Francois Villon, Poet Who Saved a Throne

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 11

Francois Villon, Poet Who Saved a Throne

“IF I WERE KING” STARS RONALD COLMAN (Regent: Screening Saturday week.) Glamorous Paris during the unforgettable days when powerful Burgundy hammered at the gates of the city and all France breathlessly waited on the commands of a vagabond poet, forms the setting for “If I Were King,” Paramount’s epic story of the life of Francois Villon. Ronald Colman has the lead role of the rouguish poet from the Paris underworld who became the ruler of France for a week and, inspired by the love of a royal princess, drove a powerful enemy from the gates of the city. Basil Rathbone will be seen as a king who at one moment personally supervises the torture of prisoners, yet at another makes a Villon, ruler of tbo country in return for some slight favFranccs Dee is a princess of France, Katherine De Vaucelles, who gave up her title, wealth and position to be with her commouer-sweetheart, Francois \ illon, the vagabond poet. Others in the cast are Ellen Drew and Henry W ilcoxon. Harrison Carroll, of the Los Angeles Herald-Express says, “ ‘lf I Were King’ is swashbuckling romance full of the clank of arms aud of adventurous deeds. Director Frank Lloyd surpasses | himself. Basil Rathbone is unforgettable as the sardonic Louis XI.”