Monsieur Beaucaire, the royal barber
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Monsieur Beaucaire, the royal barber |
| Original title | Monsieur Beaucaire |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1924 |
| length | 106 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Sidney Olcott |
| script |
Forrest Halsey based on the novel or play by Booth Tarkington and Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland |
| production | Sidney Olcott for Paramount Pictures |
| music | Hugo Riesenfeld |
| camera | Harry Fischbeck |
| cut | Patricia Rooney |
| occupation | |
| |
Monsieur Beaucaire, the royal barber , often briefly referred to as Monsieur Beaucaire , is an American silent film from 1924 with Rudolph Valentino in a double role.
action
The Duke of Chartres, a darling at the court of France's King Louis XV, has fallen in love with Princess Henriette, who, to his greatest regret, does not seem to care about him. Rather, she humiliates and insults him continuously out of jealousy, whereupon he, exiled by the king, flees to England. But Louis XV. insists that the two marry each other. Thereupon his high born leaves his noble existence and becomes bourgeois. As Monsieur Beaucaire he advanced to the barber of the French ambassador in London and began to enjoy life beyond aristocratic obligations.
After he has caught the British Duke of Winterset cheating on cards, he forces him to take him to an elegant ball and introduce him to the Lady Mary, whom he adores, as a noblewoman. Winterset follows this blackmail, but secretly seeks revenge to ridicule the alleged barber. He lets Lady Mary believe that the alleged nobleman introduced to her has to get through life as a barber. Then the blasé Brit suddenly loses interest in the French handsome. Eventually, however, she learns that the barber she disdains is in truth the Duke of Chartres and tries to recapture him with the weapons of a woman. But the Duke returns to France, where Princess Henriette, who had secretly pursued his return to the French court, now finally begins to return his affection.
Production notes
Monsieur Beaucaire premiered on August 11, 1924 and was also released in German cinemas in February 1926. The Austrian premiere was scheduled for October 9, 1925. There the strip had a considerable length of 9 acts at around 3,170 meters, which corresponds to a playing time of over two hours.
For Valentino this film heralded a return to the big screen after two years of absence. His wife Natacha Rambova designed the film structures and costumes .
The same material was filmed again in 1946 with Bob Hope as a comedy With Brush and Sword .
Reviews
“The word we constantly use is magnificent, but this cinematic effort deserves this adjective through and through, especially since such wondrous buildings or beautiful costumes have never been seen in a film before. The cast is impressive, beyond Valentino these are Lowell Sherman, Bebe Daniels, Lois Wilson, Doris Kenyon, H. Cooper Cliffe and others. Every detail of her costumes is irresistible. (...) Mr. Valentino is mostly sympathetic as Monsieur Beaucaire (...) Lowell Sherman makes the king, his characterization is outstanding. (…) Lois Wilson is charming as the queen. The heroine of this film version of the story is the French Princess Henriette, played by Bebe Daniels, who is personable and sweet. "
Paimann's film lists summed up: "The subject is a bit rambling, but appropriately staged according to the frame, with splendid costumes and splendid presentation. The portrayal, Valentino at the top, is equally advantageous both personally and as an actor, the photography very beautiful."
Web links
- Monsieur Beaucaire, the royal barber in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Monsieur Beaucaire on the Sidney Olcott website (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Monsieur Beaucaire, the royal barber in Paimann's film lists ( memento of the original from March 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
