La dame de Monsoreau

The silent version of the Dumas story which had already been filmed by Maurice Tourneur, is an example of the French historical romance line ROBERT MACAIRE or Renoir's The TOUURNAMENT which critics tend to ignore though they persists to the present.

This one survives in an attractive, hand tinted copy which gives it a little more interest, presenting the historic locations and elaborate costumes nicely, though the film is on the stodgy side.

Major point of interest is the central performance by a young Gina Manés soon to be Josephine to Gance's NAPOLEON and the star of the now lost Feyder THERESE RAQUIN and Duvivier's remarkable LE TETE D'UN HOMME. She is at her most appealing though her sultry femme fatale characters of the later films are more imposing.