The Son of Monte Cristo

The Son of Monte Cristo
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Produced by Edward Small
Written by George Bruce
Starring Louis Hayward
Joan Bennett
George Sanders
Music by Edward Ward
Cinematography George Robinson
Edited by Arthur Roberts
Production
company
Edward Small Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates
  • December 4, 1940 (1940-12-04)

(New York City)[1][2]

  • February 10, 1941 (1941-02-10)

(United States)[1]

Running time
 102 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office 2,213,068 admissions (France, 1946)[3]

The Son of Monte Cristo is a 1940 American Adventure film produced by Edward Small, directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, and George Sanders. The Small production uses the same sets, and many of the same cast and production crew as his previous year's production of The Man in the Iron Mask.[4]

The film takes the same name as the unofficial sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo, namely The Son of Monte Cristo, written by Jules Lermina in 1881. Using elements from several romantic swashbucklers of the time such as The Prisoner of Zenda and The Mark of Zorro the production also mirrors the situation of Continental Europe in 1939-1940.

Plot

In 1865, the proletarian General Gurko Lanen becomes the behind the scenes dictator of the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg located in the Balkans. Gurko suppresses the clergy and the free press and imprisons the Prime Minister Baron Von Neuhoff. The rightful ruler of the Grand Duchy the Grand Duchess Zona, hopes to get aid from Napoleon III of France and makes her escape pursued by a troop of Hussars loyal to Gurko. She is rescued by the visiting Count of Monte Cristo in the area on a hunting trip. The Count escorts her to a neutral country, but Gurko's Hussars violate international neutrality to return the Grand Duchess and her lady-in-waiting back to Lichtenburg.

The count has become romantically enamoured of Zona and undertakes to help her, visiting the Grand Duchy where he falls in with the underground resistance movement of Lichtenburg. He befriends the loyal Lt. Dorner of the palace guard who knows a variety of secret passages leading from the Grand Ducal Palace to the literal underground catacombs of the Grand Duchy. Discovering that Baron Von Neuhoff is to be executed, the Count gains entry to the palace through his previously being asked for a large loan of French Francs by Gurko and plays the role of a cowardly fop international banker. There he overhears Gurko meeting with the French Ambassador who raises the issue of human rights in the Grand Duchy. Gurko counters him by saying he is signing a non aggression pact with Russia protecting Lichtenburg from any French threats. Gurko schemes to gain the nation's loyalty by marrying the Grand Duchess and keeping the Russian pact a secret.

The count becomes a masked freedom fighter named "The Torch" after the underground newspaper in order to save the Grand Duchy. The rest is rapid-fire intrigue and derring-do.

Characters

Production

A sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo was announced almost immediately after the first film's success.[5] At one stage Robert Donat and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. were named as stars.[6]

Reception

The film was widely panned by critics. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called the film "just a routine retelling of a conventional sword-and-caps adventure tale" and "a juvenile masquerade, acted as such and strangely suggestive of a Flash Gordon serial in costume. The old Count should turn in his grave."[7] Variety called it a "plodding offspring of a famed father ... Director Rowland V. Lee must share the pillory with writer George Bruce for 'The Son,' although Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett in the top roles are not far from the stocks."[8] Harrison's Reports wrote, "Patrons who remember how entertaining was 'The Count of Monte Cristo' may flock to the box-office to see this picture. But if they expect to find this as exciting as the first, they will be disappointed. The story is routine and the plot developments obvious; moreover, even though the players try hard, they are not very convincing."[9] Film Daily wrote, "Picture should entertain the average audience, although it has several faults. The dialogue is static in places and the situations are telegraphed. In addition, Miss Bennett and George Sanders are not overly animated in their characterizations."[10] John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote: 'The Son of Monte Cristo' seems to be arranged for young persons, or for those of arrested mental development, who also should have a place in our considerations at this season."[11]

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by John DuCasse Schulze and Edward G. Boyle.[12]

Quotes

When the spirit of justice is crushed in one country, men will rise to defend it in all countries- Baron Von Neuhoff

References

  1. 1 2 Hanson, Patricia King, ed. (1993). The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1931-1940. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 1999. ISBN 0-520-07908-6.
  2. ↑ "The Broadway Parade". Film Daily (New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.): 2. December 2, 1940.
  3. ↑ French box office for 1946 at Box Office Story
  4. ↑ p.64 Richards, Jeffrey Swordsmen of the Screen: From Douglas Fairbanks to Michael York Routledge, 1977
  5. ↑ Robert Donat, Jack Oakie and Other Stars to Glisten on R.-K.-O. Program: Small Closes Deal for Reliance Films Kiepura's Next European Feature in Charge of "Casta Diva" Director; Jean Arthur and Melvyn Douglas to Join Talents Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 27 Jan 1936: A15.
  6. ↑ News of Hollywood By DOUGLAS W. CHURCHILL Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 01 Dec 1939: 27.
  7. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (December 5, 1940). "Movie Review - The Son of Monte Cristo". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Variety". New York (Variety, Inc.): 12. December 4, 1940.
  9. ↑ "'The Son of Monte Cristo' with Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett and George Sanders". Harrison's Reports: 198. December 14, 1940.
  10. ↑ "Reviews of the New Films". Film Daily (New York: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc.): 11. December 3, 1940.
  11. ↑ Mosher, John (December 7, 1940). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker (New York: F-R Publishing Corp.). p. 80.
  12. ↑ "NY Times: The Son of Monte Cristo". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

External links

Joan Bennett as Grand Duchess Zona
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