Story of movie When Knighthood Was In Flower 1922 Film : When Knighthood Was in Flower is a 1922 silent historical film based on the novel When Knighthood Was in Flower by Charles Major and play by Paul Kester. The film was produced by William Randolph Hearst (or his Cosmopolitan Productions) for his "live-in companion" Marion Davies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The director was veteran Robert G. Vignola, who helmed several of Davies' costume romances. This was William Powell's second film. The story was re-filmed in the sound era in 1953 as The Sword and the Rose by Ken Annakin.
| When Knighthood Was in Flower | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Robert G. Vignola |
| Produced by | William Randolph Hearst |
| Based on | When Knighthood Was in Flower by Charles Major |
| Starring | Marion Davies |
| Music by | William Frederick Peters Victor Herbert (additional music) |
| Cinematography | Ira H. Morgan Harold Wenstrom |
Production company | Cosmopolitan Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 12 reels; 11,618 feet (120 minutes) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent |
| Budget | $1.5 million |
| Box office | $1,000,000 (US/CA) |
Screenplay
- Marion Davies - Mary Tudor
- Forrest Stanley - Charles Brandon
- Lyn Harding - Henry VIII
- Teresa Maxwell-Conover - Queen Catherine (as Theresa Maxwell Conover)
- Pedro de Cordoba - Duke of Buckingham
- Ruth Shepley - Lady Jane Bolingbroke
- Ernest Glendinning - Sir Edwin Caskoden
- Arthur Forrest - Cardinal Wolsey
- Johnny Dooley - Will Sommers
- William Kent - King's tailor
- Charles K. Gerrard - Sir Adam Judson
- Arthur Donaldson - Sir Henry Brandon
- Downing Clarke - Lord Chamberlain
- William Norris - Louis XII
- Macey Harlam - Duc de Longueville
- William Powell - Francis I (billed William H. Powell)
- George Nash - An adventurer
- Gustav von Seyffertitz - Grammont
- Paul Panzer - Captain of the Guard
- Flora Finch - French countess
- Guy Coombs - Follower of Buckingham
Exteriors were shot at Windsor Castle, England. With an estimated cost of $1,500,000, it was considered by Life "the most expensive film that has ever been produced" in 1922. According to Variety, William Randolph Hearst who owned Cosmopolitan Productions launched "the most expensive and extensive campaign that has ever been organized for anything theatrical", with over 650 billboards in New York, 300 subway advertising placards, special booths in department stores that sold souvenir books, and a dazzling string of electric signs that pervaded Times Square.
Marion Davies makes her entrance coming down the river on a royal barge. The barge was a full-sized replica built in Bridgeport, CT. The scene was filmed on the Ladder Rock estate outside Bridgeport. Hearst commissioned two songs from Victor Herbert: "The When Knighthood Was in Flower Waltz" and "The Marion Davies March," which were played at the New York premiere. Ben Model used portions of these songs in his score for the 2017 restoration of the film.
The film was very popular and was the sixth biggest hit of the year in the US. When it was released, the theatres were filled with flowers for theatrical effect. Playwright Robert E. Sherwood considered it one of the best pictures of the year. The Motion Picture Guide praised the film for its "tremendous production values, excellent direction, a good script, and an outstanding cast", giving it three out of four stars.
The film was a triumph for Marion Davies, and she was named "Queen of the Screen" and the #1 female box office star of 1922 at the annual theater owners ball (Rudolph Valentino was named #1 male star).
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