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{ "item_title" : "If I Were King", "item_author" : [" Ronald Colman", "Basil Rathbone "], "item_description" : "Ronald Colman (THE PRISONER OF ZENDA) plays Frances Villon--thief, bacchanal, rogue, and one of the great medieval European poets. Frances Dee (SO ENDS OUR NIGHT, WELLS FARGO) plays Katherine de Vaucelles, the love of Villon's life. A Robin Hood-like character, Villon escapes the Royal Guard with ease and grace until he is at last cornered in a den of thieves. Villon and his men fight, and Villon kills King Louis XI's grand constable before the king's very eyes. The king, superbly played by Basil Rathbone (THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES), offers Villon one chance to save himself from the gallows--Villon is named the new grand constable for one week's time, during which he must find a way to drive off the Burgundian hordes storming the city's walls. With death as the alternative, Villon is up for the challenge even though the French generals and army have refused to fight. A variety of talents combine to make IF I WERE KING a classic swashbuckler, including Colman's suave presence, Dee's comely looks, Rathbone's superb performance, picturesque gothic sets, and the lively and comical repartees from screenwriting great Preston Sturges (SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS).", "item_img_path" : "https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/54/1132954-3636916.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "21.99", "our_price" : "21.99", "club_price" : "21.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10" } }
If I Were King|Ronald Colman

If I Were King

Ronald Colman and Basil Rathbone
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Overview

Ronald Colman (THE PRISONER OF ZENDA) plays Frances Villon--thief, bacchanal, rogue, and one of the great medieval European poets. Frances Dee (SO ENDS OUR NIGHT, WELLS FARGO) plays Katherine de Vaucelles, the love of Villon's life. A Robin Hood-like character, Villon escapes the Royal Guard with ease and grace until he is at last cornered in a den of thieves. Villon and his men fight, and Villon kills King Louis XI's grand constable before the king's very eyes. The king, superbly played by Basil Rathbone (THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES), offers Villon one chance to save himself from the gallows--Villon is named the new grand constable for one week's time, during which he must find a way to drive off the Burgundian hordes storming the city's walls. With death as the alternative, Villon is up for the challenge even though the French generals and army have refused to fight. A variety of talents combine to make IF I WERE KING a classic swashbuckler, including Colman's suave presence, Dee's comely looks, Rathbone's superb performance, picturesque gothic sets, and the lively and comical repartees from screenwriting great Preston Sturges (SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS).

Awards:

Main Cast & Crew:
Frank Lloyd - Director
Ronald Colman
Basil Rathbone
Frances Dee
Ellen Drew
C.V. France
Henry Wilcoxon
Heather Thatcher
Stanley Ridges
Bruce Lester
Walter Kingsford

Details

    DVD Format
  • Format: DVD (Manufactured on Demand, Black & White, NTSC Format)
  • Run Time: 102
  • Color Format: B&W
  • UPC: 025192235993
  • Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE
  • Rating: NR
  • Release Date: September 2014

Movie Reviews

Synopsis:
King Louis XI meets his match in boozing, common poet Francois Villon (Colman), whose fatal assault on a Parisian magistrate lands him before the court on treason charges. The two hatch a bargain: If Villon can solve the court's problems with the poor, he'll be absolved; otherwise, it's the gallows. The screenplay was adapted with zeal by Preston Sturges from the stage play by Justin Huntly McCarty.

Notes:
Although the characters presented in the film did in fact live in 15th-century France, virtually no part of the tale is historically accurate. However, two of the poems recited in the film, "The Ballad of the Hanged" and "The Ballad of Dead Ladies," were indeed written by Villon.

Reviews:
"...Sturges farce with all the trimmings....Sturges' lines and [Lloyd's] direction both sparkle..." -- Rating: B+ - 08/21/1998 Entertainment Weekly, p.131

BAM Customer Reviews