Anthony Adverse (1936)

In 18th-century Italy, an orphan's debt to the man who raised him threatens to separate him forever from the woman he loves.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Hervey Allen (by), Sheridan Gibney (screen play),

Stars:

Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Woods

Won 4 Oscars. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fredric March	...	Anthony Adverse
Olivia de Havilland	...	Angela Guisseppi
Donald Woods	...	Vincent Nolte
Anita Louise	...	Maria
Edmund Gwenn	...	John Bonnyfeather
Claude Rains	...	Don Luis
Louis Hayward	...	Denis Moore
Gale Sondergaard	...	Faith
Steffi Duna	...	Neleta
Akim Tamiroff	...	Carlo Cibo
Ralph Morgan	...	Signore Debruille
Fritz Leiber	...	Ouvrard
Luis Alberni	...	Tony Guisseppi
Billy Mauch	...	Anthony Adverse at Ten
Henry O'Neill	...	Father Xavier

Storyline

In late 18th century Italy, a beautiful young woman finds herself married to a rich but cruel older man. However, she is in love with another, younger man. When the husband finds out, he kills the lover in a swordfight, and takes his wife on a long trip throughout Europe. Months later, she dies giving birth to a son. The husband leaves the child at a convent, where he is raised until the age of 10; then he is apprenticed to a local merchant, who gives him the name "Anthony Adverse" because of the adversity in his life. But his adversity has only begun, as fate takes him to Cuba, Africa, and Paris.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | love | orphan | debt | africa | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

29 August 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adversidade

Filming Locations:

Stage 14, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,050,500 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time, the most expensive film Warner Brothers had ever made. And at 141 minutes, it was also the longest.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Marquis Don Luis: I dare say you wish you'd never left Versailles. You had a very pleasant time at court with those gallant young officers. With one in particular, I recall.

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Connections

Referenced in One of the Hollywood Ten (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Lasciate i monti"
(uncredited)
(from "L'Orfeo")
Music by Claudio Monteverdi (as Monteverdi) in Leghorn opera
Sung by Carol Ellis (uncredited)

User Reviews

Anthony Adverse- Anatomy of a Film on a Downward Spiral **1/2

Anthony Adverse was nominated for best picture of 1936! This is really hard to believe. What's even more difficult to fathom is that Gale Sondergaard was voted best supporting actress for her portrayal of Faith Paleologus, a vicious, cunning, sinister woman. This was Sondergaard's first film and she would begin her long career playing such evil parts.

The movie started out interesting enough as Claude Rains killed Louis Hayward, (Denis) the lover of Maria ( a beautiful Anita Louise.) Rains, a Spanish diplomat, was married to Maria. Hayward and Maria conceived their child only for Maria to die in childbirth.

Maria's father, Mr. Bonnyfeather, was admirably played by Edmund Gwenn. When I read the book, I knew that the part of Bonnyfeather would be played by Gwenn. He was perfect for the part.

Rains conveniently drops off the baby to a convent. The child grows up to be played by Fredric March and he becomes an apprentice to Bonnyfeather, not realizing that this is his grandfather. Faith is the housekeeper to Bonnyfeather who shall inherit his money providing that Anthony is out of the way.

The picture becomes uneven and even starts to drag when Anthony is sent to Africa to recover his grandfather's fortune. It is there that he is drawn into the slave trade.

The ending of the film is a real downer. It just goes to show you that unhappiness seems to be inherited as well.