Best Pictures #25:
1929-30 (3rd) Academy Awards Outstanding Production Nominee
Disraeli is not
the first biopic to earn a Best Picture nomination, that distinction goes to The Patriot, nominated at the 2nd
Academy Awards, but since that film is tragically lost, Disraeli is the first biopic I’ve seen for this project. It will be
the first of many. Disraeli, also one
of a great many Best Picture nominees adapted from a stage play, stars George Arliss as the title character. Arliss won Best Actor for his performance,
becoming the first actor to win an Oscar for a role created on the stage (and
in a previous silent film adaptation) by the same actor.
Disraeli focuses
primarily on the flamboyant 19th century British Prime Minister’s
attempt to seize control of the Suez Canal for his queen and country. George
Arliss does a very fine job at bringing to life the lively, flamboyant, and
clever Victorian historical figure. With his peculiar hairstyle, ringed
fingers, and vibrant speeches, Arliss’s Disraeli is one Victorian era
politician I know would not be dull company. The film begins with scenes of people
in different parts of London talking up Disraeli’s political rival, William
Gladstone. They fear and despise Disraeli, and also build an interest in him. In
addition to rivals within the British government, he also has to contend with
Russian spies that want control of the Suez for their own empire. The Prime
Minister proves to be more cunning than his opponents believed of him, working
on negotiations to purchase shares of the canal in secret while Parliament is
out of session.
Disraeli reveals his political and practical wisdom through
monologues that, while lengthy, are not preachy and are excellently delivered
by Arliss. His monologue to convince his protégé, Charles of the necessity of
British control of the canal is similar to one of Plato’s dialogues. Through a
lengthy back and forth Disraeli allows his listener to reach the conclusion he
wants through what the other person thinks is their own conclusion. This is
most effective in the heated speech Disraeli delivers to secure final financing
for the purchase of the canal shares. In addition to those particular scenes, Arliss
has several good speeches delivered with solid, thunderous authority. I’m sure
some scenes playout as they did on stage, but they still work on the screen
because of the performances from the fine cast.
Any casual student of film has at some point read or heard about
the low ceilings in Citizen Kane. It
was the first film to significantly show ceilings and if you wonder why that is
a big deal I would show you the unusually tall walls of several rooms in Disraeli. Since these rooms are sets
built on sound stages, the high walls hide the rest of the soundstage
comfortably. It is slightly distracting since you know the building they are in
has a second floor.
The sound quality of the film is so good that you don’t notice
it, aside from a couple of times when it cuts out for less than a second, but
that is likely just an issue with the VHS tape I was watching—to date, Disraeli has yet to be released on DVD
and is somewhat difficult to track down. The sound quality of the outdoor
scenes is vastly improved from the first outdoor talkie, In Old Arizona—made only a year prior.
Disraeli is not
all politics and foreign relations, however. There are many light and humorous
moments throughout, thanks mostly to the personality of the Prime Minister. A
perhaps unintentional humorous moment comes when a female Russian sympathizer
eavesdrops on Disraeli’s conversation with Charles about the canal by hiding
behind a bush, but her very ornate and very visible hat pokes out from behind
the bush.
Disraeli’s purchase of the Suez Canal might be a footnote
today, but it is a footnote that changed the course of world history. I doubt
that the details of the true story of Disraeli securing the Suez Canal line up
with the scenes in this film, but movies have never been good sources of
history, even during the classic era. No matter how accurate or inaccurate to
real events, Disraeli is a well-made,
entertaining dramatization of one of Britain’s most famous Prime Ministers and
his major accomplishment.
Nominee: Warner Bros.
Producer: Jack L. Warner
Director: Alfred E. Green
Screenplay: Julien Josephson, from the play by Louis N.
Parker
Cast: George Arliss, Doris Lloyd, David Torrence
Release Date: November 1st, 1929
Total Nominations: 3, including Outstanding Production
Win(s): Actor-George Arliss
Other Nominations: Writing-Julien Josephson
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