Monsieur Beaucaire (1924)

Rudolph Valentino is on good form in this period romance as the "Duke de Chartres", the cousin of King Louis XV. He has a reputation as a bit of a grand fop, but when the King decides he is to marry the rather stroppy "Princess Henriette" (Bebe Daniels) he absconds to London where, assuming the identity of a barber ("Beaucaire"), ingratiates himself into London's gambling society. When he catches the "Duke of Winterset" cheating at cards, he coerces the peer to take him to a grand ball where he wants to meet the shy "Lady Mary" (Doris Kenyon). He adopts yet another moniker for the party and off he goes - only to find that "Winterset" has set a trap that could lead to disaster and his exposure. The production, though suitably sumptuous, is really pretty static. Lots of single shots, endless cuts, and even when we do get more than one person in shot the flow is pretty lethargic. The last ten minutes are quite fun, though - and the story comes alive a bit once it has gathered enough steam. It's not great, and were it not for Valentino and his effortless ability to engage with the camera (particularly during the comically protracted levée at the start which could have left anyone with pneumonia!), it would be entirely forgettable - but as it is, it is worth a watch.