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Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
His Love-Making Was as Dangerous as His Sword-Play
King Louis XI masquerades as a commoner in Paris, seeking out the treachery he is sure lurks in his kingdom. At a local tavern, he overhears the brash poet François Villon extolling why he would be a better king. Annoyed yet intrigued, the King bestows on Villon the title of Grand Constable. Soon Villon begins work and falls for a lovely lady-in-waiting, but then must flee execution when the King turns on him.
CinemaSerf
Jun 20, 2022 · via TMDB
This is a cracking bit of swashbuckling adventure with Ronald Colman ("Villon") and particularly Basil Rathbone (Louis XI) on top form. The former is a poetic vagabond, Robin Hood style, character who pinches what he can to help feed the population of a besieged Paris, whilst their King sits in his palace living the life of Riley. When the King's personal store is raided, the King's guard step up their searches and it isn't long before "Villon" is apprehended. The King is a wily old buzzard, though, and realising potential in this man of the people, appoints him to command the city and his armies and before long the people begin to change their previously hostile views of Louis XI and everyone focuses on the looming Burgundian attacks. Coleman reminded me of Errol Flynn here; he displays a charming intimacy with both his colleagues and the audience that is engaging. Rathbone - who lost out on the Oscar to Walter Brennan for "Kentucky" (1938) - is also excellent as the shrewd monarch who must hold his kingdom together, despite some pretty obvious character flaws! Frank Lloyd keeps the whole thing moving along swiftly, with plenty of action, pithy dialogue and duplicity writ large. If you like the genre, then you ought to love this - I really enjoyed it.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Ronald Colman
François Villon
Basil Rathbone
Louis XI
Frances Dee
Katherine de Vaucelles
Ellen Drew
Huguette
C. V. France
Father Villon
Henry Wilcoxon
Captain of the Watch
Heather Thatcher
The Queen
Stanley Ridges
Rene de Montigny
Bruce Lester
Noel de Jolys
Alma Lloyd
Colette
Walter Kingsford
Tristan l'Hermite
Sidney Toler
Robin Turgis
Colin Tapley
Jehan LeLoup
Ralph Forbes
Oliver le Dain
John Miljan
Thibaut d'Aussigny
William Haade
Guy Tabarie
Adrian Morris
Colin de Cayeulx
Montagu Love
General Dudon
Lester Matthews
General Saliere
William Farnum
General Barbezier
Paul Harvey
Burgundian Herald
May Beatty
Anna
Winter Hall
Major Domo
Francis McDonald
Casin Cholet
Ann Evers
Lady-in-Waiting
Jean Fenwick
Lady-in-Waiting
Jimmy Aubrey
Drunk (uncredited)
Lionel Belmore
Chief Steward (uncredited)
Ted Billings
Parisian Peasant (uncredited)
Ed Brady
Beggar (uncredited)
Henry Brandon
Soldier (uncredited)
Marie Burton
Girl (uncredited)
Ethel Clayton
Old Woman (uncredited)
David Clyde
First Officer (uncredited)
Alec Craig
Spy (uncredited)
Ralph Faulkner
First Watch (uncredited)
John George
Beggar (uncredited)
Eddie Hall
Soldier (uncredited)
Darryl Hickman
Child (uncredited)
Shep Houghton
Burgundian Knight (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst
Beggar (uncredited)
Claude King
Courtier (uncredited)
Eric Mayne
Court Member (uncredited)
Paul Newlan
Beggar (uncredited)
Russ Powell
Ruffian (uncredited)
Ruth Rogers
Girl (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford
Cook (uncredited)
Cheryl Walker
Girl (uncredited)
Pat West
Bit Part (uncredited)
Harry Wilson
Beggar (uncredited)
Theodor Sparkuhl
Director of Photography
Edith Head
Costume Design
Wally Westmore
Makeup Artist
Adolph Zukor
Presenter
Frank Lloyd
Director
William LeBaron
Executive Producer
Frank Lloyd
Producer
Richard Hageman
Original Music Composer
Loren L. Ryder
Sound
Preston Sturges
Screenplay
Dingjun Mountain
Cracking the Shakespeare Code
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
The Queen of Spades
Sekigahara
A Tale of Two Cities
The Deer King
The Secret of Moonacre
Jacquou the Rebel
Brave Story
The Fencing Master
Force 10 from Navarone
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Unfinished Affairs
The Demise of ETA
Pir Sultan Abdal
Iron & Blood: The Legend of Taras Bulba
The Moon and the Stars
Kull the Conqueror
Barry Lyndon
The Princess Bride
Empire of the Sun
The Prisoner of Zenda
Love and Death
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Les Misérables
The Sea Hawk
Waterloo
Les Misérables
Scaramouche
Cyrano de Bergerac
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
War and Peace
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Four Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
Prince Valiant
Kings of the Sun
Sep 28, 1938
May 23, 2014
DVD
Feb 7, 2023
Blu-ray
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Versus
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Give It Up
2004
The Grass Is Always Greener
1950
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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