The Vagabond King (1930 film)

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The Vagabond King (1930)
Directed by Ludwig Berger
Produced by Adolph Zukor
Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz
based on the play by Justin Huntly McCarthy and the operetta by William H. Post
Brian Hooker
and the novel by R.H. Russell
Starring Dennis King
Jeanette MacDonald
O.P. Heggie
Lillian Roth
Warner Oland
Arthur Stone
Tom Ricketts
Music by Rudolf Friml
W. Franke Harling
John Leipold
Oscar Potoker
Cinematography Henry W. Gerrard
Ray Rennahan
(Technicolor)
Editing by Merrill G. White
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) February 17, 1930
Running time 104 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
IMDb profile

The Vagabond King is a 1930 musical operetta film photographed entirely in two-color Technicolor. The plot of the film was based on the 1901 play, "If I Were King," by Justin McCarthy. The play told the story of a renegade French poet named Francois Villon. The music of the film was based on a 1925 operetta (which was based on the play If I Were King by Justin 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.

Contents

[edit] Film Plot

Lobby card for the film.
Lobby card for the film.

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 Francois Villon (Dennis King) king of France for one day. Despite being successful against the Burgundians, Francois Villon is sentenced to hang by King Louis XI for writing derogatory verses about him...

Jeanette MacDonald is the high-born girl whom Villon pines for, while Lillian Roth is the street urchin who gives up her life to save her beloved poet.

[edit] Songs

  • "Song of the Vagabonds"
  • "King Louis"
  • "Mary, Queen of Heaven"
  • "Some Day"
  • "If I Were King"
  • "What France Needs"
  • "Only a Rose"
  • "Huguette Waltz"
  • "Love Me Tonight"
  • "Nocturne"

[edit] Trivia

  • Dennis King recreated his original London and Broadway stage role as Villon in this film.
  • Dennis King and costar Jeanette MacDonald did not get along particularly well, and matters came to a head when they filmed the song "Only A Rose." As MacDonald was singing a solo passage, the egotistical King managed to edge his profile into the shot; forever afterward, the diva scornfully referred to the number as "Only A Nose."
  • Composer Rudolf Friml had a stipulation in his contract that forbade the use of newly composed songs in this production. Paramount attempted to change the film's title to "If I Were King," and also had some new songs composed for the film. When Friml was made aware of the new songs, he sued the studio. As a result Paramount changed the title back to "The Vagabond King" and paid Friml $50,000 to allow for the use of non-original songs.

[edit] Preservation

For many years, this film was seen (if at all) only in black and white. One nitrate Technicolor print did survive at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and it was restored and preserved in 1990.