painting of Richelieu that featured his likeness—provided he was given the painting once filming ending. "It's a good portrait," wrote Heston. "I'm very fond of it. It's very much in the style of the period." Death of Roy Kinnear Roy Kinnear was accidentally killed during production in Toledo, Spain. The Spanish crew misunderstood the instructions of director Lester and washed down the cobblestone street prior to filming, making the stones wet. Kinnear and other cast members had to travel on horses across the Alcántara Bridge above the river Tagus. Kinnear was given one fifteen-minute practice ride before the take. When Kinnear and other cast members rode into the shot on horses and stopped, Kinnear's horse slipped, and Kinnear (not a confident horseman) fell off, breaking his pelvis. He was treated at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid and on 20 September was transferred to a nearby clinic but died soon after from a heart attack brought on by his injuries. Following a six-year legal battle Kinnear's widow was awarded £650,000 in damages from the production company, Falconfilms—consisting of producer Pierre Spengler and director Richard Lester. A court later ruled that the hospital was 60% liable for his death and ordered them to pay 60% of the payout figure. Release Completed in 1988, The Return of the Musketeers was released for cinemas in the European market in April 1989, and while it was given positive reviews by the critics, it was not well received at the box office. It was released on video in the spring of 1990. The film was acquired by Universal for U.S. theatrical release, but given its lackluster European box office, the studio chose instead to give the film its U.S. debut on cable television's USA Network (which was part owned by the studio) two years later, on 3 April 1991. Years later in a career interview, Lester said, "I really won't talk about The Return of the Musketeers...I never have and I won't now. But I think you can draw your own conclusions." Reception The Return of the Musketeers received mixed reviews: the online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes currently rates it at 60%, based on five reviews. See also The Three Musketeers in film References External links 1989 films 1980s historical adventure films British historical adventure films Cultural depictions of Cardinal Mazarin Cultural depictions of Louis XIV Cultural depictions of Oliver Cromwell Films based on Twenty