Writer George MacDonald Fraser published a string of satirical adventure novels poking fun at the British Empire set during the late 19th century, featuring the egotistical military officer known as Flashman. Director Richard Lester had read the first novel in the series, loved it and hired Fraser to write the tongue-in-cheek screenplays for two of Lester’s biggest successes, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers. Lester wanted to film one of the Flashman volumes and finally got his chance, settling on the 2nd installment, Royal Flash. Who better to embody Flashman than Malcolm McDowell, who conjures up the naïvely entitled opportunism (evidenced in his Travis persona from O Lucky Man!) and the lecherous bloodlust (shown by his Alex in A Clockwork Orange) needed for the swashbuckling character? Oliver Reed is superb as Otto von Bismarck, hatching a plot to disrupt an arranged marriage to a German princess (Britt Ekland) and to get revenge on Flashman by coercing our anti-hero to impersonate a Bavarian prince who will marry Ekland instead. Amusing complications ensue, with a mindboggling supporting cast that includes Alan Bates, Florinda Bolkan (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion), Joss Ackland, Lionel Jeffries (First Men in the Moon), Tom Bell, Michael Hordern and Alastair Sim, and introducing Bob Hoskins (The Long Good Friday). Critics and audiences were divided, but the New York Times heaped praise on the original novel: “Mr. MacDonald Fraser has considerable narrative skill… most ingeniously plotted and often hilariously funny.”
“Part of the appeal for McDowell is how committed he is making his characters so thoroughly, deliciously reprehensible…the film’s historical and political satire, particularly its digs at Victorian era nationalism, is still potent. The acting is faultless, as is the film’s exceptional cinematography – by no less a talent than Geoffrey Unsworth – and superb production design by Terence Marsh.” – Stuart Galbraith IV
“Royal Flash remains a watchable romp due largely to the wit, sex appeal, and rakish physicality of star Malcolm McDowell. This swashbuckling spoof gets by on star power and perpetual motion.” – Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
Read “On the Set of Royal Flash“ in The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Marc Edward Heuck discusses our Richard Lester Film Festival on the New Beverly blog.
Chris D explores Richard Lester’s diverse career on the New Beverly blog.
