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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have an hour to kill and like seeing how people in the 1920s handled a comedy of errors, this is worth a look. It is perfect for anyone who enjoys old-fashioned farces where everyone is wearing a fake mustache. You will probably hate it if you can't stand slow pacing or actors who wave their arms around way too much. 👑
Juan de Orduña plays the king, and honestly, he looks like he is having the time of his life. He decides he wants to go 'incognito' to find out if his commoners are mad at him. The problem is, he looks about as much like a shepherd as I look like an astronaut.
His shepherd outfit is way too clean. There isn't a speck of dirt on him, even though he is supposed to be wandering the countryside. It is one of those movie things you just have to accept.
The advisors are the real stars here, though. They are so terrified of the king finding out the truth that they run ahead of him like a panicked cleanup crew. They start handing out money to the peasants so everyone will smile and say nice things when the king walks by.
It kind of reminds me of the social stuff in Blue Blood, but way less serious. This movie isn't trying to make a big point about poverty or anything. It just wants to show a guy getting tricked by his own help. 🎭
I noticed this one extra in the background of a village scene who just looks completely lost. He’s staring right at the camera for a second before he realizes he should be 'peasant-ing.' It is these little mistakes that make these old films feel so real to me.
The pacing is a bit weird. Some scenes feel like they were cut off early, while others just go on and on. There is a moment where the king is talking to a girl, and the camera just stays on them for what feels like five minutes. Nothing really happens, they just keep nodding at each other.
The movie is based on a zarzuela, which is like a Spanish operetta. You can tell because everything feels very 'stagey.' People enter and exit the frame like they are walking onto a theater stage.
José Montenegro has some funny facial expressions as one of the advisors. He does this thing with his eyes where he looks like he’s constantly expecting a piano to fall on his head. It is actually pretty funny even after all these years.
I kept thinking about Rich Girl, Poor Girl while watching this. Both movies deal with people pretending to be someone else to find 'the truth,' but El rey que rabió is much more of a cartoon. It doesn't have that same heavy feeling.
One specific moment that made me laugh was when the king tries to handle a sheep. You can tell he is scared of the animal. He barely touches it, like it might explode at any second. 🐑
The counselors’ bribe scenes are repeated a few too many times. After the third village, you kind of get the point. They give money, the peasants cheer, the king feels good about himself. We get it.
The writers, including Antonio Paso and Vital Aza, clearly knew how to write a joke. Even without the music from the original stage show, the timing of the reveals works well enough. It is just basic, simple humor that anyone can understand.
It is funny how the king thinks he is being so brilliant. He walks around with this smug look on his face, thinking he has finally figured out the secret to being a good ruler. Meanwhile, his pockets are being emptied by his own staff behind his back.
The film doesn't have a very satisfying ending. It just sort of wraps up once the joke has been played out. I wish we saw more of the fallout when he finally realizes he was being played.
If you like these kinds of lighthearted royal romps, you might also want to check out The Girl Philippa. It has a different vibe but hits some of those same old-world notes.
Overall, it's a bit of a mess, but a charming mess. It’s the kind of thing you watch on a rainy Sunday when you don't want to think too hard. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It's just a movie about a guy in a clean shirt pretending to be a shepherd. 😅
IMDb —
1926
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