description The Iron Mask Overview
"The Iron Mask" is a 1929 American adventure film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Douglas Fairbanks. Adapted from Alexandre Dumas's novel "The Vicomte of Bragelonne," it tells the story of the Man in the Iron Mask and the Four Musketeers. As a transitional film released during the shift to sound, it is noted for featuring both title cards and synchronized sound sequences, including spoken dialogue. The picture represents one of Fairbanks's final silent-era swashbuckling epics, aimed at fans of classic historical adventures.
help The Iron Mask FAQ
Is 1929's The Iron Mask a fully silent film or an early talkie?
It is a part-talkie: most of the 95-minute film uses intertitles and a score, but the original release includes two short spoken passages by Douglas Fairbanks. It also has synchronized music and sound effects. [AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/9952-THE-IRONMASK)
Does Douglas Fairbanks play the Man in the Iron Mask?
Fairbanks plays D'Artagnan, while William Bakewell plays the twin King Louis XIV and Philippe. The central rescue plot concerns the hidden twin, so Fairbanks is the Musketeer trying to restore the rightful ruler rather than the masked prisoner himself. [AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/9952-THE-IRONMASK)
Which Dumas book is The Iron Mask based on?
It draws mainly on the final part of Alexandre Dumas's 1847 to 1850 novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne, while its opening title also cites The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask. The film was written under the name Elton Thomas. [AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/9952-THE-IRONMASK)
Is it connected to Fairbanks's The Three Musketeers?
Yes. The 1929 film is a sequel to Fairbanks's 1921 The Three Musketeers, with Fairbanks again as D'Artagnan and Marguerite De La Motte returning as Constance. [Museum of Modern Art](https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/537)
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