Rigoletto - Production & Contact Info

Rigoletto (I) (1909)
Short | 10 min | Short, Drama

Rigoletto (I) (1909)

Short | 10 min | Short, Drama

The picture opens with the court of Francis I of France, that weak and pleasure-loving monarch, whose fondness for a pretty face has become a joke among his courtiers. The latter are now dancing attendance upon their lord and master, each ...See moreThe picture opens with the court of Francis I of France, that weak and pleasure-loving monarch, whose fondness for a pretty face has become a joke among his courtiers. The latter are now dancing attendance upon their lord and master, each anxious to receive a glance or nod of approval. Rigoletto, the court jester, though himself the toy and plaything of the King, entertains nothing but contempt for these royal men and women of the court who fawn upon their sovereign and stoop to all sorts of folly in order to maintain their place in his good graces. The courtiers themselves have long had a grudge against Rigoletto, and besides are quite well aware of the fact that he is no friend of theirs; so one day putting their heads together they decide upon a plan to get even with him for the many mean little tricks he has played them. Rigoletto on different occasions has been seen by some members of the royal household in the company of a very beautiful girl, and of course it is immediately taken for granted that this lovely maiden is the old jester's sweetheart, when in reality she is his own daughter, Gilda, to whom he is devotedly attached and of whom he is immensely proud. The revenge planned by the courtiers is therefore to present the beautiful Gilda to the King, believing that she will be flattered by the admiration of one of such exalted rank and will therefore forget all about the poor old jester, Rigoletto. They carry out their plan successfully and when Rigoletto hears that his daughter, the dearest thing to him on earth, is actually present in the palace, he becomes like a madman, knowing as he does what an unscrupulous person his sovereign is, and begs and implores the mocking courtiers to help him save his child. Finally he meets Gilda leaving the royal apartments, and the scene between father and daughter is one of the most pathetic ever witnessed. The jester upon whom everyone is accustomed to look as a joke, assumes a dignity as he clasps his child in his arms and weeps tears of outraged pride upon her beautiful head. In order to protect his daughter, Rigoletto decides to flee with her from Paris and the court, but before leaving determines to punish the King for the wrong he has done him, and therefore loses no time in securing the services of a desperate fellow, Sparafucile by name, who is ready to commit any crime, no matter how heinous, if assured of a large reward. It is decided therefore between the cut-throat and Rigoletto that the former is to invite Francis to his house, where the ruffian's beautiful sister Maddalena is to be the attraction. They know the King loves to go on these larks disguised as a student and will no doubt jump at the idea. During the course of the evening Sparafucile is to deal the King a death blow and once the breath has left his body, the latter is to be securely tied up in a sack and delivered to Rigoletto who will see to its disposal. The plan works famously, for Sparafucile's sister is very beautiful and the King seems to be completely carried away with her. Now Gilda though willing to obey her father in regard to leaving Paris for good, cannot hide the fact that she is very sad at the thought of being separated from her royal lover, because with his fascinating ways and highbred airs Francis has made the lowly girl love him. This fact worries Rigoletto not a little, so he decides to prove to Gilda that the King was only amusing himself with her and would show the same attentions to any other pretty maiden he might chance to meet. Therefore on their way out of Paris the father and daughter (the latter disguised as a boy) stop at Sparafucile's house, as Rigoletto knows this is the night for the King to pay his visit. We see Gilda as she peeps through the window and witness her emotion as she beholds the one she loves showering attentions on the pretty sister of Sparafucile. All at once, her curiosity is aroused by hearing voices and as her father has gone to see to their horses she puts her ear to the door and listens, and to her horror learns of her father's plan to assassinate the King. For Sparafucile, taking his sister aside, is telling Maddalena that he is to be paid for the job and must carry out his part of the agreement. Maddalena begs him to spare the life of their royal guest and suggests to him that he can murder the first one that knocks at the door instead and deliver his body to Rigoletto when he comes for his prey. The ruffian consents and it is then that Hilda makes up her mind to sacrifice herself tor the one she loves. Begging her father to delay their journey they retrace their steps, but Gilda returns to Sparafucile's home and knocking at the door, immediately receives a blow on the head and we next sec the ruffian and his sister hauling out the sack for the jester when he calls for his victim. Hurriedly Rigoletto drags his burden away, but just as he stops to gloat over his prey he hears the voice of the King, who having heard the plan to kill him, when he leaves the house breaks into song at the thought that he has gotten away with his head still on his shoulders. Horrified to hear that voice Rigoletto with his eyes starting from his head exclaims, "Then what is in this sack!" and hastily unfastening the cord that keeps it together, his heart almost stops beating as he recognizes none other than his child, his beautiful Gilda, whom he breathlessly tries to revive and who, a tiny spark still burning in her poor broken frame, raises herself on her arm and with her last breath begs her father to forgive the King. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
6 cast members

Name	Known for
Paul Mounet Actor Actor See fewer	The Return of Ulysses (1909)
Rolla Norman Actor Actor See fewer	La maison du mystère (1933)
Paul Capellani Actor (as Capellani) Actor (as Capellani) See fewer	Mysteries of Paris (1912)
Marcelle Géniat Actress Actress See fewer	The Strange Monsieur Victor (1938)
Henry Sylvain Actor (as Sylvain) Actor (as Sylvain) See fewer	Le roi s'amuse (1909)
Natalia Trouhanova Actress (as Trouhanova) Actress (as Trouhanova) See fewer	The Taming of the Shrew (1911)