General Crack

This was the Great Profile's first all-talking picture and a good example of how they misused matinee idols in those days. He was still slim enough to look good in costumes and they decked him out well in doublet and hose. Barrymore plays a military mercenary who will hire himself and his cadre of cutthroats out to the highest bidder. In this case, he's employed by the Austrian Emperor, Sherman, and must secure the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. Along the way, Barrymore, who is married to a gypsy (Armida), marches off to war and leaves his wife behind in Vienna. Sherman goes after the woman while Barrymore is off fighting, infuriating Barrymore. In what seems like...