If I Were King
His Love-Making Was as Dangerous as His Sword-Play
1938 | 101m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Frank Lloyd |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Preston Sturges |
| Staring: |
| King Louis XI masquerades as a commoner in Paris, seeking out the treachery he is sure lurks in his kingdom. At a local tavern, he overhears the brash poet François Villon extolling why he would be a better king. Annoyed yet intrigued, the King bestows on Villon the title of Grand Constable. Soon Villon begins work and falls for a lovely lady-in-waiting, but then must flee execution when the King turns on him. | |
| Release Date: | Sep 28, 1938 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Frank Lloyd |
| Writer: | Preston Sturges |
| Genres: | Adventure, History |
| Keywords | paris, france, based on novel or book, imprisonment, poet, cowardice, thief, romance, torture, king, impersonation, nobility, starvation, poor, turncoat, 15th century, battle of wits, leadership, witty, ideals, besieged city, rabble |
| Production Companies | Paramount Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 28, 2026 Entered: Apr 25, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Ronald Colman | François Villon |
| Basil Rathbone | Louis XI |
| Frances Dee | Katherine de Vaucelles |
| Ellen Drew | Huguette |
| C. V. France | Father Villon |
| Henry Wilcoxon | Captain of the Watch |
| Heather Thatcher | The Queen |
| Stanley Ridges | Rene de Montigny |
| Bruce Lester | Noel de Jolys |
| Alma Lloyd | Colette |
| Walter Kingsford | Tristan l'Hermite |
| Sidney Toler | Robin Turgis |
| Colin Tapley | Jehan LeLoup |
| Ralph Forbes | Oliver le Dain |
| John Miljan | Thibaut d'Aussigny |
| William Haade | Guy Tabarie |
| Adrian Morris | Colin de Cayeulx |
| Montagu Love | General Dudon |
| Lester Matthews | General Saliere |
| William Farnum | General Barbezier |
| Paul Harvey | Burgundian Herald |
| Barry Macollum | Storehouse Watchman |
| May Beatty | Anna |
| Winter Hall | Major Domo |
| Francis McDonald | Casin Cholet |
| Ann Evers | Lady-in-Waiting |
| Jean Fenwick | Lady-in-Waiting |
| Jimmy Aubrey | Drunk (uncredited) |
| Guy Bellis | Third Officer (uncredited) |
| Lionel Belmore | Chief Steward (uncredited) |
| Ted Billings | Parisian Peasant (uncredited) |
| Ed Brady | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Henry Brandon | Soldier (uncredited) |
| George Bruggeman | Restraining Guard (uncredited) |
| Marie Burton | Girl (uncredited) |
| Ethel Clayton | Old Woman (uncredited) |
| David Clyde | First Officer (uncredited) |
| Bing Conley | Burgundian Knight (uncredited) |
| Alec Craig | Spy (uncredited) |
| Paula DeCardo | Dancer (uncredited) |
| Jane Dewey | Maid (uncredited) |
| Shorty English | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Ralph Faulkner | First Watch (uncredited) |
| Norah Gale | Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited) |
| John George | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Eddie Hall | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Darryl Hickman | Child (uncredited) |
| Shep Houghton | Burgundian Knight (uncredited) |
| Brandon Hurst | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Major Kieffer | Burgundian Knight (uncredited) |
| Claude King | Courtier (uncredited) |
| Judith King | Girl (uncredited) |
| Stanley King | Captain of Archers (uncredited) |
| Ian Maclaren | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Eric Mayne | Court Member (uncredited) |
| Merrill McCormick | Ruffian |
| Clive Morgan | Second Officer (uncredited) |
| Paul Newlan | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Carol Parker | Girl (uncredited) |
| Russ Powell | Ruffian (uncredited) |
| Ruth Rogers | Girl (uncredited) |
| John Roy | Restraining Guard (uncredited) |
| Ralph Sanford | Cook (uncredited) |
| Charles Schaeffer | Third Watch (uncredited) |
| Louise Seidel | Girl (uncredited) |
| Allen D. Sewall | Parisian Peasant (uncredited) |
| Count Stefenelli | Court Member (uncredited) |
| Dan Strebel | Second Watch (uncredited) |
| Evan Thomas | Officer (uncredited) |
| Cheryl Walker | Girl (uncredited) |
| Robert Wegner | Fourth Watch (uncredited) |
| Pat West | Bit Part (uncredited) |
| Dorothy White | Girl (uncredited) |
| Gloria Williams | Girl (uncredited) |
| Harry Wilson | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Frank Lloyd | Director |
| Justin Huntly McCarthy | Theatre Play |
| Hugh Bennett | Editor |
| Hans Dreier | Art Direction |
| John B. Goodman | Art Direction |
| William Tummel | Assistant Director |
| A. E. Freudeman | Interior Designer |
| John Cope | Sound |
| Harold Lewis | Sound |
| Gordon Jennings | Visual Effects, Special Effects |
| Lothrop B. Worth | Assistant Camera |
| Boris Morros | Music Director |
| Lucien Cailliet | Orchestrator |
| Milan Roder | Additional Music |
| Waldo Twitchell | Researcher |
| Guy Bennett | Additional Camera |
| Edith Head | Costume Design |
| Theodor Sparkuhl | Director of Photography |
| Loren L. Ryder | Sound |
| Wally Westmore | Makeup Artist |
| Richard Hageman | Original Music Composer |
| Adolph Zukor | Presenter |
| Preston Sturges | Screenplay |
| Gaston Valcourt | Dialogue Coach |
| Harry Scott | Second Assistant Director |
| Lou Smith | Additional Writing |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Frank Lloyd | Producer |
| Lou Smith | Associate Producer |
| William LeBaron | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
This is a cracking bit of swashbuckling adventure with Ronald Colman ("Villon") and particularly Basil Rathbone (Louis XI) on top form. The former is a poetic vagabond, Robin Hood style, character who pinches what he can to help feed the population of a besieged Paris, whilst their King sits in his ... palace living the life of Riley. When the King's personal store is raided, the King's guard step up their searches and it isn't long before "Villon" is apprehended. The King is a wily old buzzard, though, and realising potential in this man of the people, appoints him to command the city and his armies and before long the people begin to change their previously hostile views of Louis XI and everyone focuses on the looming Burgundian attacks. Coleman reminded me of Errol Flynn here; he displays a charming intimacy with both his colleagues and the audience that is engaging. Rathbone - who lost out on the Oscar to Walter Brennan for "Kentucky" (1938) - is also excellent as the shrewd monarch who must hold his kingdom together, despite some pretty obvious character flaws! Frank Lloyd keeps the whole thing moving along swiftly, with plenty of action, pithy dialogue and duplicity writ large. If you like the genre, then you ought to love this - I really enjoyed it.