Bardelys the Magnificent (1926)
Directed by King Vidor

Film Review

Lost for nearly eight decades, this silent masterpiece made a surprising return in 2007 thanks to the efforts of dedicated film restorer Serge Bromberg and his company Lobster Films.  When significant "lost" films are bought back from the dead, there is sometimes a feeling of disappointment when we finally get to see them.  This is certainly not the case here - Bardelys the Magnificent is a twenty-four carat cinematic gem that will delight any film enthusiast, particularly aficionados of the swashbuckling adventure genre.

The film was directed by the great American filmmaker King Vidor and is based on a popular historical novel by Rafael Sabatini.   The lead characters are played with charm and conviction by John Gilbert, who resembles a prototype Errol Flynn, particularly in the spectacular action sequences, and Eleanor Boardman, Vidor's wife.   Watch close enough and you will see a very young John Wayne in one of his earliest film appearances.   Well paced and imaginatively directed, offering a satisfying melange of romance, adventure and comedy, Bardelys the Magnificent is a delightful film that scores very highly on both the entertainment and artistic scales.

Film Synopsis

The nobleman Chatellerault is sent by King Louis XIII of France to win the hand in marriage of Roxalanne de Lavedan, with the aim of ensuring that her fortune remains within his kingdom.  The attempt fails and Chatellerault is convinced that the chaste Roxalanne will yield herself to no man in the whole of France.  The handsome courtier Bardelys, a man with a notorious reputation for womanising, is confident that he can succeed where Chatellerault failed, and wagers his entire estate that the girl will be his within three months.  On the way to the Lavedan castle, Bardelys comes across a dying man who presents him with some letters that identify him as Lesperon.  Taking the man's identity, Bardelys soon discovers that Lesperon was an anti-royalist rebel and appeals to Roxalanne to offer him shelter.  It isn't long before Bardelys is arrested for treason, and the only way that Roxalanne can save his life is by marrying his rival, Chatellerault...