Disraeli

1929

Biography / Drama / History

2
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 83% · 6 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 42% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.0/10 10 1679 1.7K

spy biography based on play or musical british prime minister 19th century suez canal

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Plot summary

Prime Minister of Great Britain Benjamin Disraeli outwits the subterfuge of the Russians and chicanery at home in order to secure the purchase of the Suez Canal.

Director

Alfred E. Green Photo
Alfred E. Green

Top cast

George Arliss Photo
George Arliss as Disraeli
David Torrence Photo
David Torrence as Lord Probert
Anthony Bushell Photo
Anthony Bushell as Charles
Jack Deery Photo
Jack Deery as Bascot - Disraeli's Butler
720p.WEB
803.83 MB
952*720
English 2.0
TV-G
us  
29.97 fps
1 hr 27 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 6 / 10

Rather than focus on the relationship between Disraeli

Rather than focus on the relationship between Disraeli and Queen Victoria, this one pays more attention to his cunning wheeze to thwart Russian ambitions for both India and the Suez Canal. Not only must he (George Arliss) combat the Czarist plotting but he has to face a fair degree of antisemitism as those lined up for Gladstone, including the powerful Governor of the Bank of England, refuse to support his plan to find the £5 millions needed to acquire the shares in that vital waterway. Unsure whom he can trust amongst those ostensibly closest to him, he relies more heavily on his wife Mary (Florence Arliss) but he is going to have to keep his wits about him, if he is to succeed. Things come to an head when his banking ally “Myers” (Ivan F. Simpson) finds himself teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after a flagrant act of sabotage risks the stability of the empire - and just as Disraeli is about to confirm that the queen is to be Empress of India! Time is running out and the enemies are baying. The dominant Arliss is in his element here delivering a gently theatrical style of presentation of the shrewd British Prime Minister that, though a little dry at times, is still quite powerful and even a little mischievous. The remainder of the cast don’t really have very much to do and some of their very wordy dialogue drags the pace down - especially the downright hammy efforts of Anthony Bushell as his aide. It is a bit static and the staging is all very basic until the royal reception at the end, but at least it tries to move around and it doesn’t quite have that look of so many early talkies where they are just looking for the microphone spots on the floor. It flows quite well too, and tells a little of a culture where winning might be more important than loyalty - to a man or a country.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

Disraeli and history

Reviewed by 7 / 10

Foxy Old Disraeli

One of George Arliss's best known stage roles was portraying the title role in the Louis N. Parker play Disraeli. This is not a biographical film per se, it fictionalizes Disraeli's acquiring the Suez Canal. It was quite the diplomatic coup d'etat in its day, but this version brings in a lovely lady spy in Doris Lloyd in the service Czarist Russia.Throughout the 19th century it was a paradigm of British foreign policy that the Russians were constantly looking to undermine British interests in India. The same theme was found in Rudyard Kipling's Kim.In this film Disraeli has an opportunity to acquire the canal from the Egyptians and the French company that built it which has financially gone belly up. Hidebound banker David Torrance of the Bank of England won't give him the money, he considers Disraeli a disreputable foreigner because of his Jewish ancestry. He goes to a private banker Harry Meyers (Rothschild)played by Ivan Simpson for the money.A lot of games, financial and political, get played out before foxy old Benjamin Disraeli gains the canal for the United Kingdom. Dizzy proves quite up to the challenge at the same time worried about the health of his beloved wife Maryanne, played her by George Arliss's wife Florence.There's also a small romantic subplot involving Disraeli's aide Anthony Bushell and young Joan Bennett. The couple are an attractive pair.This was the second version of this story, Arliss had made a silent version in the early Twenties that was well received.George Arliss won the third Academy Award for Best Actor given out with this performance. Though by today's standards some might consider it hammy, Arliss was of the Victorian classical school of acting and I for one appreciate the care he took in presenting one of his most acclaimed roles of the day.Disraeli is dated and it's hardly history, but it is a fascinating performance nonetheless.
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