The Vagabond King (1930 film)
| The Vagabond King | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Ludwig Berger |
| Produced by | Adolph Zukor |
| Written by | Herman J. Mankiewicz |
| Based on |
Justin Huntly McCarthy (novel and play) William H. Post and Brian Hooker (operetta) |
| Starring |
Dennis King Jeanette MacDonald |
| Music by |
Rudolf Friml W. Franke Harling John Leipold Oscar Potoker |
| Cinematography | Henry W. Gerrard Ray Rennahan (Technicolor) |
| Edited by | Merrill G. White |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
|
Release date
|
February 17, 1930 |
|
Running time
|
104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Vagabond King is a 1930 American musical operetta film photographed entirely in two-color Technicolor. The plot of the film was based on the 1925 operetta of the same name, which was based on the 1901 play If I Were King by Justin Huntly McCarthy. The play told the story of a renegade French poet named François Villon. The music of the film was based on a 1925 operetta, also based on the play If I Were King by McCarthy. The operetta is also titled The Vagabond King with music by Rudolph Friml and lyrics by Brian Hooker and W.H. Post. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
The story takes place in medieval France. King Louis XI (O. P. Heggie), hoping to enlist the French peasants in his upcoming battle against the Burgundians, appoints François Villon (Dennis King) king of France for one day. Despite being successful against the Burgundians, François Villon is sentenced to hang by King Louis XI for writing derogatory verses about him...
Jeanette MacDonald is Katherine, the high-born girl whom Villon pines for, while Huguette, a tavern wench (Lillian Roth) gives up her life to save her beloved poet.
Six songs from the operetta were retained for the film, while four were specially written for it by different composers.
For many years, this film was seen only in black-and-white prints made for television release in the 1950s. At one time even the black-and-white prints were considered irretrievably lost. One nitrate Technicolor print did survive at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and it was restored and preserved in 1990.
...
Wikipedia