Swordsman of Siena
Brief Synopsis
An adventurer's loyalties are tested when he falls in with rebels in 16th-century Spain.
Cast & Crew
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Etienne Périer
Director
Stewart Granger
Thomas Stanwood
Sylva Koscina
Orietta Arconti
Christine Kaufmann
Serenella Arconti
Riccardo Garrone
Don Carlos
Tullio Carminati
Father Giacomo
Film Details
Also Known As
Il mercenario, Lo spadaccino di Siena
Genre
Adventure
Release Date
Jan
1962
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: 28 Nov 1962
Production Company
C. C. M.; CIPRA; Jacques Bar; Monica Film
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
Country
France
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 37m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Metrocolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Synopsis
In the 16th century, Thomas Stanwood, an English adventurer and mercenary, arrives in the Italian city of Siena and joins the guard of Don Carlos, the city's despised, tyrannical Spanish governor. For political reasons, Don Carlos plans to wed Orietta Arconti, a member of one of Italy's most influential families; and he assigns Stanwood as her bodyguard. Violently opposed to the match is Orietta's younger sister, Serenella, who loathes the Spanish, disapproves of her sister's complicity, and sympathizes with The Ten, an underground force of Italian patriots. She learns that Don Carlos plans to force her to marry his cousin Hugo and attempts to flee the city, but she is killed by a guardsman. Stanwood then joins the underground and discovers that Orietta is the group's secret leader. For a number of years Hugo has contrived by foul play to win the annual Siena horserace, thereby obtaining the homage of the populace. Don Carlos arrests Paresi, who is to ride for The Ten in the race, and has him tortured to death. Stanwood then enters the race in his place. Don Carlos tries to have the Englishman murdered, but a stray crossbow bolt strikes a woman bystander, and the crowd riots. Hugo is unhorsed and trampled to death as he tries to kill Stanwood; and the Englishman is victorious. The Spaniards are driven from Siena by the elated populace, and Stanwood rides off to seek new adventures. However, Orietta sends her men to bring him back, and he returns a willing prisoner.
Cast
Stewart Granger
Thomas Stanwood
Sylva Koscina
Orietta Arconti
Christine Kaufmann
Serenella Arconti
Riccardo Garrone
Don Carlos
Tullio Carminati
Father Giacomo
Alberto Lupo
Paresi
Fausto Tozzi
Hugo
Tom Felleghi
Spanish captain
Carlo Rizzo
Gino
Claudio Gora
Leoni
Marina Berti
Countess of Osta
Fanfulla
Giulio Marchetti
Ignazio Dolce
Crew
Gus Agosti
Assistant Director
Jacques Bar
Producer
Alberto Boccianti
Art Director
Sandro Continenza
Screenwriter
Alec Coppel
Screenwriter
Franco Delli Colli
Camera Operator
Tonino Delli Colli
Director of Photography
Kurt Doubravsky
Recording Supervisor
Dominique Fabre
Screenplay (see note)
Franco Ferrara
Music Conductor
Monique Isnardon
Film Editor
Robert Isnardon
Film Editor
Fay Kanin
Screenwriter
Michael Kanin
Screenwriter
Bianca Lattuada
Production Manager
Anthony Marshall
English story
Mario Nascimbene
Music comp (see note)
Carlo Rustichelli
Music Conductor
Film Details
Also Known As
Il mercenario, Lo spadaccino di Siena
Genre
Adventure
Release Date
Jan
1962
Premiere Information
Los Angeles opening: 28 Nov 1962
Production Company
C. C. M.; CIPRA; Jacques Bar; Monica Film
Distribution Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
Country
France
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 37m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Metrocolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1
Articles
Swordsman of Sienna -
Not all Italian sword 'n' sandal epics of the early 1960s were cheap affairs. MGM and Italy's Titanus co-produced Swordsman of Siena (1962), a relatively lavish tale set in the 1500s. As part of a three picture deal with MGM, Stewart Granger stars as Thomas Stanswood, an English adventurer hired by the Spanish governor of occupied Siena, Don Carlos (Riccardo Garrone). Detailed to protect the governor's bride-to-be Orietta (Sylva Koscina), Stanswood learns about a subversive group of Italian patriots, The Ten (I Dieci). Orietta's sister Serenella (Christine Kaufmann) rebels when she's told she must marry Don Carlos's cousin Hugo (Fausto Tozzi), but it is Orietta herself who is revealed to be the secret leader of The Ten. Written by a score of American and Italian writers including Alec Coppel and Fay & Michael Kanin, Swordsman of Siena shapes up as a romantic costume picture emphasizing the fancy swordplay of star Granger's 1952 Scaramouche and featuring a brutal horse race reminiscent of Ben-Hur (1959). A heightened violence quotient predates Italy's later Spaghetti westerns. Don Carlos uses executions to retain his power, a beautiful young woman is slain with a crossbow, and Stanswood earns his job as top sword-slinger by defeating several Spanish guards in a single fight. But the cynical hero is won over to the side of the underdogs. Italian Baccio Bandini directed Titanus's version and Frenchman Etienne Périer MGM's English language cut, but the critics had little to say about their contributions, and found the show old-fashioned. The praise was reserved for the impressive costumes and period ballroom dancing, all flattered by Tonino Delli Colli's Cinemascope photography. Both leading ladies had first gained wide attention in costume epics. Yugoslav beauty Sylva Koscina would star in horror films and Georges Franju's Judex (1963) but remained best known for her role opposite Steve Reeves in Hercules (1958). Austrian actress Christine Kaufmann was barely 17 at the time of filming yet had already starred in the Kirk Douglas movie Town Without Pity (1961). She'd soon become famous as the actress that became star Tony Curtis's second wife, breaking up his marriage to Janet Leigh.
Swordsman of Sienna -
Not all Italian sword 'n' sandal epics of the early 1960s were cheap affairs. MGM and Italy's Titanus co-produced Swordsman of Siena (1962), a relatively lavish tale set in the 1500s. As part of a three picture deal with MGM, Stewart Granger stars as Thomas Stanswood, an English adventurer hired by the Spanish governor of occupied Siena, Don Carlos (Riccardo Garrone). Detailed to protect the governor's bride-to-be Orietta (Sylva Koscina), Stanswood learns about a subversive group of Italian patriots, The Ten (I Dieci). Orietta's sister Serenella (Christine Kaufmann) rebels when she's told she must marry Don Carlos's cousin Hugo (Fausto Tozzi), but it is Orietta herself who is revealed to be the secret leader of The Ten. Written by a score of American and Italian writers including Alec Coppel and Fay & Michael Kanin, Swordsman of Siena shapes up as a romantic costume picture emphasizing the fancy swordplay of star Granger's 1952 Scaramouche and featuring a brutal horse race reminiscent of Ben-Hur (1959). A heightened violence quotient predates Italy's later Spaghetti westerns. Don Carlos uses executions to retain his power, a beautiful young woman is slain with a crossbow, and Stanswood earns his job as top sword-slinger by defeating several Spanish guards in a single fight. But the cynical hero is won over to the side of the underdogs. Italian Baccio Bandini directed Titanus's version and Frenchman Etienne Périer MGM's English language cut, but the critics had little to say about their contributions, and found the show old-fashioned. The praise was reserved for the impressive costumes and period ballroom dancing, all flattered by Tonino Delli Colli's Cinemascope photography. Both leading ladies had first gained wide attention in costume epics. Yugoslav beauty Sylva Koscina would star in horror films and Georges Franju's Judex (1963) but remained best known for her role opposite Steve Reeves in Hercules (1958). Austrian actress Christine Kaufmann was barely 17 at the time of filming yet had already starred in the Kirk Douglas movie Town Without Pity (1961). She'd soon become famous as the actress that became star Tony Curtis's second wife, breaking up his marriage to Janet Leigh.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Filmed in Siena and other locations in Tuscany. Opened in Paris in December 1962 as Le mercenaire; running time: 92 min; alternative French running time: 100 min. Italian titles: Lo spadaccino di Siena and Il mercenario. French and Italian sources credit Bandini as director; Continenza and Fabre as screenplay writers; and Rustichelli as composer of music. U. S. sources credit Périer as director; Michael Kanin, Fay Kanin, Coppel, and Marshall as writers; and Nascimbene with music.
