Cardinal Richelieu

1935

1h 22m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

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History

Romance

Drama

The cunning Cardinal Richelieu must save King Louis XIII from treachery within his inner circle.

Directors

Rowland V. Lee

Writers

Cameron Rogers(adaptation by)

Nunnally Johnson(writer by)

Edward George Bulwer-Lytton(theatre play by)

Stars

George Arliss

Edward Arnold

Maureen O'Sullivan

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Top cast

Cardinal Richelieu

Louis XIII

Lenore

Andre de Pons

Queen Marie

Queen Anne

Father Joseph

Gaston

Gustavus Adolphus - King of Sweden

Duke D'Epernon

Duke of Lorraine

Duke of Normandy

Duke of Buckingham

Austrian Prime Minister

Olivares

Inn-Keeper

Old Inn-Keeper

Richelieu's Outrider

Directors

Rowland V. Lee

Writers

Cameron Rogers(adaptation by)

Nunnally Johnson(writer by)

Edward George Bulwer-Lytton(theatre play by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

George Arliss is the eponymous red clergyman attempting to control 17th Century France. He is the first minister of the ineffectual Louis XIII and as such, is the object of pretty universal loathing from serfs and nobles alike. He is also, however, remarkably astute and thick-skinned, and will manoeuvre and scheme to advance the cause and safety of his nation. Sadly, though - even with all that to work with, neither director Rowland V. Lee, nor Arliss himself really deliver anything particularly exciting or intriguing. The plotting and counter-plotting is all just a bit shallow, the wordy dialogue neuters the characters quite effectively and the pace of the whole thing lurches rather than flows. It has grand set staging, but that seems to suggest it might make for a better play than a movie and although there are plenty of familiar faces propping him up - Cesar Romero, Edward Arnold and quite a jolly contribution from Maureen O'Sullivan, on the whole I was disappointed by this rather dry, procedural drama.

Geronimo196719 Jun, 2022