The Gay Cavalier

1957 - United Kingdom

1950's swashbuckling adventure (in the days when 'gay' only meant carefree, flambouyant and waggish) that took a true-life historical rogue and turned him into a romantic figure, who fought for the Stuart cause against the supposedly tyrannical dictatorship of Oliver Cromwell, in an England torn apart by civil war.

In reality the Gay Cavalier (Captain Claude Duval) was a highwayman with a reputation for being something of a ladies-man. However, he was a staunch supporter of Charles ll, who was forced to live in exile in France following defeat at Worcester by Cromwell's army in 1651. Charles would eventually return triumphantly to England after Cromwell's death and his period of reign would be known as the Restoration period.

The TV series was in similar vein to other popular adventure series of the day such as The Adventures of... 'Robin Hood,' 'William Tell' and 'Sir Lancelot', and it's star, Christian Marquand, was joined by Christopher Lee (episode 4), John Le Mesurier (episode 7), Conrad Phillips (episode 7), Nigel Stock (episode 8) and Sam Kydd (episode 8 and 9 -portraying different characters!). Made by Associated Rediffusion and shot on film this series is unique for one made on such a format in as much as not one single episode (shown from May to August 1957) of the 13 made has survived.

Each self contained story followed Duval's exploits as he tried to retrieve a piece of treasure, save a maiden in distress or thwart a Roundhead plot, and for each of these quests he was to be seen in the company of a beautiful woman. Had the series survived the legend of the Gay Cavalier may well have fared better than it has done, especially in light of his epitaph, which can be found above his tomb in London's Covent Garden church: 'Here lies Duval: Reader- if male thou art look to thy purse; if female, to thy heart.' Stirring stuff!

Published on December 17th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Filter

Alphabetically

Air date

Air location

Play and Single Dramas

John Silver's Return to Treasure Island (1986)

December 28th, 2018

When the Disney Channel contracted the UK ITV broadcaster HTV Wales to bring to the screen this major drama series, it realised a legacy left by Robert Louis Stevenson when he wrote his classic thriller more than a hundred years ago.

The Buccaneers (1956)

November 30th, 2018

Future Hollywood actor Robert Shaw (The Sting, Jaws) made his small screen debut as ex- pirate Dan Tempest, the leader of a small band of freebooters who roamed the Caribbean Seas in the 1720's on their ship The Sultana.

Luke's Kingdom (1976)

July 10th, 2024

A family are uprooted from their Yorkshire home by their father in 1829 following the death of their mother, and taken to the other side of the world to start afresh in New South Wales.

The Musketeers (2014)

February 29th, 2020

Swashbuckling series based on Alexander Dumas' adventurous 17th century characters. When d'Artagnan and his father are attacked on the way to Paris resulting in the father's death, the young swordsman seeks revenge on the murderer. A musketeer called Athos.

The Count of Monte Cristo (1956)

December 5th, 2018

1950s series based on Alexander Dumas' masterpiece of mystery and intrigue, Le Comte de Monte Cristo, first published in 1845.

Smuggler (1981)

October 17th, 2024

A former naval officer turned smuggler, who operates with a Robin Hood-like sense of justice, is at odds with both local criminals and the authorities, earning him the ire of rival gangs and the watchful eye of the law

TVH

Television Heaven Magazine

Interviews

Read Next...

The Army Game

Hugely successful series from Granada TV that started in 1957 as a fortnightly live sitcom, which was moved to a weekly spot when it became so popular. The series followed the misfortunes of a mixed bag of army conscripts.

Also released in 1957

The Odyssey

Stylish adaptation of Homer's classic tale of the adventures of Odysseus

Also starring Christopher Lee

Dad's Army

"If the quality of the writing was a major factor in Dad's Army's resounding success, then that quality was more than matched by a cast which not so much interpreted the writing, as physically embodied it."

Also starring John Le Mesurier

Sally

A 'lost' ITV play from 1964 which gave Vanessa Redgrave her Independent Television debut is a tale of a disabled artist who is commissioned to paint a portrait of a woman, whose married son she is having an affair with

Also starring Nigel Stock

The Granville Melodramas

Popular fortnightly series resurrecting stage melodramas of the 19th century

Also starring John Le Mesurier

Tottering Towers

Nestled somewhere between madcap invention and vintage charm, this British children's comedy about a quirky aristocrat living in a crumbling mansion, features eccentric characters, a talking suit of armour and a ghost

Also starring Sam Kydd

Mess Mates

When his ambition to skipper an ocean-going liner is scuppered, Captain Biskett has to make do with a small and battered cargo ship.

Also starring Sam Kydd

The Queens Champion

Loyalty and treason on the eve of the Armada in this eight-part BBC serial featuring some of television's best known names

Also tagged Swashbuckling Adventure

Knights of God

Set in the year 2020, Great Britain has been devastated by civil war after years of political unrest, the government has been overthrown and the Royal Family executed.

Also starring Nigel Stock