The Sword of Villon

"The Sword of Villon" is a 1956 American TV episode of the Screen Directors Playhouse series. Errol Flynn played Francois Villon.^[2][3]

"The Sword of Villon"
Screen Directors Playhouse episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 22
Directed by	George Waggner
Written by	Wilbur S. Peacock
Production code	Hal Roach Studios
Original air date	4 April 1956 (1956-04-04)[1]
Guest appearances
Errol Flynn Hillary Brooke Pamela Duncan

Plot

Francois Villon learns of a plot to assassinate the king, and gathers his followers to stop the plot and save the king's life.

Cast

• Errol Flynn as Francois Villon
• Hillary Brooke as Countess
• Pamela Duncan as Velvet
• Murvyn Vye as Bagot
• Lois Collier as Lady Elaine
• Mark Dana as Count
• Richard Avonde as 1st. Bully
• Sol Gorss as 2nd. Bully
• Nesdon Booth as Tavernkeeper

Production

The show was a collaboration between the Screen Directors Guild, the Hal Roach Studios and the J Walter Thompson advertising agency. In January 1956 the Screen Directors Playhouse announced they had signed Errol Flynn to play Francois Villon and it would be directed by Don Weis. ^[4]

Flynn made it just prior to his own show The Errol Flynn Theatre.^[5]

Reception

Filmink magazine later wrote the episode was "more of interest as a curiosity piece than anything else but it’s not awful by any means and Errol seems engaged. The concept was actually strong enough to support a feature film."^[6]