The Beloved Rogue
Director: Alan Crosland
Year Released: 1927
Rating: 1.5
Fun-loving mama's boy François Villon (John Barrymore), a mysterious French poet, first gets kicked out of Paris by the King (Conrad Veidt) ... only to wiggle his way back into the King's favor by helping him deal with the troublesome Duke of Burgundy (Lawson Butt). Barrymore's typical effervescent charm is strangely missing here, and his Villon is a lucky buffoon, but at least he's not the worst thing in this uninspired swashbuckler: rogues should never make one yawn uncontrollably. Menzies' sets are nice, at least.
