Greetings, Scaramouche.

Do you claim kinship with André-Louis Moreau, the protagonist of Rafael Sabatini's excellent historical novel, Scaramouche? I read that when I was about fourteen years old, and it remains one of my favorite historical novels.   I pull it out and reread it every few years. In fact, it was one of the things that inspired me to take up fencing when I was fourteen.

The movie version with Stewart Granger was a romp, but it was downright pathetic compared to the novel. I don't think anything short of a twelve-part (two-hour episodes) television mini-series ala Masterpiece Theatre could even come close.

I haven't seen the version of The Count of Monte Cristo that you mention, but did you see the 1975 TV version with Richard Chamberlain as Dantes? I thought that was pretty well done, and did a good job of recreating the original story. Tony Curtis as Mondego was a little weak, partly because an assumed French accent overlaying his basic Brooklyn speech wasn't too convincing, but Donald Pleasance as Danglars was marvelous. Chamberlain, I though, was excellent, as was Trevor Howard as the Abbé Faria and Kate Nelligan as Mercedes. Worth a look if you get the chance.

Don Firth