What is the first movie to show slicing through a candle to show sword prowess
The nearest I can find is The Mark of Zorro. It shows the villain (played by the wonderful Basil Rathbone) slicing through a candle with rage and then the hero slicing through a candle but seemingly missing. Afterward the villain laughs and then the hero shows how good he really is.
This is the oldest movie I can find that shows this. Are there any older movies?
Best Answer
As noted by the OP, the Basil Rathbone scene from 1940 could well be the earliest example of a candle being sliced in two by a sword purely to showcase his prowess. The 1925 movie, Don Q, Son of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks also features candle slicing, albeit with a whip.
While I have not seen it, this blog notes that the Errol Flynn swashbuckler, The Sea Hawk, also features a scene where:
Flynn slices through the candle sticks, quite why I couldn't say for sure, but it looks pretty cool!
The film was released in July, 1940 while The Mark of Zorro was released in November of the same year.
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