Scaramouche

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." Thus opens Rafael Sabatini's historical novel on which this fanciful film is based, following the sensational exploits of a young lawyer thrown into the tumult of the French Revolution. There he becomes an actor portraying the celebrated character Scaramouche, a chameleon who plays both rogue and fool. First published in 1921, it became an instant bestseller, flying onto the stage and then to film in just over two years. Silent film heartthrob Ramon Novarro embodies the enigmatic, charasmatic Andre-Louis Moreau, caught up in the romance and fury of times. Upon release, audiences were gripped by Novarro's electrifying performance, deftly navigating between proletariat and revolutionary, love and despair, cynic and idealist. Vive Le France! Vive Scaramouche!