Voltaire

France, 1762. Only one man dares to defy King Louis XV. Only one voice is raised against the bloodthirsty, corrupt Court. Only one pen can give utterance to the cry of the downtrodden masses. Crafty. Sly. Wily as any fox. Philosopher. Pamphleteer. Playwright. Poet. Essayist. Storyteller. Historian. Mocker. Wit. The first prophet of the Revolution. VOLTAIRE.

George Arliss, the greatest Hollywood actor of the early 1930's, and the most forgotten, gives another fascinating living history lesson in the title role. Full of fidgets, blinks & mutters, he makes his subject come alive as no book ever could. A consummate performer, Arliss achieved more with the lift of a finger or the curve of the lip, than other actors could with their entire body. He is a joy to watch.

A fine cast gives good support. Doris Kenyon is beautiful as the conniving Madame de Pompadour; Alan Mowbray is very good as a nasty courtier; Reginald Owen has a jolly time as vain, foolish Louis, a role he would reprise in 1934's MADAME DUBARRY. Doris Lloyd has a small part as an actress friend of Voltaire.

Warner Brothers obviously spent lavishly on this picture and it shows in the production. The sets & costumes are impeccable. Notice in particular the fun Arliss has with his wigs.

Now a brief historical reality check. The man who would later assume the name Voltaire was born François-Marie Arouet in 1694. By the time of the movie, he had already been imprisoned in the Bastille twice, and spent years in exile in England, Lorraine and Prussia. In 1762, Voltaire was not living in Paris, but in the French village of Ferney, located on the Swiss border, over which he could flee if need be. He lived there the last 20 years of his life. He died in 1778, at the age of 83.