Rembrandt (1936)

Director:

Alexander Korda

Writers:

Carl Zuckmayer (film play)
June Head (scenario)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The Private Life and Loves of...

Plot:

This character study joins the painter at the height of his fame in 1642, when his adored wife suddenly dies and his work takes a dark...

Plot Keywords:

Maid | Painter | Artist | 1600s | Widower

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Charles Laughton	...	Rembrandt van Rijn
Gertrude Lawrence	...	Geertje Dirx
Elsa Lanchester	...	Hendrickje Stoffels
Edward Chapman	...	Fabrizius
Walter Hudd	...	Capt. Banning Cocq
Roger Livesey	...	Beggar Saul
John Bryning	...	Titus van Rijn
Sam Livesey	...	Auctioneer
Herbert Lomas	...	Harmenzs van Rijn
Allan Jeayes	...	Dr. Tulp
John Clements	...	Govaert Flinck
Raymond Huntley	...	Ludwick
Abraham Sofaer	...	Dr. Menasseh
Laurence Hanray	...	Heertsbeeke (as Lawrence Hanray)
Austin Trevor	...	Marquis de Grand-Coeur
Henry Hewitt	...	Jan Six
Gertrude Musgrove	...	Elsa
Richard Gofe	...	Titus - Child
Basil Gill	...	Adrien van Rijn
Barry Livesey	...	Peasant Lad
James Carney	...	Peasant Lad
John Turnbull	...	Minister
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hector Abbas	...	Burgher at Auction (uncredited)
Evelyn Ankers	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Baroness Barany	...	Criada (uncredited)
Lewis Broughton	...	Saskia's Brother (uncredited)
Arthur Burne	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Frederick Burtwell	...	Saskia's Brother (uncredited)
Robert Cochran	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Civil Guardsman (uncredited)
William Fagan	...	Burgomaster (uncredited)
Philip Godfrey	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Marius Goring	...	Baron Leivens (uncredited)
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Civil Guardsman (uncredited)
Skelton Knaggs	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Alexander Knox	...	Ludwick's Assistant (uncredited)
Jack Livesey	...	Journeyman (uncredited)
Peta Mannering	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joan Matheson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Meinhart Maur	...	Ornia (uncredited)
Quentin McPhearson	...	Official (uncredited)
George Merritt	...	Church Warden (uncredited)
Charles Paton	...	Burgher at Auction (uncredited)
Hay Petrie	...	Jeweller (uncredited)
Bellenden Powell	...	Court Member (uncredited)
George Pughe	...	Museum Director (uncredited)
Jerrold Robertshaw	...	Museum Director (uncredited)
Leonard Sharp	...	Burgher at Auction (uncredited)
Byron Webber	...	Court Member (uncredited)
Roger Wellesley	...	Burgomaster's Secretary (uncredited)
Edmund Willard	...	Van Zeeland (uncredited)
Pamela Wood	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Korda

Writing credits
Carl Zuckmayer		(film play)
June Head		(scenario)
Lajos Biró		uncredited

Produced by
Alexander Korda	....	producer

Original Music by
Geoffrey Toye

Cinematography by
Georges Périnal		(photographed by) (as Georges Perinal)

Film Editing by
Francis D. Lyon		(as Francis Lyon)

Costume Design by
John Armstrong

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Geoffrey Boothby	....	unit manager
David B. Cunynghame	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Pommer	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Vincent Korda	....	settings designer
Hal Waller	....	assistant art director (as H.M. Waller)

Sound Department
Sash Fisher	....	sound recordist (as A. Fisher)
A.W. Watkins	....	recording director
John W. Mitchell	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ned Mann	....	special effects director

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)
Peter Ellenshaw	....	assistant matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Krasker	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
William Hornbeck	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director

Other crew
Johan de Meester	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• London Film Productions

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1936) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• British Lion Film Corporation (1947) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Film Classics (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (16mm print)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Eclipse from the Criterion Collection (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2012) (France) (video)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Nelson Entertainment (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Studio Canal (2006) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Canada:G (Ontario) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

London Film Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Rembrandt reveals the newly completed painting, 'The Night Watch', we see not the full, original version that he in fact painted, but the drastically butchered version that was made over 40 years after his death, when the painting was moved from its original exhibition space in the Kloveniersdoelen to a less capacious display space in the Amsterdam Town Hall in 1715.

Quotes:

Rembrandt van Rijn:And of a sudden he knew that when one woman gives herself to you, you possess all women. Women of every age and race and kind, and more than that, the moon, the stars, all miracles and legends are yours. Brown-skinned girls who inflame your senses with their play...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Star! (1968)

Truly wonderful

Why *can't* they make films like this anymore? Today, a film has to be the best part of three hours long and packed with special effects. In this film we see the story of a man's life told in half that time, made at a studio outside London. (Having said that, it was a box-office failure, presumably the audiences who shunned this flocked to see Clark Gable in 'San Francisco'.)

Charles Laughton's performance is truly great, portraying Rembrandt's vision and artistic integrity (which appears as perverse stubbornness to his fellow citizens), and his deep humanity. His speeches at the inn which mirror each other at the beginning and end of the film, on the glory of perfect love and the vanity of human life, are so beautifully delivered I almost held my breath so as not to miss a word.

More than that, the film succeeds in recreating Rembrandt's world. We see the business-like merchants, self-important local politicians and hard-living peasants who made up Dutch society in the 1600's. One of the most moving passages of the film shows Rembrandt trying to return to his home. He is physically unsuited to his father's work and derided by the villagers. He returns to Amsterdam realising he can't fit in with the merchant-class or the peasant-class where he was raised - he is a man alone.

The supporting cast is noteworthy, including Elsa Lanchester (Mrs Laughton, of course) as Rembrandt's last love, Gertrude Lawrence (although I'm still not sure why audiences seemed to fall in love with her, maybe her histrionics were more suited to theatre) and a large crop of Liveseys (Roger, Jack, Sam - I'm sure there were others).