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IMDbPro

When Knighthood Was in Flower

  • 19221922
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
RomanceDrama
Mary Tudor, sister of England's Henry VIII, causes a stir by falling in love with a guardsman below her class.Mary Tudor, sister of England's Henry VIII, causes a stir by falling in love with a guardsman below her class.Mary Tudor, sister of England's Henry VIII, causes a stir by falling in love with a guardsman below her class.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Robert G. Vignola
    • Luther Reed(scenario by)
    • Charles Major("When Knighthood Was in Flower" by)
    • William LeBaron
  • Stars
    • Marion Davies
    • Lyn Harding
    • William Norris
    • Robert G. Vignola
    • Luther Reed(scenario by)
    • Charles Major("When Knighthood Was in Flower" by)
    • William LeBaron
  • Stars
    • Marion Davies
    • Lyn Harding
    • William Norris
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos27

    Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies and Lyn Harding in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies and Forrest Stanley in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies and Forrest Stanley in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    William Powell in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies and William Norris in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)
    Marion Davies, Lyn Harding, and Forrest Stanley in When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Marion Davies
    Marion Davies
    • Mary Tudor
    Lyn Harding
    Lyn Harding
    • King Henry VIII
    William Norris
    William Norris
    • King Louis XII
    Forrest Stanley
    Forrest Stanley
    • Charles Brandon
    Pedro de Cordoba
    Pedro de Cordoba
    • Duke of Buckingham
    Ernest Glendinning
    • Sir Edwin Caskoden
    William Powell
    William Powell
    • Francis, Duc d' Angoulême
    • (as William H. Powell)
    Arthur Forrest
    • Cardinal Wolsey
    Macey Harlam
    • The Duc de Longueville
    Johnny Dooley
    • The King's Jester
    William Kent
    • The King's Tailor
    Gustav von Seyffertitz
    Gustav von Seyffertitz
    • Grammont, the Soothsayer
    Charles K. Gerrard
    Charles K. Gerrard
    • Sir Adam Judson
    • (as Charles Gerard)
    George Nash
    George Nash
    • An Adventurer
    Arthur Donaldson
    Arthur Donaldson
    • Sir William Brandon
    Theresa Maxwell Conover
    Theresa Maxwell Conover
    • Queen Catherine
    Flora Finch
    Flora Finch
    • A French Lady-in-Waiting
    Ruth Shepley
    Ruth Shepley
    • Lady Jane Bolingbroke
      • Robert G. Vignola
      • Luther Reed(scenario by)
      • Charles Major("When Knighthood Was in Flower" by)
      • William LeBaron
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Marion Davies took weeks of fencing lessons to prepare for the scenes in which, masquerading as a boy, Mary has to fight a bully and six other men at a roadside inn.
    • Goofs
      Francis was Louis's son-in-law and first cousin once removed, not his nephew.
    • Quotes

      Mary Tudor: Jane, Jane, how lucky you are not to be a Princess... and for sale!

    • Connections
      Featured in American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      The Marion Davies March
      Music by Victor Herbert

    User reviews9

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Hearst's Investment In Mistress Pays Off At Box Office
    By 1922, it was an open secret that one of newspaper's most powerful publishers, William Randolph Hearst, was not only having an affair with one of Hollywood's top actresses, Marion Davies, but actually living with her. One aspect of the relationship raising eyebrows was his current marriage to Millicent Hearst, mother to their five sons. The illicit liaison didn't seem to impair Davies' public career; in fact, her popularity appeared to have thrived on the 'scandal:' she was voted number one actress by theater owners in 1922 for her marque value, bringing in the most viewing customers of any female film star.

    Hearst, a mentor and handler to the actress, produced a number of Davies' movies. One motion picture where he financially went all in on was September 1922's release of "When Knighthood Was In Flower." The actress' role of King Henry VIII's sister forced under a treaty to marry the old French king was a departure from her normal comic ingenue parts. Davies had to display a certain amount of athleticism, not known for her physicality in the past. To prepare for one sword fighting sequence, she spent days learning how to fence. Additionally, her dramatic skills were put to the test when her character falls in love with a commoner, going against what a highly volatile Henry expressedly commanded.

    No expense was too great for Hearst when he underwrote the film's production based on a 1898 best selling novel by Charles Major. The newspaper mogul was a stickler for authenticity: he constructed a large-scale medieval village complete with elaborate costumes for his hundreds of extras. For the short scene in the beginning where Davies arrives at King Henry's abode, he had built in Bridgeport, CT, a replica of a 16th-century boat. In all, Hearst spent a record $1.5 million on 'Knighthood,' including the most expensive marketing campaign ever seen in cinema to that time. He rented 650 billboards throughout New York prior to the film's release as well as 300 subway advertising sites. Souvenir books were sold by the thousands, and a huge electric sign with dazzling lights was set up in busy Times Square.

    Hearst knew how to sell product, and to prove it, "When Knighthood Was In Flower" was a beneficiary of his pre-publicity campaign. The movie became the second highest box office winner for 1922, trailing only Douglas Fairbanks' 'Robin Hood.' The movie also earned praise with film critics, with even one British art dealer effusive about the motion picture, commenting it's "the most stupendous reproduction of Henry the Eighth court life that has ever been achieved - a marvelous piece of artistry."
    helpful•3
    0
    • springfieldrental
    • Nov 16, 2021

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 15, 1922 (United States)
      • United States
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Cosmopolitan Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours
      • Black and White
      • Silent

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