Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, and Frances Dee star in “If I Were King”

If I Were King (1938) is a historical biographical drama directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, and Frances Dee. The supporting cast includes Ellen Drew, Ralph Forbes, Henry Wilcoxon, and (Roy) Paul Harvey. It’s based on the play and novel of the same name by Justin Huntley McCarthy. The screenplay was written by Preston Sturges. The cinematography is by Theodor Sparkuhl (The Glass Key 1942).

Frank Lloyd (1886 – 1960) was a Scottish-American film director. He started directing long-form silent films in 1915. He worked at for all the major studios including Paramount, Fox, and M-G-M. Some of his notable films include Cavalcade (1933), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), and Blood on the Sun (1945). He won two Best Director Academy Awards: The Divine Lady  (1929) and Cavalcade (1933). He was Scotland’s first Academy Award winner.

Ronald Colman (1891 – 1958) was an English-born actor whose career started in the theatre. In 1923, Colman appeared opposite Lillian Gish in the silent film The White Sister. He was a hit with the public and starred in over 20 silent films in America. Due to his wonderfully trained stage voice, Colman made the transition to talking pictures with ease. Some of his sound films include Clive of India (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Lost Horizon (1937), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), The Talk of the Town (1942), and Random Harvest (1942). Colman was nominated three times for the Best Actor Academy Award. He finally won for his performance in A Double Life (1947).

Basil Rathbone (1892 – 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He won acclaim as a Shakespearean actor in the United Kingdom and then as a character actor in Hollywood. He appeared in many classic films in the United States including David Copperfield (1935), Romeo and Juliet (1936), and The Adventure of Robin Hood (1938). He is probably best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in 14 years between 1939 and 1946. Author Margaret Mitchell thought of Rathbone when they were casting the film version of her novel Gone With the Wind (1939). Rathbone actively campaigned for the role that eventually went to Clark Gable.

Frances Dee (1909 – 2024) was an American actress. Dee started her career as a film extra and eventually graduated to playing lead roles opposite major stars like Maurice Chevalier, Leslie Howard, Walter Huston, and Joel McCrea. Dee and McCrea met and starred together in the film The Silver Cord (1933) and were married later that year. Dee and McCream had three sons and were married for 57 years. Some of Dee’s films include An American Tragedy (1931),  Little Women (1934),  I Walked With a Zombie (1943), and Four Faces West (1948).

 

Ronald Colman and Frances Dee

If I Were King trivia

• Charles Boyer supposedly turned down the lead role.
• This was the film debut of Darryl Hickman.
• Frances Dee and Ronald Colman reprised their roles on the radio. Dee in 1939 and Colman in 1946.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

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