The House of Rothschild (1934)

Director:

Alfred L. Werker
(more)

Writers:

Nunnally Johnson (screen play)
George Hembert Westley (based on a play by)
(more)

Release Date:

7 April 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Plot:

A child falls into a narrow well.

Plot Keywords:

Rothschild | Jew | Napoleon | Brother | Tax Evasion

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

George Arliss	...	Mayer Rothschild / Nathan Rothschild
Boris Karloff	...	Count Ledrantz
Loretta Young	...	Julie Rothschild
Robert Young	...	Capt. Fitzroy
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Duke of Wellington
Arthur Byron	...	Baring
Helen Westley	...	Gudula Rothschild
Reginald Owen	...	Herries
Florence Arliss	...	Hannah Rothschild
Alan Mowbray	...	Prince Metternich
Holmes Herbert	...	Rowerth
Paul Harvey	...	Solomon Rothschild
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Amschel Rothschild (as Ivan Simpson)
Noel Madison	...	Carl Rothschild
Murray Kinnell	...	James Rothschild
Georges Renavent	...	Count Talleyrand
Oscar Apfel	...	Prussian Officer
Lumsden Hare	...	Prince Regent
Leo McCabe	...	Amschel's Secretary
Gilbert Emery	...	Prime Minister
Charles E. Evans	...	Count Nesselrolde (as Charles Evans)
Desmond Roberts	...	Guest at Reception Hall
Earl McDonald	...	Messenger in Stock Exchange
Lee Kohlmar	...	Doctor
Ethel Griffies	...	Guest at Reception Hall
William H. Strauss	...	Messenger and Guest at Recption Hall (as William Strauss)
Matthew Betz	...	Prussian Guard (as Mathew Betz)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Stock Trader
Brandon Hurst	...	Stock Trader
Harold Minjir	...	Stock Trader
Horace Claude Cooper	...	Stock Trader
Crauford Kent	...	Stock Trader (as Craufurd Kent)
C. Montague Shaw	...	Stock Trader (as Montague Shaw)
Harry Allen	...	Stock Trader
Gerald Pierce	...	Rothschild Child
Milton Kahn	...	Rothschild Child
George Offerman Jr.	...	Amschel Rothschild as a Boy
Cullen Johnson	...	Rothschild Child
Bobbie La Manche	...	Rothschild Child
Leonard Mudie	...	Tax Collector in Prussia
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Alexandria	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Mr. Bonn	...	Man in Ledrantz's Hunting Room (uncredited)
E.H. Calvert	...	Lord Chamberlain (uncredited)
Jack Carlyle	...	The Bailiff (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Mr. Corey	...	Man at Wellington's Garden (uncredited)
Max Davidson	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Official Giving Instructions to Soldier (uncredited)
Arthur Dulac	...	Man in Carl's Naples Office (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Stock Exchange Messenger (uncredited)
Martin Faust	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Mr. Jerome	...	Man in James Rothschild's Paris Office (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
General Lodijensky	...	Man at Palace Banquet Room (uncredited)
Walter Long	...	Prussian Soldier (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Page (uncredited)
Mary MacLaren	...	Woman in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	Man at Stock Exchange (uncredited)
Del Marget	...	Man at Nathan's London House (uncredited)
Rosita Marstini	...	Woman at Mayer Rothschild's House (uncredited)
Bill McDougal	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Paul McVey	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Miss Monroe	...	Miss Vedera (uncredited)
Joe Ray	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Louis Shapiro	...	Napoleon Bonaparte (uncredited)
Mike Siebert	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Pietro Sosso	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Bert Sprotte	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)
Rafael Storm	...	Prince Ruffo (uncredited)
Louis Van der Ecker	...	Assistant to Carl Rothschild (uncredited)
Miss Vedera	...	Guest at Recption Hall (uncredited)
Perry N. Vekroff	...	Secretary to Solomon Rothschild (uncredited)
Henry Wardell	...	Man at Stock Exchange (uncredited)
Paul Weigel	...	Man in 1780 Sequence (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred L. Werker		(as Alfred Werker)
Sidney Lanfield		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Nunnally Johnson		(screen play)
George Hembert Westley		(based on a play by)
George Arliss		contributing writer (uncredited)
Maude T. Howell		contributing writer (uncredited)
Sam Mintz		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
William Goetz	....	associate producer
Raymond Griffith	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
J. Peverell Marley		(photography) (as Peverell Marley)

Film Editing by
Barbara McLean		(film editor)
Allen McNeil		(film editor)

Casting by
Robert Webb		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Richard Day

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Emily Moore	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ed Ebele	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Silvey	....	assistant director
Richard Day	....	second unit director (uncredited)
William Forsyth	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Fred Fox	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Natalie Kalmus	....	art director: Technicolor segment
Lucien Hafley	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Julia Heron	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Martin Hershey	....	props (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Binger	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Lee Crawford	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry Davis	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Louis Johnson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Harry Perry	....	cinematographer: wardrobe & make-up tests (uncredited)
Ray Rennahan	....	cinematographer: Technicolor test (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Bridgehouse	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Roy Dumont	....	wardrober: men (uncredited)
Ben Silvey	....	director: wardrobe & make-up tests (uncredited)
Alice Whitehouse	....	wardrober: women (uncredited)

Other crew
Maude T. Howell	....	associate director
Joseph M. Schenck	....	presenter
Harry Brand	....	publicist: 20th Century Pictures, Inc. (uncredited)
Hal Horne	....	publicist: United Artists Corp. (uncredited)
Jessie Kenyon	....	stand-in: Loretta Young (uncredited)
Edward P. Lambert	....	technical director (uncredited)
Sidney Lanfield	....	fill-in director (uncredited)
V.L. McFadden	....	follow-up man (uncredited)
Jerry Webb	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Pictures (as 20th Century Pictures, Inc.) (A Darryl F. Zanuck Production)

Distributors

• United Artists (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• Silver Screen Archive (????) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Technicolor Process  color sequence photographed by
• United Costumers Inc.  costumes (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min (copyright length) | 87 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

20th Century Pictures

Trivia:

Darryl F. Zanuck's sheepdog is seen in the film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dad's Army: War Dance (#3.9)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

George Arliss in Another Bio Epic

Five brothers, born & raised in a Jewish ghetto at the end of the 18th Century. Taught by their parents in the ways of international finance & commerce, but above all in living a life of dignity as Jews. Five brothers who grew to establish banks wielding enormous power from the five great European capitals - Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna, Naples - yet who always worked together for the common goal of peace in Europe & the destruction of tyranny. Five brothers united as THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD.

In this lavish film, Mr. George Arliss gives yet another splendid history lesson and this time the old fellow gets to play two roles: Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the founder of the dynasty; and eldest son Nathan Rothschild, who established the London branch of the family. As always, Arliss is fascinating to watch, his every twitch conveying significance & meaning. It is a shame he is almost forgotten today, as he was a marvelous actor.

But he does not act alone here. Indeed, his co-stars are quite accomplished. As in so many of his films, his real-life wife Florence Arliss plays his (Nathan's) spouse and is charming, as usual. The somewhat obtrusive romantic subplot is handled by the two Youngs, Loretta & Robert, who look lovely & handsome respectively. Helen Westley is exceptional as Mayer's wife Gudula, the matriarch of the family. Also on hand are Reginald Owen, Alan Mowbray, Ivan Simpson, Ethel Griffies & wonderful old Sir C. Aubrey Smith as the Duke of Wellington - it is a particular treat to watch his scenes with Arliss.

A rather subdued & urbane Boris Karloff is the villain of the film, playing a Prussian nobleman who delights in being anti-Semitic. Pains are taken to show the evils inflected upon Continental Jewry during the age of repression & pogroms and it is important to remember that this film was produced in 1934, as Evil was once again raising its head in Central Europe. The ideas of men in the 19th Century, such as Karloff portrays here, would lead inexorably to the gas chambers & furnaces of Nazi Germany in the 20th. Forget Frankenstein's Monster. This was Karloff's most horrific role.

In the last 4 minutes, the movie turns from black & white to beautiful early Technicolor, a delight to the eyes.

There are a couple of glaring historical inaccuracies in the movie that must be pointed out. Nathan was not the elder of Mayer's sons - in fact he was the 3rd born. And it was not he, but his grandson, another Nathan, who was raised to the peerage to become Baron Rothschild in 1885, 49 years after the death of his grandfather. Trifling, yet significant.