Product Details

• Actors: John Barrymore, Conrad Veidt, Marceline Day, Lawson Butt, Henry Victor
• Directors: Alan Crosland
• Format: Silent, DVD, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: June 25, 2002
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006674G
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,186 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Beloved Rogue" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, bizarre swashbuckler, August 12, 2002

By 

Robert M. Fells "Mr. Arliss's Official Biogra... (Centreville, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beloved Rogue (DVD)

With the exception of two earlier films, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920) and The Sea Beast (1926), THE BELOVED ROGUE is more a personal statement by its star, John Barrymore, than any film he ever made. Designed as a romp through 15th century Paris (in a snowstorm, no less), ROGUE is both inventive and bizarre as Barrymore's Gothic tastes were given free rein by United Artists.
The actor specifically wanted to avoid the "Hollywood" type of situations where the hero rescues the heroine and both live happily ever after. Despite the film's inventiveness, the plot eventually works itself out along the more traditional lines that Barrymore wanted to avoid like the plague. It was said that he was unhappy with the finished product but many years after his death, when ROGUE was considered a lost film, a subsequent owner of Barrymore's house found a mint 35mm print of this film stored away in the basement. Perhaps that print is the one used for this dvd, courtesy of Mr. Barrymore himself.

Since the film seeks a de-glamourized view of the Middle Ages, fans of Hollywood swashbuckers made during the 1930s and 40s will probably be surprised - dismayed may be a better word - at the dingy surroundings and deformed characters present in many scenes. Barrymore revelled in this type of setting and perhaps felt justified that he could never have played such parts had he remained on the stage. As it turned out, the film rights to the hit stage play, "If I Were King," were not available so Barrymore and company had to cobble a story together based on public domain information on Francois Villon, steering clear from any story elements original to the play.

THE BELOVED ROGUE on the whole is an enjoyable if somewhat creepy swashbuckler of a type never really duplicated during the sound era. Now if they only added some bonus material like Barrymore's 1926 home movie, Vagabonding on the Pacific, we'd really shout for joy!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun, July 1, 2002

By 

Gwen Kramer "gwenhwyvar" (Sunny and not-so-sunny California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Beloved Rogue (DVD)

Though swashbuckling is typically associated with the movies of the 30s and 40s, it was actually invented in the 10s and 20s and pioneered by the incomparable Douglas Fairbanks. By the time this movie was made, in 1926, swashbuckling was a giant moneymaker for the film industry. This time was the last hurrah for silent cinema, talkies would totally take over within a few years. Yet, in these last few years of the artform, some of the best examples of silent cinema were filmed.

John Barrymore plays Francois Villon, introduced as a poet, pickpocket and patriot. Though his works are widely read, writing does not pay the bills so Villon makes his living outside the law. On All Fools Day, he runs afoul of King Louis XI (Conrad Veidt) and is banished from Paris. The city is his life so to be forced to leave it is worse than death. Of course, you can't keep a hero as zany as Villon down and he ends up back in the city, falls for the pretty but bland Charlotte who is a huge fan of his poetry. Charlotte is about to be married off in a master plan by the Duke of Burgundy to take Paris. The King is too fettered by superstition to act. You guessed it, it's up to Villon to save the day.

The acting is all appropriately over the top, as is right in a silent melodrama. The sets and costumes look good. John Barrymore easily dominates the viewers attention. Conrad Veidt is also very enjoyable, the supremely weird Louis must have been a fun character to play.

My only real complaint about the movie is that the climax is played with a totally straight face, I felt that a sillier climax would have been more in keeping with the overall spirit of the film. However, silly climaxes are hard to do without being just plain dumb so I suppose I understand why the film makers decided to be serious.

The print quality is good, about the usual number of flaws expected in a silent film but always viewable. The score is piano and is appropriate (I find organ scores a bit overbearing but some fans can't do without them, it's all about personal taste) The DVD does not offer any extras except chapter selection.

This is a great investment for a silent movie or a swashbuckler fan. Overall, a very enjoyable film that is finally available on DVD.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barrymore In His Prime., June 30, 2009

By 

Chip Kaufmann (Asheville, N.C. United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Beloved Rogue (1926) (Silent) (DVD)

Along with DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE, this 1926 action/adventure flick remains one of the best John Barrymore silent vehicles currently available to us. Here "The Great Profile" invades Douglas Fairbanks territory and more than holds his own. There is so much to like about this film that it's hard to know where to begin. Aside from Barrymore's charismatic performance there is the American debut of Conrad Veidt. Just observe his body posture as Louis XI and you'll see what silent screen acting is all about. Then there is the opportunity to see Mack Swain away from Chaplin and Sennett. The sets by William Cameron Menzies are staggering and the camera work by Joseph August is among the finest in silent film. It was all brought together by Alan Crosland who is best remembered for directing THE JAZZ SINGER although this picture was much more typical of his style.

The print utilized for this DVD is taken from the Killiam Collection and is the same as the one issued by Image Entertainment in 2002. Although it's a little worn in places, the new transfer has better picture quality with the tinted scenes toned down compared to the old Image version. The William Perry piano score, while not in state of the art sound, has been sonically enhanced and is a great improvement over the previous release. It remains a good example of what a silent piano score should be. A rare opportunity to see John Barrymore in his prime with many other things to savor. It still excites the senses after all these years especially in this new transfer. Available by itself or as part of Kino's new 4 disc JOHN BARRYMORE COLLECTION.