Monsieur Beaucaire is a 1946 American historical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Bob Hope, Joan Caulfield and Patric Knowles. Hope portrays the title character, the barber of King Louis XV. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington. It is a remake of the 1924 Rudolph Valentino silent film of the same name Monsieur Beaucaire.
Contents
Plot
King Louis XV of France is invited by his rival King Philip V of Spain to choose a suitable husband for Philip's daughter, Princess Maria, as a gesture of unity between their two nations. Louis's choice is the Duc le Chandre, but the duke fancies Madame Pompadour, as does the king.
Louis' bumbling barber, Beaucaire, becomes tangled in a web of deceit along with Mimi, a chambermaid he loves. Both end up exiled from France, and after Beaucaire assists the duke in hiding Madame Pompadour, all must ward off General Don Francisco who is planning to overthrow Philip so that he can rule Spain.
After a series of mistakes and misadventures, Beaucaire shows his bravery in a sword fight with Don Francisco, and is rewarded by the duke coming to his rescue.
Beaucaire and Mimi emigrate safely to the American Colonies, where Mimi gives birth to a baby that has Bob Hope's adult face.
Cast
Bob Hope as Monsieur Beaucaire
Joan Caulfield as Mimi
Patric Knowles as Duc le Chandre
Marjorie Reynolds as Princess Maria of Spain
Cecil Kellaway as Count D'Armand
Joseph Schildkraut as Don Francisco
Reginald Owen as King Louis XV
Constance Collier as Marie Leszczyńska, The Queen of France
Hillary Brooke as Madame de Pompadour
Fortunio Bonanova as Don Carlos
Douglass Dumbrille as George Washington
Mary Nash as The Duenna
Leonid Kinskey as Rene
Howard Freeman as King Philip V
Lewis Russell as Chief Justice
Brandon Hurst as Marquis (uncredited)