Madame Pompadour (1927 film)

Madame Pompadour

Company type	Film
Industry	Film
Founded	1927
Founder	Herbert Wilcox
Products	Silent historical drama film
Parent	British National Pictures, Paramount Pictures

Madame Pompadour is a 1927 silent historical drama from Britain, directed by Herbert Wilcox and featuring performances by Dorothy Gish, Antonio Moreno, and Nelson Keys. This film depicts the story of Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV of France, and marks the inaugural production at the newly opened Elstree Studios.

Plot

Set in 18th-century France, Madame Pompadour (portrayed by Dorothy Gish) liberates her lover, Rene Laval (played by Antonio Moreno), who is a political detainee, assigning him the role of her personal protector.

Cast

• Dorothy Gish as Madame Pompadour
• Antonio Moreno as Rene Laval
• Nelson Keys as Duc de Courcelette
• Henri Bosc as Louis XV
• Gibb McLaughlin as Comte Maurepas
• Cyril McLaglen as Gogo
• Marsa Beauplan as Madame Poisson
• Marie Ault as Belotte

Production

After the favorable reception of Nell Gwyn, British National Pictures alongside Paramount signed contracts with Gish and Wilcox for three additional films, commencing with Madame Pompadour. Dorothy Gish was paid £1500 per week over a six-week period; nevertheless, unforeseen delays extended filming by an extra three weeks, leading to substantial cost increases and nearly causing production to cease. Wilcox was compensated £3000 plus a quarter of the profits, but the film ultimately did not achieve financial success.

Critical reception

According to Allmovie, although Dorothy Gish's projects with director Herbert Wilcox generally received positive feedback, the 1927 release Madame Pompadour suffered from the overpowering stylistic influence of producer E. A. DuPont. Despite its opulent set design and a relatively brief duration of 75 minutes, critics found the film's tempo to be sluggish.