The Rogue Song (1930)

In czarist Russia, a princess falls for a dashing bandit leader, but their romance proves a stormy one.

Director:

Lionel Barrymore

Writers:

Robert Bodansky (libretto Zigeunerliebe), John Colton,

Stars:

Lawrence Tibbett, Catherine Dale Owen, Nance O'Neil

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lawrence Tibbett	...	Yegor
Catherine Dale Owen	...	Princess Vera
Nance O'Neil	...	Princess Alexandra
Judith Vosselli	...	Tatiana
Ullrich Haupt	...	Prince Serge
Elsa Alsen	...	Yegor's mother
Florence Lake	...	Nadja
Lionel Belmore	...	Ossman
Wallace MacDonald	...	Hassan
Kate Price	...	Pelrovna
Kewpie Morgan	...	Frolov (as H.A. Morgan)
Burr McIntosh	...	Count Peter
James Bradbury Jr.	...	Azamat
Stan Laurel	...	Ali-Bek
Oliver Hardy	...	Murza-Bek

Storyline

Russia, 1910. Yegor, a dashing (as well as singing) bandit leader meets Princess Vera at a mountain inn. They end up falling in love, but the relationship is shattered when Yegor kills Vera's brother, Prince Serge, for raping his sister, Nadja, and driving her to suicide. Yegor kidnaps Vera, forcing her to live a life of lowly servitude among the bandits. Vera manages to outwit Yegor, who's captured by soldiers and flogged. Vera begs Yegor's forgiveness. Although still in love with each other, they realize they cannot be together, at least for the time being.

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Plot Keywords:

russia | partially lost film | two strip technicolor | gypsy

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Genres:

Musical | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Banditenlied

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Just prior to release, scenes with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were filmed interspersed throughout the film to increase box-office appeal.

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Connections

Referenced in Historia del cine: Epoca muda (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Ballet Music (Suite Choreographique)"
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin (uncredited)

User Reviews

Complete soundtrack exists on disc but film is "LOST."

MGM archives contain the entire film soundtrack on disc (this was before the days of sound on film), but no negative or positive visual materials are known to exist. One can guage Metropolitan Opera star Lawrence Tibbett's Oscar-nominated performance from the sound materials and he does give a sonorous , robust and natural performance. Songs are well done - there is much tongue in cheek - and even a brief appearance by Laurel and Hardy. A 45 minute LP was issued in the 1970s on an obscure label with selections from the film soundtrack for those intrepid collectors out there.