The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)

What do women want? Don Juan is aging. He's arrived secretly in Seville after a 20 year absence. His wife Dolores, whom he hasn't lived with in five years, still loves him. He refuses to ... See full summary »

Director:

Alexander Korda

Writers:

Henry Bataille (play), Frederick Lonsdale (story)

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon, Bruce Winston

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Fairbanks	...	Don Juan
Merle Oberon	...	Antonita, a Dancer of Passionate Temperament
Bruce Winston	...	Manager of The Black Cat
Benita Hume	...	Dona Dolores, a Lady of Mystery
Gina Malo	...	Pepita, Another Dancer of Equal Temperament
Binnie Barnes	...	Rosita, a Maid Pure and Simple
Melville Cooper	...	Leporello
Owen Nares	...	Antonio Martinez, an Actor as Actors Go
Heather Thatcher	...	Anna Dora, an Actress as Actresses Go
Diana Napier	...	A Lady of Sentiment
Joan Gardner	...	Carmen, a Young Lady of Romance
Gibson Gowland	...	Don Alfredo, Carmen's Poor Husband
Barry MacKay	...	Rodrigo, the Impostor, a Man of Romance (as Barry Mackay)
Claud Allister	...	The Duke, as Dukes Go (as Claude Allister)
Athene Seyler	...	Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment

Storyline

What do women want? Don Juan is aging. He's arrived secretly in Seville after a 20 year absence. His wife Dolores, whom he hasn't lived with in five years, still loves him. He refuses to see her; he fears the life of a husband. She has bought his debts and will remand him to jail for two years if he won't come to her. Meanwhile, an impostor is climbing the balconies of Seville claiming to be Don Juan. When a jealous husband kills him, the real Don Juan sees a way to avoid jail and get some peace. He hides as Captain Mariano in a small town. After six months, he's ready to return to society: can he measure up to the legend, will women find him attractive, and what about Doña Dolores?

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Plot Keywords:

gold earring | middle age | mistaken identity | impersonation | seville spain | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

La vida privada de Don Juan

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Don Juan was a real person named Miguel de Manara. In the movie, Douglas Fairbanks writes a note and signs it with that name.

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Quotes

Don Juan: Lovely little girl!
Leporello: She'd look awful by daylight.
Don Juan: Well, who wants to see her by daylight?

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Crazy Credits

Lengthy, humorous and accurate role descriptions are listed for each character in the opening credits.

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Connections

Version of Adventures of Don Juan (1948)

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Soundtracks

If You Were Mine
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Sung a cappella by Binnie Barnes

User Reviews

Tongue-in-cheek extravaganza

Returning old and in debt to Seville, the scene of his youthful triumphs, Douglas Fairbanks Snr as the Don finds a young impostor climbing less adroitly up balconies to get at the city's wives. When the inept lad is run through by a husband, Don Juan enjoys attending his own funeral but is persuaded by Melville Cooper, his sardonic sidekick Leporello, to disappear under an alias to Portugal.

Bored and unsuccessful with women there, he leaves when the even-older owner of the inn, Athene Seyler, proposes. Back in Seville, nobody believes that this strange elderly man is the dead Don Juan and he is universally taken for another impostor, even by old flames.

Among the host of lovely women it is invidious to pick out Merle Oberon as a gloriously seductive dancer Antonita, Benita Hume as his abandoned but still faithful wife Doña Dolores and Binnie Barnes as a gawky barmaid Rosita.

The whole film is tongue-in-cheek, with nobody taking themselves seriously and all acting with Latin extravagance. Picturesque costumes are about 1805, based on Goya's paintings, and there are some ambitious sets. Fine soundtrack throughout, with an opening serenade "Senorita Carmencita" and a running motif of "La Paloma". Good entertainment!