Alexandre Dumas has scored a minor victory over Hollywood. Although he veered from history in writing "The Man in the Iron' Mask," initial preparations of the screenplay, which Edward Small is making for United Artists, almost ignored the Guthor's conception. The sim now bears the Dumas flavour. And, while the characters have all been prettified—particularly the feminine cast members—a reasonable adherence to the story of the king who locked the usurper in an iron mask is promised. If it is accepted that Louis XIV had a twin brother, then the tale assumes some plausibility.
Even though history is being pushed round and Joan Bennett happily does not resemble the dumpy, black-toothed Maria Theresa, the sets will reflect the actual places in which the drama took place. Suites is Saint Germain and Versailles have been re-created with fidelity, photographic enlargements of many of the tapestries which were in the palaces being used to cover the walls.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.