I had a difficult time getting into "Monsieur Beaucaire" (1924), but once I was a third of the way in I decided I'd just keep going anyway. Well, at the one-half mark the thing began to really get going, and the last half was superb! Stars Rudolph Valentino, Bebe Daniels, Lois Wilson, Doris Kenyon, Lowell Sherman, John Davidson, Paulette Duval, Oswald Yorke, Flora Finch, Ian Maclaren, and many others.
This is a really good film, but it's direction by Sidney Olcott is far too rooted in trying to capture the mannerisms of good manners of the time of Louis XV of France (1710-1774). As a result, the film drags in many places, especially at the beginning. Also, the character development is very lopsided, and in some cases doesn't get done. Either that, or a lot of cutting was done to make the finished product from what was originally there. Lowell Sherman plays Louis XV, and of course he's excellent, but his part is barely there. His queen is Lois Wilson, and she's perhaps in four scenes, if that. The part of Bebe Daniels - the important female of the piece - begins with great importance and ends with great importance, but during the large middle is not even there... The best female in the piece is Doris Kenyon. For a while, I thought she was going to be the end love of Rudy, but, no, that couldn't be, shouldn't be - and wasn't... The entire film, however, IS centered around Valentino. He's actually quite good. He plays the Prince Bourbon, Duke de Chartres who, due to circumstances, pretends to be a barber. He practices his skills at such while fleeing France and "hiding" in England. People have jested when he shaves himself rather than letting someone else do the trick. In his class nobody male shaves himself! Anyway, throw in the many loves and affairs, including Madame Pompadour, and you've got a pretty good story. The film is sumptuous, though it is VERY stage bound in its sets, causing it to be somewhat claustrophobic. It also uses far too many iris shots, causing it to be even more claustrophobic. Plus, the lighting is such that the lights follow the characters in the action, but many times allow all surroundings to be rather dark. The film, frankly, is too dark overall. Still, the costuming and sumptuousness of all the rest is lovely.
Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this one. I loved it from the second half onward to the end. I almost didn't want to get into the piece at the beginning, though. Stay with it and you'll be pleased by the end. Valentino and all the actors and actresses are quite good. The faults of the film aren't theirs. Yes, it's worth your time now that you've been pre-prepared...
This is a really good film, but it's direction by Sidney Olcott is far too rooted in trying to capture the mannerisms of good manners of the time of Louis XV of France (1710-1774). As a result, the film drags in many places, especially at the beginning. Also, the character development is very lopsided, and in some cases doesn't get done. Either that, or a lot of cutting was done to make the finished product from what was originally there. Lowell Sherman plays Louis XV, and of course he's excellent, but his part is barely there. His queen is Lois Wilson, and she's perhaps in four scenes, if that. The part of Bebe Daniels - the important female of the piece - begins with great importance and ends with great importance, but during the large middle is not even there... The best female in the piece is Doris Kenyon. For a while, I thought she was going to be the end love of Rudy, but, no, that couldn't be, shouldn't be - and wasn't... The entire film, however, IS centered around Valentino. He's actually quite good. He plays the Prince Bourbon, Duke de Chartres who, due to circumstances, pretends to be a barber. He practices his skills at such while fleeing France and "hiding" in England. People have jested when he shaves himself rather than letting someone else do the trick. In his class nobody male shaves himself! Anyway, throw in the many loves and affairs, including Madame Pompadour, and you've got a pretty good story. The film is sumptuous, though it is VERY stage bound in its sets, causing it to be somewhat claustrophobic. It also uses far too many iris shots, causing it to be even more claustrophobic. Plus, the lighting is such that the lights follow the characters in the action, but many times allow all surroundings to be rather dark. The film, frankly, is too dark overall. Still, the costuming and sumptuousness of all the rest is lovely.
Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this one. I loved it from the second half onward to the end. I almost didn't want to get into the piece at the beginning, though. Stay with it and you'll be pleased by the end. Valentino and all the actors and actresses are quite good. The faults of the film aren't theirs. Yes, it's worth your time now that you've been pre-prepared...