The Private Life of Henry VIII team – Alex Korda, Vincent Korda, Lasjos Biro, Arthur Wimpres (credited for writing “lyrics”), Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes – reunited in another “private life”, with Douglas Fairbanks joining the gang in the title role. But like The Rise of Catherine the Great, it doesn’t make the grade, despite some fine work in other departments. We knew who Henry VIII was, and were very familiar with his history, so they could have a lot of fun with a particular take on him. Don Juan is fictional, and his adventures aren’t that well known apart from being a great lover.
The basic plot has people think Don Juan’s dead after an imposter is killed so he decides to keep up it to take a holiday. He sees his reputation soar but when he comes back and tries his old schtick it doesn’t work. That’s not really much of a premise – the film badly lacks a baddy or more conflict. Or even decent gags – it’s kind of a one-note samba: Don Juan has this big reputation but is actually getting old. It needed more sex, humour and life. (Did the censor cut it’s balls off?)
It looks gorgeous, though – the sets and costumes are stunning, and there are some really good looking women, such as Oberon and Benita Hume (Mrs Ronald Colman and George Sanders, who plays Mrs Don Juan). Fairbanks is pretty good in the lead; he was apparently afraid of aging in real life so this gives his casting some poignancy.
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