Disraeli (1929)

Prime Minister of Great Britain Benjamin Disraeli outwits the subterfuge of the Russians and chicanery at home in order to secure the purchase of the Suez Canal.

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writer:

Julien Josephson (screen play)

Stars:

George Arliss, Doris Lloyd, David Torrence

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Arliss	...	Disraeli
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Travers
David Torrence	...	Lord Probert
Joan Bennett	...	Clarissa
Florence Arliss	...	Lady Beaconsfield
Anthony Bushell	...	Charles
Michael Visaroff	...	Count Borsinov (as Michael Visocoff S.T.)

Storyline

Biopic of the famed British Prime Minister focusing on his concern about Russia's growing interest in the Indian subcontinent and his attempts to buy the Suez Canal. He sees the Canal as the key strategic resource in maintaining the Empire in the East but is unpopular in many quarters. With antisemitism rife at the time, Disraeli finds little support for his plan to purchase the canal or his foreign policy in general. There is no doubt that the Russians are plotting against British interests and he is surrounded by spies, even in his office at 10 Downing St. When the Bank of England refuses to finance the purchase of the available shares he turns to private sources to raise the available cash only to find the conspirators one step ahead of him.

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Plot Keywords:

suez canal | prime minister | bank of england | spy | great britain | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Disraeli: The Noble Ladies of Scandal

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Vitaphone Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 87 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Apparatus)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was re-released in 1933, at which time the title credits were re-done, Arliss given billing as "Mr. George Arliss," and an NRA (National Recovery Act) emblem added; this is the version which presently survives. Unfortunately, the remainder of the film is cropped off the left side, in order to accommodate the sound-on-film system track, which had, by then, replaced the now obsolete Vitaphone sound-on-disc system, and required a slightly narrower picture image as a result.

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Quotes

Lady Mary Beaconsfield: She thinks you're the greatest man in the world, and she's right.
Benjamin Disraeli: Quite right!

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Connections

Featured in The 40th Annual Academy Awards (1968)

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Soundtracks

"God Save the Queen"
Music attributed to Henry Carey (1744)
Played at the end, when Queen Victoria is shown

User Reviews

Arliss

George Arliss is bewitching as "Disraeli". Mr. Arliss' character secures control of the Suez Canal for Great Britain, outmaneuvering Russian spy Doris Lloyd. He also plays "matchmaker" for Joan Bennett and Anthony Bushell. Arliss' performance is captivating, despite the datedness of this early "talking" movie.

Nobody can equal Arliss, but I did like Ms. Lloyd as his sparring partner. Ms. Bennett was good, also - a cut above her average "stand around and look beautiful" films from this period. The players were elevated, possibly, in Arliss' presence. There are some noticeable ways they could have made a better film, by waiting even a year or two. I would like to see the film restored; moreover, I would accept some tinkering/editing for a new version (while preserving the original, of course).

If you like classic "one-man-show" acting performances, it's hard to beat Arliss in this movie. He performs like a spider spinning its web - capturing everything in sight, including the audience. Be careful!

********* Disraeli (10/2/29) Alfred E. Green ~ George Arliss, Joan Bennett, Anthony Bushell, Doris Lloyd