The Flashing Blade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Flashing Blade |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Andre Paul Antoine and P A Breal |
| Directed by | Yannick Andrei |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | France |
| Original language(s) | French |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Pierre Petit |
| Running time | 20–25 minutes per episode |
| Release | |
| Original network | France: ORTF UK: BBC One |
| Original release | 1967 (France), 1969 (UK) |
The Flashing Blade (French: Le Chevalier Tempête, meaning The Storm Knight) was a popular TV show from France. It was made in the late 1960s. Kids in the United Kingdom first saw it on BBC television in 1969. It was shown again many times throughout the 1970s. The British version had twelve episodes, each about 22 minutes long. These were created from four longer French episodes.
The story is made up, but it uses real historical events. It takes place during the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631). This was a conflict between France and Spain and its friends. One part of this war involved Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, who supported Spain. He tried to capture Casale, a city in Montferrat. Even though he tried many times, the defenders inside the city held strong. A French army eventually defeated the Savoy army on March 18, 1629. The castle of Casale, shown in the opening of the show, was filmed at Château Gaillard in France.
Contents
The Story of The Flashing Blade
This exciting series is all about a brave French spy. He tries to help a castle that is under attack. François, known as the Chevalier de Recci, and his helper Guillot are stuck inside a castle. This castle is on the border between France and Spain.
A Daring Mission
Some Spanish leaders hear that France and Spain might make peace. But they do not want peace because capturing the castle is very important to them. So, they start attacking the castle even harder. They want to take it before any peace deal is signed.
The castle's commander, General Thoiras, asks François and Guillot for help. Their mission is to break through the Spanish lines. They need to tell the French Army about the attack. François and Guillot are excellent at sword fighting and riding horses. They go on a very risky journey. They must avoid being caught by enemy spies and soldiers. The series ends with the Chevalier bringing news of peace to the Spanish forces.
Meet the Characters
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Robert Etcheverry | The Chevalier de Recci (François) |
| Denise Grey | La Comtesse – The Duchess |
| Jacques Balutin | Guillot |
| Geneviève Casile | Isabelle de Sospel |
| Jean Martinelli | Duke de Sospel |
| Mario Pilar | Don Alonso |
| Claude Gensac | Mireille |
| Giani Esposito | Mazarin |
How The Show Was Made
Many actors from The Flashing Blade also appeared in other adventure shows for French children's TV.
Broadcast Challenges
The Flashing Blade became famous for a problem during its last two TV showings. The final episode lost its picture. This was likely due to a problem with the film itself. It was a big disappointment for viewers who had watched for many weeks. Later, the last few minutes of the final episode were shown again. This happened on Michael Aspel's TV show Ask Aspel, where viewers could ask for repeats.
The Theme Song
The show's catchy theme song was called "Fight." It was performed by a group called The Musketeers. Alex Masters wrote the song. It was released as a single record in 1969.
