Ruy Blas

Pierre Billon was an underrated director who did a much better job with his Balzac adaptation "Vautrin" than with this Hugo attempt and though Jean Marais was hugely popular I find his speaking voice grating and here we have to listen to him talk twice as he plays a dual role. Cocteau the scenarist had called this a kind of Western with Marais as the dashing outlaw in the mountains though it is to me more of a swashbuckler. The always attractive Darrieux helps things as the Queen though she doesn't turn up until 30 minutes into the story. There is good support from Gabrielle Dorziat as her Lady In Waiting (" Une reine d'Espagne ne regarde pas per la fenetre") though another French character player Marcel Herrand overacts as Don Salluste, the chief of police who seeks vengeance against the outlaw and later blackmails Darrieux into giving up the throne to avoid the scandal of her being associated with Marais. Elaborate sets by Georges Wahkevtch and some nice lighting by Michel Kelber.