The Son of Monte Cristo (1940)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Rowland V. Lee

Writer:

George Bruce (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 January 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

In 1865, General Gurko Lanen is dictator of "Lichtenburg" in the Balkans. Rightful ruler Zona hopes to get aid from Napoleon III of France...

Plot Keywords:

General | Arrest | Runaway Horse | Catacomb | Sequel

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 22

7:30 AM

TCM

Cast

Louis Hayward	...	Edmund Dantes Jr.
Joan Bennett	...	Grand Duchess Zona of Lichtenburg
George Sanders	...	General Gurko Lanen
Florence Bates	...	Countess Mathilde Von Braun
Lionel Royce	...	Colonel Zimmerman
Montagu Love	...	Prime Minister Baron Von Neuhoff
Ian Wolfe	...	Conrad Stadt (as Ian MacWolfe)
Clayton Moore	...	Lieutenant Fritz Dorner
Ralph Byrd	...	William Gluck
Georges Renavent	...	Marquis de Chatante
Michael Visaroff	...	Prince Paul Pavlov
Rand Brooks	...	Hans Mirbach
Theodore von Eltz	...	Captain
James Seay	...	Lieutenant Stone
Henry Brandon	...	Lt. Schultz

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | Spain:T | UK:U

Company:

Edward Small Productions

Quotes:

[first lines]
Colonel Zimmerman: Turnkey! Bring out the prisoner William Gluck.
Turnkey: Yes, Colonel.
[opens cell]
Turnkey: Come out!
William Gluck: I thought you were in a hurry to get me in.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Return of Monte Cristo (1946)

An Entertaining Adventure Story

With a good story full of adventure, action, and intrigue, plus a very good cast, "The Son of Monte Cristo" is an entertaining and enjoyable movie. Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett work well in the lead roles, and George Sanders is always a threat to steal any scene he is in. The story stands on its own, since the only connection it has with the often-filmed "The Count of Monte Cristo" is the main character's relationship with the previous Count. So there's no need to be familiar with the original to be able to enjoy this one.

Bennett is effective as the spirited Grand Duchess, and Hayward has a juicy role as the young Count, which gives him the chance to assume a different persona every so often during the course of the story. As the brutally ambitious general, Sanders's appearance is quite a bit different from the more familiar look he has in his best-known roles, but his voice and mannerisms are easily recognizable, and he comes across with a good blend of suavity and menace.

The story has the Grand Duchess being held at the mercy of the general, with the Count eagerly getting involved in the fictional country's affairs. The story has many turns and mild surprises, and it does a rather resourceful job of coming up with new predicaments and developments to keep things going. Most of the plot devices are familiar from other sources, but they are pieced together with skill, and its very good as light entertainment.