François Villon (John Barrymore), in his lifetime the most renowned poet in France, is also a prankster, an occasional criminal, and an ardent patriot.
This film also stars Conrad Veidt as the king, though it is not one of Veidt's more notable performances. Director Alan Crosland would release his most well-known film, "The Jazz Singer", this same year.
This film was lost for some forty years until a beautiful tinted and toned copy was discovered in the late 1960s in the collection of film pioneer Mary Pickford. Pickford, an early champion of film preservation, tried saving all things "United Artist", the production company in which she was a founder.
Barrymore says he thought of his acting in this one as being hammy, and he was right. How much this was intended is unclear. Although a comedy to some degree, it is not a complete comedy, and the ham might be a bit out of place.
This film also stars Conrad Veidt as the king, though it is not one of Veidt's more notable performances. Director Alan Crosland would release his most well-known film, "The Jazz Singer", this same year.
This film was lost for some forty years until a beautiful tinted and toned copy was discovered in the late 1960s in the collection of film pioneer Mary Pickford. Pickford, an early champion of film preservation, tried saving all things "United Artist", the production company in which she was a founder.
Barrymore says he thought of his acting in this one as being hammy, and he was right. How much this was intended is unclear. Although a comedy to some degree, it is not a complete comedy, and the ham might be a bit out of place.