Swashbucklers

[trof]

Poll question: Swashbucklers

Swashbuckler is a term that developed in the 16th century to describe rough, noisy and boastful swordsmen. It is based on a fighting style using a side-sword with a buckler in the off-hand, which was filled with much "swashing and making a noise on the buckler".

Today the term "swashbuckler" has changed, and refers to both a type of fictitious character and to a fiction genre, especially in the world of film.

So...who's the swashingest buckler of all time?

[hippywife]

1. It was hard to choose between

1, 8, 9, and 10! LOL But I chose 1. :hi:

[trof]

2. I bet 75% of the folks in this forum never heard of him.

:hi:

[hippywife]

3. He was THE swashbuckler of all time!

Johnny Depp can only dream of being half as good looking and talented. :hi:

[redqueen]

4. Why is Tom Cruise in this poll?

I picked Depp. I know Errol is the classic... but dammit, I couldn't help it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Other: Basil Rathbone. He could have kicked Flynn's ass in a real duel

Rathbone was particularly famous for his swashbuckling roles because of his skill as a fencer. ... Fred Cavens, fencing master to the stars, paid him special tribute. Of all the actors he coached, Basil Rathbone was the one most likely to have succeeded in competitive fencing.

http://www.youandyesterday.co.uk/articles/Rathbone,_Basil:_Actor's_schoolboy_passion_was_sport

It's something I've always loved on the stage and to get a chance to do it in film, and this was all choreographed by a man named Al Cavins, he and his father before him were responsible for all the really great fencing in Hollywood films ...

...

BH - Now, did you ask him, here I go immediately then... did you ask him who was the best of all the ones that he coached?

RA - Yes, I did, of course.

BH - And who was that?

RA - Guess.

BH - Flynn.

RA - Basil Rathbone.

BH - Was it?

RA - Yes. Basil Rathbone, he said, was the great.... Flynn was wonderful, had tremendous style, again, but could only do three or four beats at a time, you know, bump bump bump, one two three four one two three four (miming fencing). He said Basil Rathbone could do seventy, he could go on and on and on, he could just, he remembered... because you know, when you're doing a fight like that, it is, it's like a dance, but it's dangerous, because if the other person forgets and you're assuming they're going to be there for it, you can slash them. The blades are not sharp, but they're pointy....

BH - But they have a point, yes.

RA - You can put someone's eye out, like that (snaps fingers).

BH - No, thanks!

RA - Anyway, Basil Rathbone was the best, was the great one.

http://www.renefiles.com/internos.html

[Dr. Strange]

6. The Captain