Quand la femme est Roi

Marion Davies returns unfinished from finishing school because her cousin, Creighton Hale, has completed negotiations to be crowned King of Graustark. A skiing accident puts him in a hospital bed. If he doesn't show up, evil General Roy D'Arcy may succeed in a coup. So they dress up Miss Davies in men's clothes and send her off as her cousin. On the way in, she and faithful Duke Albert Gran are almost assassinated, but sheepherder Antonio Moreno rescues them. Miss Davies appoints him her bodyguard. She wants him close, and not just to guard her body.

There are major differences between this movie version and the George Barr McCutcheon novel it's based on. Mitteleuropean politics are cut out in favor of a big final reveal. Also, there's no cousin Creighton. In the book, Beverly Calhoun is mistaken for the reigning Princess of Graustark, whose friend she is. These changes allow more romance and let Miss Davies dress in men's clothes, as she has in at least three of her earlier movies. This was, after all, a starring vehicle for Miss Davies, and Hollywood liked to recycle elements that had worked in previous shows. Moreno is dashing; Miss Davies mugs a lot when called on to do manly things, and there's a sumptuous finale in nicely preserved two-strip Technicolor. Ben Model offers a nice organ accompaniment on this Undercrank co-production with the Library of Congress. It's a fine vehicle for Miss Davies, showing her as beautiful, a good silent actress, and a willing and excellent farceur.

Certainly not the first film to feature a character cross dressing for disguise, but it might perhaps be the first film to contain a two strip technicolor sequence AND a cross dressing character. I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't though. This cross dresser has a name of course, Marion Davies who plays the title role, Beverly. The plot is quite simple, Beverly's cousin gets injured while skiing, and just so happens that he's scheduled to take the seat of a throne. After being mistaken as her cousin, Beverly goes along with it and before she knows it, threats are being made on her life by someone who also wants the seat. All around I thought it was very enjoyable and I believe the story worked like it was intended. The color sequence was unexpected and a delight to see. There is also a couple short scenes that are tinted, which always adds extra atmosphere. Why the entire movie wasn't tinted, I don't know. We even get a POV type shot of two hands holding a rifle.

This isn't the first film that Marion Davies has been mistaken for a male. If you've seen "When Knighthood was in Flower" (1922), you might remember when she dressed in a mans wardrobe. She was also mistaken for a man in "Peg O' My Heart" (1933). Not surprisingly, there is a 1914 version of "Beverly of Graustark", which I haven't seen but looks like its available on YouTube.

Recommended to silent film fans, and although there are better choices, its also a good starting point for anyone unfamiliar with silents.

This film was released on Blu-Ray/DVD by Undercrank Production.

Marion Davies stars as Beverly, an American student who gets talked into masquerading as her cousin Oscar after he gets injured in a skiing accident. Oscar (Creighton Hale) was just about to travel back to Graustark to claim the throne and secure the country from the evil General Marlanax (Roy D'Arcy). Of course there are complications when she falls for her bodyguard, Antonio Moreno, a goatherd who rescues the "prince" from an ambush.

Davies is a delight. The scene in which she must drain a huge tankard of beer (as a toast to the army) is hilarious. At a great ball, Davies manages to talk the scheming Carlotta (Paulette Duval) into taking off her gown, which Davies escapes with to flirt with Moreno. All is well when Oscar finally appears in Graustark.

Davies impersonated young men in many of her films (MARIANNE (both silent and talkie versions), LITTLE OLD NEW YORK, Hollywood REVUE OF 1929, and WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER come to mind). Davies also masquerades is many other films: in QUALITY STREET as her own niece, OPERATOR 13 as a black servant, EVER SINCE EVE as a frumpy secretary, GOING Hollywood as a French maid, etc.

BEVERLY OF GRAUSTARK was a big hit at the box office and is said to be Davies' most profitable film for MGM.

This is Marion Davies in her silent film heyday. She plays the American cousin Beverly of Oscar the Prince of Graustark. Beverly, who has just come from finishing school, unfinished, visits her cousin in Europe. Oscar is on the way to claim his throne as king in Graustark, and he is on a deadline to arrive before a certain date or the crown is given to another. On the way, the two stop for some skiing and Oscar has a horrible accident that prevents him from immediately traveling on. This necessitates Beverly stepping in to pretend to be Oscar...with a full drag makeover that includes an extreme short haircut. As Beverly voyages on, her traveling party is attacked. She is and her party are rescued by local shepherds led by Dantan (Antonio Moreno). It is clear that someone is trying to prevent "Oscar" from claiming his crown. Not knowing who to trust, Beverly as Oscar hires Dantan to be her bodyguard and get the prince safely to Graustark...which he does and then remains until the crowning ceremony. In the process the two become closer...confusing Dantan, but thankfully the actual Prince Oscar (Creighton Hale) finally arrives...allowing Beverly to clear things up with Dantan.

"Counting your kingdoms before they are snatched."

This not the most remarkable of films. If you are a big fan of women in drag or Marion Davies, this maybe should be on your list...otherwise I am afraid it really isn't a recommendation from me, even with it's final scene being in color (a rarity for the 1920's).

Marion Davies is a young American woman who must stand in for her cousin Prince Oscar when he is injured while being escorted to take his throne. She falls in love with goatherd Dantan, who helped rescue her from the evil General Marlanax, and after assorted palace intrigue everything ends happily.

Marion Davies is OK in a role that seems perfect for Mary Pickford. Quite competent, but there is nothing to go out of the way for.