Monte Cristo (1929)

Director:

Henri Fescourt

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel), Auguste Maquet (novel),

Stars:

Jean Angelo, Lil Dagover, Gaston Modot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Angelo	...	Edmond Dantès / Abbé Busoni / Comte de Monte Cristo
Lil Dagover	...	Mercédès / Comtesse de Morcerf
Gaston Modot	...	Fernand Mondego / Comte de Morcerf
Jean Toulout	...	Monsieur de Villefort
Marie Glory	...	Valentine de Villefort - la fille
Michèle Verly	...	Julie Morrel - la fille
Pierre Batcheff	...	Albert de Morcerf
Tamara Stezenko	...	Haydée
François Rozet	...	Maximilien Morrel - le fils
Germaine Kerjean	...	La Carconte
Henri Debain	...	Caderousse
Robert Mérin	...	Benedetto / Andrea Calvacanti
Ernest Maupain	...	Monsieur Morrel
Bernhard Goetzke	...	L'abbé Faria
Armand Pouget	...	Le père Dantès

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

island name in title | place name in title | montecristo | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Adventure

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

1929 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Der Graf von Monte Christo 1.Teil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Grands Films Européens, Les, Les Films Louis Nalpas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

223 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of El conde de Montecristo (1954)

User Reviews

Restaured wonder with palpable silver-screen magic

Last night, I incidentally tuned on Arte, and the first part was on (pre-intermission I guess). It was late and I thought a silent black & white flick would drown me into sleep in a gently manner, as usual.

Well, let's just say that sleep was simply not to come about soon...

Oddly, the long expected slide down the dozing-off slope was perversely disrupted by the interest I began to gradually feel sipping through the thick walls of my legitimate exhaustion.

For sure I can't comment on the whole movie until I watch the second part which will be aired next Monday (July 28th), but I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Although the restoration could not be complete as a couple of visual bugs persist on the odd instant (probably remnants of unfixable damages), the work accomplished allows the viewer to "touch" the picture : the characteristic make-up used in black & white movies, along with the slight overacting de rigueur in mute movies confer a kind of 3rd dimension in conjunction with the brilliant setting of the lights, and after this laudable & technically optimal restoration.

I guess we can get here an idea of the magic felt by non-blasé early 20th century movie-goers as they couldn't help but let the movie lead them to another sphere peopled by characters that look extremely human & close to us, yet somewhat otherworldly...

A scene in particular struck me as brilliant and reminds me of the main gimmick in "24 hours" some 75 years later : as Julie Morrel is returning home with her dowry as well as the receipt that saves her father from going bankrupt & imminent suicide, the scene is sliced with many shots at a clock to enhance the suspense... except that the shots were made in such a way that I still have to re-watch it to determine whether the same clock was used or not, even though I had a dozen opportunities to verify that after I'd noticed the trick !!!

I just can't wait for next Monday !!!