The Man in the Iron Mask (1923 film)
The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1923 German silent adventure film directed by Max Glass and starring Albert Bassermann, Bruno Decarli and Vladimir Gajdarov.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert A. Dietrich.
Man in the Iron Mask
The Man in the Iron Mask( French:" L' Homme au Masque de Fer"; c.
1640 – 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner who was arrested in 1669 or 1670 and subsequently held in a number of French prisons, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol( modern Pinerolo, Italy).
He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint- Mars, for a period of 34 years.
He died on 19 November 1703 under the name" Marchioly", during the reign of King Louis XIV of France( 1643 – 1715).
Since no one ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films.
Among the leading theories are those proposed by writer and philosopher Voltaire: he claimed in the second edition of his" Questions sur l' Encyclopédie"( 1771) that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron rather than of cloth, and that he was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV.
What little is known about the historical Man in the Iron Mask is based mainly on correspondence between Saint- Mars and his superiors in Paris.
Recent research suggests that his name might have been" Eustache Dauger", a man who was involved in several political scandals of the late 17th century, but this assertion has not been proven, either.
The National Archives of France has made available( online) the original data relating to the inventories of the goods and papers of Saint- Mars( one inventory, of 64 pages, was drawn up at the Bastille in 1708; the other, of 68 pages, at the citadel of Sainte- Marguerite in 1691).
These documents had been sought in vain for more than a century and were thought to have been lost.
They were discovered in 2015, among the 100 million documents of the.
They show that some of the 800 documents in the possession of the jailer Saint- Mars were analysed after his death.
These documents confirm the reputed avarice of Saint- Mars, who appears to have diverted the funds paid by the king for the prisoner.
They also give a description of a cell occupied by the masked prisoner, which contained only a sleeping mat, but no luxuries, as was previously thought.
With the scientific support of the National Library of France collections of ancient textiles, the accuracy of these notary documents discovered in 2015 has allowed the creation of the first virtual reconstruction of the prison of the man in the iron mask.
The Man in the Iron Mask has also appeared in many works of fiction, most prominently in the late 1840s by Alexandre Dumas.
A section of his novel, the final installment of his D'Artagnan saga, features the Man in the Iron Mask.
Here the prisoner is forced to wear an iron mask and is portrayed as Louis XIV's identical twin.
Dumas also presented a review of the popular theories about the prisoner extant in his time in the chapter" L'homme au masque de fer" in the sixth volume of his non-fiction" Crimes Célèbres".
The Man in the Iron Mask (1985 film)
The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1985 Australian made- for- television animated adventure film directed by Geoff Collins and produced by Burbank Films Australia.
It is based on Alexandre Dumas'.
It was written by Keith Dewhurst.
The plot takes place years after" The Three Musketeers"( 1986) – even though the latter animated film was released one year later – and it is known for a scene that displays a complex fireworks animation, as well for its bittersweet ending.
The film consists of 53 minutes in length and features the voices of Colin Friels as King Louis XIV, Gwen Plumb as Péronne and John Meillon in the role of Porthos.
It was produced by Tim Brooke- Hunt and originally premiered on television.
" The Man in the Iron Mask" is nowadays considered to be in the public domain.
James Whale
James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theater director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Hollywood.
He is best remembered for several horror films: "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Old Dark House" (1932), "The Invisible Man" (1933) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), all considered classics.
Whale also directed films in other genres, including the 1936 film version of the musical "Show Boat".
He became increasingly disenchanted with his association with horror, and many of his non-horror films have fallen into obscurity.
Whale was born into a large family in Dudley, Worcestershire.
He discovered his artistic talent early on and studied art.
With the outbreak of World War
I he enlisted in the British Army and became an officer.
He was captured by the Germans and during his time as a prisoner of war he realized he was interested in drama.
Following his release at the end of the war he became an actor, set designer and director.
His success directing the 1928 play "Journey's End" led to his move to the US, first to direct the play on Broadway and then to Hollywood, California, to direct films.
He lived in Hollywood for the rest of his life, most of that time with his longtime companion, producer David Lewis.
Apart from "Journey's End" (1930), which was released by Tiffany Films, and "Hell's Angels" (1930), released by United Artists, he directed a dozen films for Universal Pictures between 1931 and 1937, developing a style characterized by the influence of German Expressionism and a highly mobile camera.
At the height of his career as a director Whale directed "The Road Back" (1937), a sequel to "All Quiet on the Western Front".
Studio interference, possibly spurred by political pressure from Nazi Germany, led to the film's being altered from Whale's vision and it was a critical and commercial failure.
A run of similar box-office disappointments followed and, while he would make one final short film in 1950, by 1941 his film directing career was effectively over.
He continued to direct for the stage and also rediscovered his love for painting and travel.
His investments made him wealthy and he lived a comfortable retirement until suffering strokes in 1956 that robbed him of his vigor and left him in pain.
He committed suicide on 29 May 1957 by drowning himself in his swimming pool.
Whale was openly gay throughout his career, something that was very unusual in the 1920s and 1930s.
As knowledge of his sexual orientation has become more common, some of his films, "Bride of Frankenstein" in particular, have been interpreted as having a gay subtext and it has been claimed that his refusal to remain in the closet led to the end of his career.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1998 film)
The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1998 American action drama film directed, produced, and written by Randall Wallace, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio in a dual role as the title character and villain, Jeremy Irons as Aramis, John Malkovich as Athos, Gerard Depardieu as Porthos, and Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan.
The picture uses characters from Alexandre Dumas's D'Artagnan Romances and is very loosely adapted from some plot elements of" The Vicomte de Bragelonne".
The film centers on the aging four musketeers, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan, during the reign of King Louis XIV and attempts to explain the mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask, using a plot more closely related to the flamboyant 1929 version starring Douglas Fairbanks," The Iron Mask", and the 1939 version directed by James Whale, than to the original Dumas book.
Like the 1998 version, the two aforementioned adaptations were also released through United Artists.
The Fifth Musketeer
The Fifth Musketeer is a 1979 German- Austrian film adaptation of the last section of the novel by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask.
It was released in Europe with the alternative title" Behind the Iron Mask".
It was directed by Ken Annakin, and stars Beau Bridges as the twins( Louis XIV and Philippe of Gascony), Sylvia Kristel as Maria Theresa, Ursula Andress as Louise de La Vallière, Cornel Wilde as d' Artagnan, Ian McShane as Fouquet, Rex Harrison as Colbert( Philippe's tutor), and Lloyd Bridges, José Ferrer and Alan Hale Jr. as the Three Musketeers.
Olivia de Havilland made a cameo appearance as the Queen Mother.
This was de Havilland's final theatrical film.
The cinematographer was Jack Cardiff.
In what may have been an instance of stunt casting, Alan Hale Jr. played the same character, Porthos, that his lookalike father, Alan Hale Sr., did in 1939's" The Man in the Iron Mask".
Lady in the Iron Mask
Lady in the Iron Mask is a 1952 film directed by Ralph Murphy, produced by Walter Wanger and starring Louis Hayward as D'Artagnan and Patricia Medina in the titular role.
Alan Hale, Jr. portrays Porthos, Judd Holdren plays Aramis, and Steve Brodie appears as Athos in this Three Musketeers adventure film, a reworking of Douglas Fairbanks' 1929 screen epic" The Iron Mask", an adaptation of the last section of the novel" The Vicomte de Bragelonne" by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask.
Louis Hayward had played the dual role of the imprisoned prince and his twin in the 1939 version" The Man in the Iron Mask" while Alan Hale, Sr. portrayed Porthos, and in what may have been an instance of stunt casting, the same part was subsequently played by his lookalike son Alan Hale, Jr. in" Lady in the Iron Mask" thirteen years later.
The Iron Mask
The Iron Mask is a 1929 American part- talkie adventure film directed by Allan Dwan.
It is an adaptation of the last section of the novel" The Vicomte de Bragelonne" by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 film)
The Man in the Iron Mask is a 1939 American film very loosely adapted from the last section of the novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne" by Alexandre Dumas, "père", which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in the Iron Mask.
The film was Peter Cushing's screen debut.
It was also notable for being the source of several subsequent remakes.
The film was directed by James Whale and stars Louis Hayward as royal twins, Joan Bennett as Princess Maria Theresa, Warren William as d'Artagnan, and Joseph Schildkraut as Nicolas Fouquet.
Ercole Antonio Mattioli
Ercole Antonio Mattioli (1 December 1640 – 1694) was an Italian politician, who was a minister of Duke Charles IV of Mantua.
He was kidnapped and imprisoned by Louis XIV of France.
He has been associated with the Man in the Iron Mask.

Question: Why did the director of film The Man In The Iron Mask (1939 Film) die?
Answer: drowning