WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER
starring Marion Davies and Forrest Stanley
MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC
December, 1922
It doesn't take a particularly keen sense of discrimination to select "When Knighthood Was in Flower" (Cosmopolitan) as the most magnificent screen spectacle of the season. Look back into yesterday and you will fail to remember many picture which eclipses this film version of Charles Major's stirring and richly colored story for sheer loveliness of settings, costumes and lighting effects.
Dr. Urban has unlocked his Cabinet and brought forth some tapestries and colors of almost unbelievable beauty. His backgrounds have never been excelled. With one sweep of the brush he does away with the argument that artistic pictures based upon historical romance cannot be done on this side of the Atlantic. So much for the pictorial appeal.
In this day, when the ghosts of the dear departed are stalking abroad, it is quite likely that Henry the Eighth and his Tudor kin have looked unseen upon this achievement. It is quite likely that he asked his relatives - "So this is Hampton Court?" And he possibly expressed the wish that he could live forever in such opulent surroundings.
It doesn't matter whether the present generation is familiar with the story or not. The point is, it is a picturesque drama of English romance which is vivid and compelling - told in an admirable and dignified way and sticking closely to its main argument that Bluff King Hal did not care to have his rebellious little sister, Mary, associating with a mere captain of the guards when she could become queen of France by merely exposing her seductive charm to Louis XII, that ancient and decrepit romancer. Do you blame her for being disobedient to the royal command? Can you blame her for liking Charlie Brandon, the commoner - with youth, virility and romantic fervor on his side?
It was a hazardous job protecting him from her brother's hatred. Drastic measures were employed by both - and Mary, being a Tudor, fought Harry with all the combative traditions of the family name. Feminine wiles were useless in making success of her cause. If you know history, Major, Shakespeare, and Harry, you will remember that this autocratic ruler had the last word. Wives appeared and disappeared like the pitchers on the Giants' ball team. So, at the price of saving Brandon's head from dropping into the basket, Mary consented to marry Louis, tho with the stipulation that she should be allowed to choose her second husband for herself. The King of France didn't remain long a benedict.
These figures, with a whole galaxy of others, make their entrances and exits thru Urban's impressive settings - settings which dazzle the eye with their size and beauty, yet are never out of harmony with the story itself.
But what of Robert G. Vignola, the director? Isn't he responsible for the artistic effort of the cast and the dramatic construction of the story? Didn't he animate the entire play? Give him credit for putting forth one of the finest touches of the picture - the scene showing Marion Davies at prayer as her beloved is about to be executed.
Miss Davies, incidentally, gives a surprisingly good performance
as Mary. She has seemingly caught the spirit of the role - playing
at all times with feeling and assurance. She is especially delightful
in her scenes with her rascally brother, Harry. The other members
of the cast played flawlessly - a cast comprising names which
read like a blue book of stage and screen. Lynn Harding as Henry
has stepped right out of a Holbein. His resemblance is marvelous.
And he is the king to the life as Shakespeare and history have
drawn him - bluff, jovial, brutal, relentless and autocratic.
An unforgettable portrait. William Norris' Louis XII is a joyful
study - a truly comic King - played with a keen sense of satire
and subtle buffoonery. We mention these three because they dominate
the picture, but the work of Pedro de Cordoba, Forrest Stanley,
Arthur Forrest, Ruth Shepley and William H. Powell is especially
noteworthy.
Video availability: Videobrary