Voltaire (Warner Bros.) (1933)

r George Arliss Supervised Everything in “Voltaire” Famous Star Insisted on Accurate Settings in Reproducing Splendor of Louis XV’s Court LWAYS a stickler for correct detail in his pictures, George A Arliss gave the Warner Bros. technical departments many headaches while they were planning his latest prowhich opens at the ; y ; ””? duction, ‘‘ Voltaire, Theatre on Climaxing a series of richly decorated sets, demanded by ADVANCE FEATURES — SHORTS — DETAILS Arliss’ Handwriting Resembles Voltaire’s of written script in Voltaire’s handwriting for the Warner Bros. pic“Voltaire,” and ture, starring George at the Arliss ; Theatre, was solved by allowing the now stir to write them himself. A prae tice page of Arliss’ handwriting when compared with known samples the were of Voltaire’s convinced technical experts that enough alike to be convincing to an own, they the story and reproduced in the extravagant manner of the | audience. time of Louis XV of France, one sequence of “Voltaire” called for the construction of one wing and an inner court of the famous Palace of Versailles. There was no difficulty in finding accurate photographs and drawings of the buildings at Versailles as they stand now or as they have been standing for the last hundred years or more. But the Voltaire story deals with the period of 1762 and it is well known that the palace has undergone extensive remodelling and enlargement since that time. The problem was to find an accurate description of the palace as it was at the time of the story and that proved to be no easy task. Mr. Arliss searched for such a description personally and _persistently, and eventually carried to studio executives a quaint old etching which he said, showed exactly what he wanted reproduced. It illustrated a theatrical performance before the king and his court played upon an upper level of an inner terrace and against the facade of the palace proper as it looked a hundred and sixty years ago. So well did this fit the needs of the picture, which presents briefly a play within a play in such a setting, that the technical department was told to reproduce it exactly within. the confines of one of the great studio sound stages. Arliss Dug Up Etching Mr. Arliss personally supervised the work. He saw to it that the set became an accurate copy of the palace court, even to the profiles of the decorative statuary and the number of candles along the palace sides above the improvised stage. In fact the etching discovered by Mr. Arliss furnished much needed information about the customs of the French court during such performances and in various “long shots” which are seen in the production, the etching almost literally comes to life. The picture is, in a way, the final technical authority for all of the scenes made in the Versailles sequence. In this synthetic grandeur 700 extras and a large cast of featured players worked steadily during the final week of the production. Hundreds of yards of silks and satins, broecades and velvets and almost all the white wigs in the world, were centered there. They were, remember, playing at being lords and ladies in the most recklessly extravagant court in the most fabulously extravagant setting in the world. The makeup and hair dressing departments augmented by two dozen assistants from various beauty parlors, moved to the stage and remained there while the sequence lasted. * As Voltaire, the author of the play being presented before the king and his court, Mr. Arliss himself had only the briefest appearance to make in these scenes but he was the busiest person on the set. A hundred details were checked by him prsonally, varying all the way from the dressing of an extra’s wig to the order of precedence in the grand entrance made by Reginald Owen as Louis XV, Doris Kenyon as Madame Pompadour and Alan Mowbray as the Count de Sarnac. Mr. Arliss moved energetically through the crowded stage, apparently only mindful of providing a correct setting for his latest picture. He consulted often with Director John Adolfi, with Maude Howell, his former stage manager and now his advisor in picture work, and The problem of providing pages Greatest Figure of His Time By Greatest Actor of Our Time Production Information OF CHARACTERS Voltaire Mme. Pompadour Nanette Francois King Louis XV Count de Sarnac The Captain Dr. Tronchin Emile Mme. Clairon Lekain Oriental King Mme. Denis Vorteau George Arliss Doris Kenyon Margaret Lindsay Theodore Newton Reginald Owen Alan Mowbray Gordon Westcott David Torrence Murray Kinnell Doris Lloyd Ivan Simpson Douglas Dumbrille Helena Phillips Leonard Mudie THE STORY Count de Sarnaec, minister of Fi nance to Louis XV, and the great | Voltaire are at sword’s points, the former oppressing the people with taxes so that the court may in luxury while the latter is quietly inciting them to revolt against the tyranny. Sarnae is striving to bring Vol tuire into disfavor with the King, countenances him because of | his wit and beeause he is a_protege of Mme. de Pompadour, the King’s favorite. Covetous of the riches Calas, Sarnae accuses him of treason. Voltaire, knowing his cence, pleads with the King to free him, but Sarnae succeeds in having | revel who of: M. inno: | trial and execution of M. Calas. He concludes with a bold stroke in which the people revolt and execute the King. Louis stupidly thinks it is an Eastern court and is greatly pleased with the play. But when Sarnae points out that Voltaire is holding him up to ridicule his wrath is unleashed. He orders Voltaire sent to the Bastile and dismisses Pompadour. Voltaire is given an hour to conduet his family home and Pompadour rushes there for refuge. Voltuire thinks all is lost until his secretary lets drop the information that Sarnae had just received a golden emblem from Frederick of him executed, whereupon he confis| cates his property and puts a price | the head of his daughter, Na nette. on Determined to save his daughter, | Voltaire has her brought to his| house by Francois, a Captain of | Dragoons, very much in love with the girl. He begs Mme. de Pompa dour to come to his home on a mat ter of importance and at the same time lets Sarnae know that he is| hiding Nanette. As he expected, Sarnae comes to| arrest Nanette’ while is there, behind a curtain and then skilfully | Pompadour | He conceals Pompadour | Prussia, He had long suspected of selling state secrets to Prussia and decides on a bold stroke, Sarnae When Sarnae comes to arrest him, he accuses him of treason, show ing him a packet of letters from Frederick. Sarnae is convinced for he knows that the two are inti mate friends, Frederick sending his verse to Voltaire for correction. The packet, in fact, contains only some of these verses. The King arrives in the meantime, having come for Pompadour, for whom his affection flames up as his anger cools. Sarnae pleads with t ae leads Sarnae into utterances that in-|the King to pardon Voltaire, thinkGeorge Arliss is seen in his fore flame Mme. de Pompadour, who im.|i"g to gain his silence, Astounded, i stakes ae _|ite role, that of the sly Frenc mediately declares war on him, tear the King demands an explanation, Sg state — ane 8h mae in “Voltaire,” which comes ing up the papers authorizing Na| Voltaire shows the packet from o the = = ; *| nette’s arrest. | Frederick and = Sarnac, seemingly Cut No. 16 Cut 30c Met s0¢ Voltaire then lays before Pompa-|trpped, admits enough to bring Colorful Scene dour his plan for saving Nanette, about his arrest. Dancing try Hoop Skirt her part being to persuade the King} Pompadour is restored to power It was a dramatie and colorful Work to Doris Kenyon to attend a private performance of |and Nanette given freedom to wed scene. The walls of the palace were a play Voltaire is writing. In the) Francois. Voltaire, at liberty, sets ablaze with candle light. On the play, in which Nanette takes the|about his greater mission of liber terrace which served.as a stage, a drama unfolded of an unnamed eastern court, paraphrasing events in France. Directly in front of the stage the French monarch, his| favorite and his advisor, sat on a raised, silk covered platform. | About them the ladies and gentle men of the court were grouped and at a little distance and behind them the hundreds of royal guests sat stiffly in gilded chairs. The drama staged for the king is a play within the picture, enacted by Margaret Lindsay, Theodore Newton, Douglas Dumbrille, | Helena Phillips and others. From the camera’s vantage point, Mr. Arliss watched it all. He is,| it may be repeated, a stickler for correctness of detail in his pictures. | When satisfied on that score he left | the director’s stand and walked to his place in the wings of the stage. Then and not until then did a single camera turn. “Voltaire” is a dramatie presentation of the life of the famous author and wit in the perilous pre-revolu Doris Kenyon discovered that it is no easy task to dance in the cos tumes worn in the time of King Louis XV of Exance. She has the role of Mme. Pompadour, the king’s favorite, in George Arliss’ new War| picture, “Voltaire,” Theatre, and has to do the light fantastic at one of the gay court functions. With the voluminous skirts draped over great hoops, the tight-fitting corsets and high wigs, she is still wondering how the ladies of Louis’ court enjoyed the pastime. According to Miss Kenyon it is the hardest kind of work. Arliss Wrote Reams of Copy With Quill Pen George Arliss had to master the art of writing with a quill and| sander for his latest Warner Bros. | picture, “Voltaire,” which comes to the Theatre on In the title role, he writes reams of copy denouneing the tyranny of the king, — ner Bros. now at the tion days when King Louis drove the people to starvation by confiseatory taxation in order to supply the most extravagant luxuries for the court. In this drama “Voltaire” played a double part of favorite at court, who secretly was issuing propaganda against the king, being saved from the bastille only by the influence of the king’s mistress, Mme. Pompadour. Louis XV, who oppresses the people to provide funds for his court revels. The picture is a dramatic life story of the famous writer and wit who was saved from the Bastille by the King’s mistress, Mme. Pompadour, a part played by Doris Kenyon. George Gibbs and E. Lawrence The| Dudley and adapted to the screen picture is based on a novel by|by Paul Green and Maude T. Howell. leading role, Voltaire represents the | ating France from the tyranny of actions of Louis’ own court in the|the eourt. OFFICIAL BILLING Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. & The Vitaphone Corp. 25% present GEORGE ARLISS 100% in “VOLTAIRE”’ 15% , with Doris Kenyon—Margaret Lindsay—Theodore Newton 50% Directed by John <Adolfi 20% A Warner Bros. and Vitaphone Picture 40% PRODUCTION STAFF John Adolf _. Paul Green and Maude T. Howell George Gibbs and E. Lawrence Dudley _.Tony Gaudio _ Owen Marks _... Anton Grot _.....Orry-Kelly Leo F. Forbstein Directed by Screen Play by Based on novel by Photography by Film Editor Art Director... ee , ens ae eat Vitaphone Orchestra Conducted by Length... 6679 Feet Time 72 Minutes