is not mentioned at all on Leslie Halliwell's and the few reviews I read linked via IMDb were also equally dismissive; for a movie from this genre, it was one humourless ride with a glum hero and a dreary villain (awkwardly named Viovanni!!); having just watched both THE SWORD OF MONTE CRISTO (released a few months prior to this by Twentieth Century Fox) and the rare 1935 RKO version of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, I was struck by how awfully similar it was to the former in plot and to the latter in its music ("The Musketeers' Song" is recognizably riffed on for the main theme here)!! Although the original Count of Monte Cristo does have a tenuous bearing on the narrative, it is never explained how he came to settle in the Italian seaside community of Casamare and eventually bequeath his famed sword (yet again!) to the townspeople and to whom they erected a statue riding a horse(!) in return; similarly, had this likewise emanated from RKO, it would have made sense (sort of) for composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco to pilfer Max Steiner's original score
but, as I said earlier, this came from the "Torch Lady" studio! For what it is worth, the similarly-titled exotic adventure MARK OF THE RENEGADE released that same year was an unrelated but somewhat superior excursion for Ricardo Montalban
Anyway, I do not want to give the wrong impression that this is a worthless addition to the stables of costumed adventures or "Monte Cristo" offshoots. Indeed, the fact that it was shot in Technicolor makes it a pictorially pleasing period piece, there are the expected plethora of treacherous intrigue, wrongful imprisonment and heroic impersonations that will ultimately be resolved in night-time horse chases and clumsy swordfights; having said that, the TCM-sourced print was sometimes too dark to fully appreciate them (again, I was surprised to find no official home video release of it so far)! For all its namedropping of the wealthy count, the clear template (apart from the aforementioned SWORD) was apparently Zorro since returning soldier Derek, finding his father branded a traitor and a suicide, feigns injury (after being beaten up by the angry townsfolk) and spends most of the time – in the lion's den, as it were – as a houseguest of decorated military leader Quinn's reading and playing chess! In the meantime, both Derek and his childhood sweetheart Jody Lawrance (on whom Quinn, needless to say, has his own romantic designs) roam the countryside righting wrongs and pinning poorly-rhyming accusatory messages around town! Quinn's acolytes include wily adviser Arnold Moss (who gets his comeuppance from his own increasingly impatient boss when caught going over his secret documents) and fraidy-cat art dealer Ian Wolfe (who is also the courier of coded messages from and to the Austrian invaders); on the side of Good, aiding the two alternating masked riders (dubbed "The Ghost of Monte Cristo" – with Derek effecting a ludicrous 'foreign' accent to hide his identity almost 55 years before Christian Bale would adopt a gruff voice when Bruce Wayne dons the Batman costume!) are the girl's fencing master uncle (named simply "Zio"!), an orphaned student of the latter's and a street- smart brat. Two final bits of trivia concern the leading man: almost four decades later, Derek would pair Quinn with his star/wife Bo Derek in his own directorial swan-song GHOSTS CAN'T DO IT (1989); I currently have another three costumers of his in my unwatched pile including two "made in Italy"!
Anyway, I do not want to give the wrong impression that this is a worthless addition to the stables of costumed adventures or "Monte Cristo" offshoots. Indeed, the fact that it was shot in Technicolor makes it a pictorially pleasing period piece, there are the expected plethora of treacherous intrigue, wrongful imprisonment and heroic impersonations that will ultimately be resolved in night-time horse chases and clumsy swordfights; having said that, the TCM-sourced print was sometimes too dark to fully appreciate them (again, I was surprised to find no official home video release of it so far)! For all its namedropping of the wealthy count, the clear template (apart from the aforementioned SWORD) was apparently Zorro since returning soldier Derek, finding his father branded a traitor and a suicide, feigns injury (after being beaten up by the angry townsfolk) and spends most of the time – in the lion's den, as it were – as a houseguest of decorated military leader Quinn's reading and playing chess! In the meantime, both Derek and his childhood sweetheart Jody Lawrance (on whom Quinn, needless to say, has his own romantic designs) roam the countryside righting wrongs and pinning poorly-rhyming accusatory messages around town! Quinn's acolytes include wily adviser Arnold Moss (who gets his comeuppance from his own increasingly impatient boss when caught going over his secret documents) and fraidy-cat art dealer Ian Wolfe (who is also the courier of coded messages from and to the Austrian invaders); on the side of Good, aiding the two alternating masked riders (dubbed "The Ghost of Monte Cristo" – with Derek effecting a ludicrous 'foreign' accent to hide his identity almost 55 years before Christian Bale would adopt a gruff voice when Bruce Wayne dons the Batman costume!) are the girl's fencing master uncle (named simply "Zio"!), an orphaned student of the latter's and a street- smart brat. Two final bits of trivia concern the leading man: almost four decades later, Derek would pair Quinn with his star/wife Bo Derek in his own directorial swan-song GHOSTS CAN'T DO IT (1989); I currently have another three costumers of his in my unwatched pile including two "made in Italy"!
Derek Avenges His Dad
bkoganbing3 April 2009
It's mid 19th century Italy and Anthony Quinn pulls something of a palace coup by framing provincial governor Wilton Graff of the very treason that Quinn is perpetrating. He kills Graff in the process and sets up shop in his palace.
And for some very weak plot reasons when Quinn has a chance to let the mob dispose of the 'traitor's' son John Derek he chooses to save him and keep him in the palace. Derek pretends to be more seriously wounded than he is and soon learns of Quinn's double dealing. At that point Derek dons the Mask Of The Avenger and starts to right some wrongs in the style of that other Dumas hero Edmund Dantes whose statue is in the town square.
Phil Karlson who was two years from directing one of the great noir films of all time, Kansas City Confidential, seemed to lose his muse doing this one. Though the film is based on a Dumas novel and mentions his famous hero The Count Of Monte Cristo, it bares more resemblance to a weak remake of The Mark Of Zorro.
Somehow I'm willing to bet that some obvious plot flaws that are in this film aren't present in the Dumas novel. Derek looks good with sword in hand, Anthony Quinn hams it up good as the villain. Jody Laurence is fetching as the dueling countess who Derek and Quinn both want to make some time with.
Still Mask Of The Avenger is ultimately unsatisfying, Dumas has been better served cinematically speaking elsewhere.
And for some very weak plot reasons when Quinn has a chance to let the mob dispose of the 'traitor's' son John Derek he chooses to save him and keep him in the palace. Derek pretends to be more seriously wounded than he is and soon learns of Quinn's double dealing. At that point Derek dons the Mask Of The Avenger and starts to right some wrongs in the style of that other Dumas hero Edmund Dantes whose statue is in the town square.
Phil Karlson who was two years from directing one of the great noir films of all time, Kansas City Confidential, seemed to lose his muse doing this one. Though the film is based on a Dumas novel and mentions his famous hero The Count Of Monte Cristo, it bares more resemblance to a weak remake of The Mark Of Zorro.
Somehow I'm willing to bet that some obvious plot flaws that are in this film aren't present in the Dumas novel. Derek looks good with sword in hand, Anthony Quinn hams it up good as the villain. Jody Laurence is fetching as the dueling countess who Derek and Quinn both want to make some time with.
Still Mask Of The Avenger is ultimately unsatisfying, Dumas has been better served cinematically speaking elsewhere.
Columbia picture costume actioner without Sam Katzman
searchanddestroy-110 August 2023
If you have ever wondered how a costume action movie from Columbia Pictures could look like without the awful Sam Katzman as a producer, with this Phil Karlson's, you have the answer. The difference is obvious if you compare with the other numerous Katzman productions from this era for directors William Castle, Henry Levin... Here the budget is openly larger and you see it on screen. It is as good as the pirates movies made by Sidney Salkow; and the awful music - always the same I guess - from Katzman movies is absent.... John Derek is excellent here and Anthony Quinn exquisite too. A rare Phil Karlson's early material not to miss if you can. Forget the predictable plot.
Mask of the avenger
coltras3531 December 2023
During the European revolutionary fervor of 1848, Italian Captain Renato Dimorna tries to avenge his father's death, goes against the corrupt local military governor Larocca and prevents an Austrian military invasion.
Mask of the Avenger has all the required elements: horses, intrigue, treachery, ambitious villainous plans, derringer-do, fancy costumes, and colourful sets. It's quite a fun swashbuckler in the Zorro/Monte Cristo fashion. It's nothing new, but it's lively, has a plot that keeps one interest and has a good climax. Anthony Quinn - no surprise - plays the villain who kills John Derek's father and John Derek is energetic as the hero. Jody Lawrence makes for a spirited heroine. Arnold Moss plays Quinn's sidekick who suspects that Derek is the masker avenger.
Mask of the Avenger has all the required elements: horses, intrigue, treachery, ambitious villainous plans, derringer-do, fancy costumes, and colourful sets. It's quite a fun swashbuckler in the Zorro/Monte Cristo fashion. It's nothing new, but it's lively, has a plot that keeps one interest and has a good climax. Anthony Quinn - no surprise - plays the villain who kills John Derek's father and John Derek is energetic as the hero. Jody Lawrence makes for a spirited heroine. Arnold Moss plays Quinn's sidekick who suspects that Derek is the masker avenger.
Zorro-like adventure from Columbia is really an inflated B-film...
Doylenf21 September 2007
Italy in 1848 is the setting for MASK OF THE AVENGER, which borrows heavily from every Zorro-like swashbuckler or "Count of Monte Cristo" film ever made. Columbia's fledgling stars, JOHN DEREK and JODY LAWRENCE play the romantic leads with ANTHONY QUINN lending his presence to a colorful supporting role. He was on the verge of his own big-time stardom.
Derek is the masked aristocrat who must engage in swordplay with military tyrant Quinn. Although given Technicolor and some appropriate sets, it has the look of a second-rate epic indistinguishable from a dozen other such stories.
Nor is it any help that JODY LAWRENCE is a strictly one-note actress who brings nothing but a pretty face to her role as the lovely heroine.
JOHN DEREK fares slightly better but it's no more than a cardboard, by-the-numbers sort of adventure done countless times in more inventive ways. This one stirs up only a moderate amount of interest and can be easily forgotten.
Obviously designed to give Derek's teen-age fans a thrill since he gets solo billing over the title.
Derek is the masked aristocrat who must engage in swordplay with military tyrant Quinn. Although given Technicolor and some appropriate sets, it has the look of a second-rate epic indistinguishable from a dozen other such stories.
Nor is it any help that JODY LAWRENCE is a strictly one-note actress who brings nothing but a pretty face to her role as the lovely heroine.
JOHN DEREK fares slightly better but it's no more than a cardboard, by-the-numbers sort of adventure done countless times in more inventive ways. This one stirs up only a moderate amount of interest and can be easily forgotten.
Obviously designed to give Derek's teen-age fans a thrill since he gets solo billing over the title.
One-star genre film with one real star
whitec-323 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Mid-twentieth-century historical dramas are worth a look for the sumptuous sets and costumes Hollywood studios might provide, plus their big casts might draw in accomplished character actors. Columbia Pictures' low-budget style unfortunately leaves Mask of the Avenger wanting in both areas. The best sets are brief backdrops of Austrian sailing ships approaching the Italian coastal towns, but most of the action takes place on familiar California riding trails or in formulaic European-looking interiors.
The cast is disappointingly small and stereotypical, with one grand exception: Anthony Quinn as the corrupt military governor LaRocca. He makes a stock villain painfully comprehensible and overshadows the film's wan protagonist, Captain Dimorna played by John Derek. Their final sword fight looks like a total mismatch in LaRocca / Quinn's favor until he obligingly steps into Dimorna's blade. (In partial defense of Derek, I appreciated poster William Giesen's sympathetic review of Derek as a miscast character actor.)
The only other attraction derives from the story's origin in a Dumas novel I haven't read. The town has a statue of "The Count of Monte Cristo" with the late Count's sword in a glass case in the statue's plinth, which DiMorna brandishes in an effort to convince the townspeople that he has resumed the Count's battle on their behalf. Beyond that, the film may be interesting as a late specimen of the swashbuckling genre, threatened with extinction by the rise of television and the decay of the studio system.
The cast is disappointingly small and stereotypical, with one grand exception: Anthony Quinn as the corrupt military governor LaRocca. He makes a stock villain painfully comprehensible and overshadows the film's wan protagonist, Captain Dimorna played by John Derek. Their final sword fight looks like a total mismatch in LaRocca / Quinn's favor until he obligingly steps into Dimorna's blade. (In partial defense of Derek, I appreciated poster William Giesen's sympathetic review of Derek as a miscast character actor.)
The only other attraction derives from the story's origin in a Dumas novel I haven't read. The town has a statue of "The Count of Monte Cristo" with the late Count's sword in a glass case in the statue's plinth, which DiMorna brandishes in an effort to convince the townspeople that he has resumed the Count's battle on their behalf. Beyond that, the film may be interesting as a late specimen of the swashbuckling genre, threatened with extinction by the rise of television and the decay of the studio system.
Pretty cheesy
HotToastyRag24 May 2018
In a strange combination of The Mark of Zorro and The Count of Monte Cristo, John Derek stars as a masked hero out for revenge for his father's murder in Mask of the Avenger. There's really no suspense, though, because in the beginning scene, Anthony Quinn is revealed to be the murderer. It would have added a little intrigue, even if it were just fifteen minutes or so, if John didn't know who killed his father.
There's also a watered-down romance between John and Jody Lawrance added into the plot. With the cheesy script, B-movie production values, and tv-esque music, this movie isn't one I'd recommend adding to your list. There are so many other better 1950s adventure movies to choose from.
There's also a watered-down romance between John and Jody Lawrance added into the plot. With the cheesy script, B-movie production values, and tv-esque music, this movie isn't one I'd recommend adding to your list. There are so many other better 1950s adventure movies to choose from.
Whatever happened to Jody Lawrance?
JohnHowardReid7 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Although no literary source is stated in the credits, some critics feel that this eye-catching Technicolor swashbuckler was based on The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I disagree. If the movie has a literary source at all, it's The Mark of Zorro that deserves the credit. Although Anthony Quinn is okay as the heavy, he's nowhere in the Basil Rathbone league. Arnold Moss, however, makes such a fine sub-villain, it's a shame he gets killed two-thirds of the way through. The other leads, John Derek and Jody Lawrance, are no more than adequate. Miss Lawrance, in fact, is occasionally less than competent. Phil Karlson's direction is also a bit slack, although he was obviously hamstrung by a tight budget and the need to pad the movie out to "A"-feature length. However, he does employ some effective running inserts at the finale. I also liked the idea of the hero backing into a horse during the duel and losing his sword as the animal rears, causing our heroine to take over briefly. Now that's certainly an innovation – if an unlikely one! And for all the script's jingoistic platitudes about "freedom", the film is nothing more than pure escapist nonsense – but most agreeably dressed up with attractive costumes and sets!
It's a sad affair when you find yourself rooting for the villain.
mark.waltz19 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The rather bland hero played by John Derek is overshadowed by the colorful villainy of Anthony Quinn who has assassinated Derek's father so he can take over his position as governor, setting Derek on the path to revenge. Derek disguises himself as the masked abenger, utilizing a ridiculous phony accent where I couldn't decide whether or not he was trying to imitate Boris or Natasha since the accident doesn't match anyone else in the film. The accent somehow disappears later. Jody Lawrence is the rather bland leading lady whose voice really gets in the way making her believable in this time period and in the setting. Then there's Arnold Moss has the sneering valet to Quinn, spying around every Corridor and never being caught, just as he did later in the epic "Salome" as Judith Anderson's evil assistant.
Good use of recycled sets from all of Colombia's previously released swashbucklers, but it's a basically formula story that miscasting only makes worse, unlike "The Prince Who was a Thief" at Universal which turned ridiculous casting into a droll comedy. Quinn starts off seemingly good, utilizing the statue of the Count of Monte Cristo to proclaim justice for all before he uses his position to get into his friend the governor's office to shoot him in cold blood. His performance is free of the typical mustache twirling of similar movie villains, making him much more interesting than Derek who also seems like he's in thecwring century and continent. Enough action to move this along at a brisk pace, but easily forgettable B matinee cheese.
Good use of recycled sets from all of Colombia's previously released swashbucklers, but it's a basically formula story that miscasting only makes worse, unlike "The Prince Who was a Thief" at Universal which turned ridiculous casting into a droll comedy. Quinn starts off seemingly good, utilizing the statue of the Count of Monte Cristo to proclaim justice for all before he uses his position to get into his friend the governor's office to shoot him in cold blood. His performance is free of the typical mustache twirling of similar movie villains, making him much more interesting than Derek who also seems like he's in thecwring century and continent. Enough action to move this along at a brisk pace, but easily forgettable B matinee cheese.
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