The Man in the Iron Mask

(NBC, 1/17/1977, 120 mins). A stylish new version of the Dumas swashbuckler, mixing fact and fictitious derring do and telling of Louis XIV’s identical twin, both played with panache by Richard Chamberlain. It already had been filmed a half-dozen times in several variations. This production earned Emmy Award nominations for writer William Bast and costumer Olga Lehmann.

Production Companies Rosemont Productions, NBC Productions. Director Mike Newell. Producer Norman Rosemont. Teleplay William Bast. Based on the Novel by Alexandre Dumas. Photography Freddie Young. Music Allyn Ferguson. Art Director David Tringham. Editor Bill Blunden. Production Designer John Stoll.

Cast Richard Chamberlain (King Louis XIV/Phillippe), Patrick McGoohan (Fouquet), Louis Jourdan (D’Artagnan), Jenny Agutter (Louise de la Valliere), Ian Holm (Duval), Ralph Richardson (Colbert), Vivien Merchant (Queen Maria Theresa), Brenda Bruce (Anne of Austria), Esmond Knight (Armand), Godfrey Quigley (Baisemeauz), Emrys James (Percerin), Denis Lawson (Claude), Anne Zelda (Henriette), Stacy Davis (Blacksmith), Jean Reney (Majordomo), Pierre Marteville (King’s secretary), John Cording (Jailor), Hugh Fraser (Montfieury), Terry Richards (Thug), Max Amyl (Andre), Francois Guillaume (Poncan).