I Accuse! (1958)

Director:

José Ferrer

Writers:

Gore Vidal (screenplay)
Nicholas Halasz (book)

Release Date:

17 March 1958 (Australia)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

The famous "Dreyfus Case" where a Jewish captain in the French Army is falsely accused of treason. He is sentenced to imprisonment on Devil's Island...

Plot Keywords:

Wrongful Conviction | Anti Semitism | France | False Accusation | Based On Book

Cast

José Ferrer	...	Capt. Alfred Dreyfus (as Jose Ferrer)
Anton Walbrook	...	Maj. Esterhazy
Viveca Lindfors	...	Lucie Dreyfus
Leo Genn	...	Maj. Picquart
Emlyn Williams	...	Émile Zola
David Farrar	...	Mathieu Dreyfus
Donald Wolfit	...	Gen. Mercier
Herbert Lom	...	Maj. DuPaty de Clam
Harry Andrews	...	Maj. Henry
Felix Aylmer	...	Edgar Demange
Peter Illing	...	Georges Clemenceau
George Coulouris	...	Colonel Sandherr
Carl Jaffe	...	Col. von Schwarzkoppen
Eric Pohlmann	...	Bertillon
John Chandos	...	Drumont
Ernest Clark	...	Prosecutor - 1st Dreyfus trial
Anthony Ireland	...	Judge - 1st Dreyfus trial
John Phillips	...	Prosecutor, Esterhazy trial
Laurence Naismith	...	Judge, Esterhazy trial
Michael Hordern	...	Prosecutor - 2nd Dreyfus trial
Keith Pyott	...	Judge - 2nd Dreyfus trial
Ronald Howard	...	Capt. Avril
Charles Gray	...	Capt. Brossard
Michael Anthony	...	Capt. Leblanc
Arthur Howard	...	Capt. Lauth
Michael Trubshawe	...	English Publisher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Violet Gould	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Malcolm Keen	...	President of France (uncredited)

Directed by
José Ferrer		(as Jose Ferrer)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nicholas Halasz		book
Gore Vidal		screenplay

Produced by
Sam Zimbalist	....	producer

Original Music by
William Alwyn

Cinematography by
Freddie Young		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Clarke

Art Direction by
Elliot Scott

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Haffenden

Makeup Department
Joan Johnstone	....	hair dresser
Charles E. Parker	....	makeup artist (as Charles Parker)

Production Management
Dora Wright	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otto Plaschkes	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
A.W. Watkins	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Kendrick Kinney	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Logan	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Tom Howard	....	special photographic effects

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor
Douglas Gamley	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1958) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Perspecta Stereo

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

The first film of Charles Gray.

Quotes:

Émile Zola:This Esterhazy is one of the most glorious liars that ever drew breath. Why, the authority of it, the poise; the man's a genius!

The Honor Of France

Around the time that Alfred Dreyfus was going through his trials and tribulations there was a young kid who dreamed of a military career to serve his country. Later on when Charles DeGaulle made that fateful decision to go into exile and raise an army to free his beloved France he remarked without a trace of arrogance that 'in me you see the honor of France'. DeGaulle was not a modest man, but I quote him because it happens to be literally true. That was his importance to France more than any military contribution the Free French made to the Allied cause.

In I Accuse another story of a man in whom the honor of France resided, but who took it up rather unwillingly. In fact Alfred Dreyfus was accused of treason, not because the evidence was against him, but because of a raging anti-Semitism that permeated the upper classes of France in those years between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. Dreyfus was a Jew who fought prejudice to gain that coveted position on the general staff of the Army of France. But when evidence of some espionage emerged, that classified documents were being sent to her enemies, it was easy and convenient to blame the Jew. And when facts emerged to the contrary facts be damned. In fact Dreyfus for over a decade suffered the fate of the damned on Devil's Island.

I Accuse is an almost perfect retelling of the Dreyfus affair which stars Jose Ferrer as Dreyfus. Ferrer also directed a perfectly cast film of mostly British players. You truly believe you are watching history unfold as his accusers do their utmost to bury Ferrer's body and soul on Devil's Island. Equally though Dreyfus over the years slowly gathered his supporters like novelist Emile Zola and editor Georges Clemenceau played here by Emlyn Williams and Peter Illing.

Above all there is Jose Ferrer one of the greatest players of the last century. Ferrer really lets it all hang out with Dreyfus as we see him in every aspect of his character, military man, family man, and above all a symbol for justice and truth. Sadly this film is neglected because of Paul Muni's film The Life Of Emile Zola which concentrated mostly on Zola's involvement in the Dreyfus case and for which Joseph Schildkraut won a Best Supporting Actor for playing Dreyfus.

Running close to Ferrer is Anton Walbrook playing Count Esterhazy who actually did the espionage. You will not forget Walbrook as the smooth talking unrepentant scoundrel who actually is protected by the French Army high command because they have such a vested interest in anti-Semitism.

The honor of France took a real beating in the Dreyfus Case, but it did emerge. I Accuse is a great film that should receive far more acclaim than it has. In many ways it's superior to Jose Ferrer's Oscar winning performance in Cyrano De Bergerac.