IMDb plot summary: The story takes place in medieval France. Poet-rogue Francois Villon, sentenced to hang by King Louis XI for writing derogatory verses about him, is offered a temporary reprieve. His hanging will be postponed for 24 hours, and in that time he must defeat the invading Burgundians and win the love of the beautiful Katherine.
Directed by Ludwig Berger. Starring Dennis King, Jeanette MacDonald, and O.P. Heggie.
The Vagabond King is a 1930 movie based on an operetta of the same name. The story focuses on a young, poor revolutionary who is arrested by the king and given the chance to live as a king himself for seven days before he dies. This, more than most of the other movies I've watched from 1930, *feels* old and stagey. Everything from the way the musical numbers are staged to the diction habits of our lead actor feels like I'm watching a 1920s stage performance. (I did enjoy how one of the musical numbers was suddenly in color -- it added a bit of oomph to an otherwise uninteresting song!) The staginess isn't necessarily a bad thing for me. It definitely takes a little getting used to, but it gives it an interesting flavor that I hadn't been seeing as much of in my other 1930 films so far. The main character's arc is pretty thin, but the female lead has a much more interesting journey, so if you watch it, have fun rooting for her.
How it entered my Flickchart:
The Vagabond King < The Keep
The Vagabond King > Big Fat Liar
The Vagabond King > Sullivan's Travels
The Vagabond King > Get Shorty
The Vagabond King < A Hard Day's Night
The Vagabond King > Once Upon a Time in the West
The Vagabond King > A Bridge Too Far
The Vagabond King > Stillwater
The Vagabond King < De-Lovely
The Vagabond King < Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
The Vagabond King < Vanya on 42nd Street
The Vagabond King > Melinda and Melinda
Final spot: #1908 out of 3567, or 47%.
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