Cyrano de Bergerac

José Ferrer reprised his famed stage role as Cyrano de Bergerac—a poet, wit, military man, and self-proclaimed “greatest swordsman in Paris”—in this 1950 screen version of Edmond Rostand's play, directed by Michael Gordon. Cyrano doesn't gladly suffer fools and has a habit of making enemies in high places, thanks to his unfailing loyalty to his friends and his innate sense of justice. Cyrano's signature nose—a mighty proboscis—makes him both self-conscious and fearful of declaring his love for his beautiful cousin, Roxane (Mala Powers), so he provides the words for another to woo her—the handsome but witless soldier Christian (William Prince). Oscar-winner Ferrer is appropriately theatrical as the flamboyant Cyrano, both in the way he declaims his lines and engages in duels. Shot entirely on handsome studio sets—including a stylized re-creation of cobblestone streets and shops—the production makes the most of its limited budget while moving the story along with superb swordplay (Ferrer fences with flair and confidence) and eloquent phrases. Rostand's play was reworked by Steve Martin in the popular 1987 romantic comedy Roxanne, but this version is more exciting and faithful to the original. Likely to delight both fans of theater and classic Hollywood filmmaking, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)