Paris in 1659 and it's the year of the coronation of King Louis XIV. The royal court is making a desperate search for a rare jewel to cap the new crown of France. This is the story of how Jean Baptise Tavernier, the known adventurer, brought back from India the fabulous blue stone that is today known as, The Hope Diamond.
Balderdash! Z grade production with Z grade actors in a lazily dull Z grade picture. Directed by John Brahm {The Lodger}, the only thing going in this films favour is the costumes from Laure Lourie and the use of SuperCineColor, with the latter only viable if you can see a decent enough print of the film. The fact that nobody cares enough to restore this effort speaks volumes, it has moments of merriment, lots of them unintentional one feels, a little bit of sword play, and in spite of her dreadful acting, Arlene Dahl is pretty as a picture. But what good moments there are are submerged by the tepid script written by Otto Englander, the kind that makes one feel they made it up as they went along. Sheldon Leonard at least gives it a go as the Villain, Mogul, but Fernando Lamas and Gilbert Roland are as rickety as the sets around them.
Avoid. 3/10
Balderdash! Z grade production with Z grade actors in a lazily dull Z grade picture. Directed by John Brahm {The Lodger}, the only thing going in this films favour is the costumes from Laure Lourie and the use of SuperCineColor, with the latter only viable if you can see a decent enough print of the film. The fact that nobody cares enough to restore this effort speaks volumes, it has moments of merriment, lots of them unintentional one feels, a little bit of sword play, and in spite of her dreadful acting, Arlene Dahl is pretty as a picture. But what good moments there are are submerged by the tepid script written by Otto Englander, the kind that makes one feel they made it up as they went along. Sheldon Leonard at least gives it a go as the Villain, Mogul, but Fernando Lamas and Gilbert Roland are as rickety as the sets around them.
Avoid. 3/10