The Vagabond King

This is a terrible early talkie with a flamboyant 19th century ham performance by Dennis King in the lead and a nondescript one from Jeannette MacDonald. It was filmed entirely in 2 strip Technicolor, which makes up for some of its failings. A restored print is housed at UCLA and it is the only known surviving color print. The elaborate art direction deservedly earned an Oscar nomination.

It is available on DVD from Loving the Classics, which uses an old battered 16 mm black and white television print (MCA-TV), which is 3/4 screen, blurry, washed out and with poor sound. The silence surrounding the dialogue is full of white noise.

There is the lovely score - MacDonald has three numbers: Someday, Only A Rose and Love Me Tonight.

Songs:

Act One: 1:08:10

King Louis - King Hymn - Chorus SOMEDAY – sung by MacDonald If I Were King - King What France Needs - King Song of the Vagabonds – King ONLY A ROSE – sung by MacDonald, joined at end by King SOMEDAY – reprise – sung by MacDonald Huguette's Waltz - sung by Roth LOVE ME TONIGHT – sung by MacDonald and King

Act Two: 36:30

Pool Procession - Chorus Song of the Vagabonds – reprise – King Requiem – Chorus ONLY A ROSE – reprise finale – sung by Macdonald and King

This is for die-hard fans of Rudolf Friml (composer) and Jeannette MacDonald.

MacDonald scenes: 11

Act One: Church Interior, Street, King's Observatory, Observing Villon's transformation, Palace Walk, Balcony Scene, Observing Villon and Herald from Burgundy; Act Two: Garden, Huguette's Death Scene, Church, Gallows.