The Life of Emile Zola

The Life of Emile Zola
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Dieterle
Produced by	Henry Blanke
Written by	Matthew Josephson (source material) Heinz Herald (story and screenplay) Geza Herczeg (story and screenplay) Norman Reilly Raine (screenplay)
Starring	Paul Muni Gloria Holden Gale Sondergaard Joseph Schildkraut
Music by	Max Steiner
Cinematography	Tony Gaudio
Editing by	Warren Low
Studio	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	August 11, 1937 (1937-08-11)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Life of Emile Zola is a 1937 American biographical film about French author Émile Zola. Set in the mid through late 19th century, it depicts his friendship with noted painter Paul Cézanne, and his rise to fame through his prolific writing, with particular focus on his involvement in the Dreyfus affair. The film had its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles and was a great success both critically and financially; contemporary reviews cited it as the best biographical film made up to that time. It is still held in high regard by many critics. It is the second biographical film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

In 2000, The Life of Emile Zola was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

Struggling writer Émile Zola (Paul Muni) shares a drafty Paris attic with his friend, painter Paul Cézanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). A chance encounter with a street prostitute (Erin O'Brien-Moore) hiding from a police raid leads to his first bestseller, Nana, an exposé of the steamy underside of Parisian life.

Other successful books follow. Zola becomes rich and famous; he marries Alexandrine (Gloria Holden) and settles down to a comfortable life in his mansion. One day, his old friend Cézanne, still poor and unknown, visits him before leaving the city. He tells Zola that he has become complacent, a far cry from the zealous reformer of his youth.

Meanwhile, a French secret agent steals a letter addressed to a military officer in the German embassy. The letter confirms there is a spy within the top French army staff. With little thought, the army commanders decide that Jewish Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is the traitor. He is courtmartialed and imprisoned on Devil's Island in French Guyana.

Later, Colonel Picquart (Henry O'Neill), the new chief of intelligence, discovers evidence implicating Major Walsin-Esterhazy (Robert Barrat) as the spy, but he is ordered by his superiors to remain silent, as this revelation would embarrass them. He is quickly reassigned to a distant post.

Years go by. Finally, Dreyfus's loyal wife Lucie (Gale Sondergaard) pleads with Zola to take up her husband's cause. Zola is reluctant to give up his comfortable life, but the evidence she has brought him piques his curiosity. He publishes a letter in the newspaper accusing the army of covering up a monstrous injustice. Zola barely escapes from an angry mob incited by agents provocateurs employed by the military.

As he had expected, he is brought to trial for libel. His attorney, Maitre Labori (Donald Crisp) does his best, but the presiding judge refuses to allow him to bring up the Dreyfus affair and the military witnesses all commit perjury, with the exception of Picquart. Zola is found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison. He reluctantly accepts the advice of his friends and flees to England, where he continues to write on behalf of Dreyfus.

A new administration finally admits that Dreyfus is innocent, those responsible for the coverup are forced to resign or are dismissed, and Walsin-Esterhazy flees the country. However, Zola dies of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty stove the night before the public ceremony in which Dreyfus is exonerated.

Cast

• Paul Muni as Émile Zola
• Gloria Holden as Alexandrine Zola
• Gale Sondergaard as Lucie Dreyfus
• Joseph Schildkraut as Captain Alfred Dreyfus
• Donald Crisp as Maitre Labori
• Erin O'Brien-Moore as Nana
• John Litel as Charpentier
• Henry O'Neill as Colonel Picquart
• Morris Carnovsky as Anatole France, Zola's friend and supporter
• Louis Calhern as Major Dort
• Ralph Morgan as Commander of Paris
• Robert Barrat as Major Walsin-Esterhazy
• Vladimir Sokoloff as Paul Cézanne
• Grant Mitchell as Georges Clemenceau
• Harry Davenport as Chief of Staff
• Robert Warwick as Major Henry
• Charles Richman as M. Delagorgue
• Gilbert Emery as Minister of War
• Walter Kingsford as Colonel Sandherr
• Paul Everton as Assistant Chief of Staff
• Montagu Love as M. Cavaignac
• Frank Sheridan as M. Van Cassell
• Lumsden Hare as Mr. Richards
• Marcia Mae Jones as Helen Richards
• Florence Roberts as Madame Zola, Zola's mother
• Dickie Moore as Pierre Dreyfus, Captain Dreyfus's son
• Rolla Gourvitch as Jeanne Dreyfus, Dreyfus's daughter

Awards

The film won three Academy Awards and was nominated in another seven categories.

• Best Picture: Warner Bros. (Henry Blanke, producer)
• Supporting Actor: Joseph Schildkraut
• Best Writing, Screenplay: Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg and Norman Reilly Raine

Academy Award nominations

• Best Actor: Paul Muni
• Best Art Direction: Anton Grot
• Best Assistant Director: Russell Saunders
• Best Director: William Dieterle
• Best Music, Score: Max Steiner, awarded to Leo F. Forbstein
• Best Sound, Recording: Nathan Levinson (Warner Bros. SSD)
• Best Writing, Original Story: Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg

External links

• The Life of Emile Zola at the Internet Movie Database
• The Life of Emile Zola at AllRovi
• The Life of Emile Zola at the TCM Movie Database