Directed by Alan Crosland
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)
John Barrymore plays both the legendary lover and his father in the early scenes. The young Don Juan learns to love, but never trust, women when his father is murdered right in front of him. As an adult in Rome, his life is a hectic juggling act of the absurd: a woman in the bedroom, two in the living room, more lined up for the evening, a calendar with hour-by-hour appointments. It's not until he meets Adriana, a young Mary Astor, who initially rejects him, sending him into a love-struck spiral. She has also caught the eye of Cesare Borgia, the brother of Lucrezia Borgia, who will stop at nothing, including imprisonment, torture and murder, to keep them apart. The second half or so is grand entertainment, with a memorable sword fight, touches of horror form an evil sorcerer and of course a happy ending. The movie is notable as the first with a synchronized, pre-recorded music soundtrack, played on a Vitaphone disc, with occasional sound effects; dialogue is still conveyed with title cards.
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