Voltaire | ARLISS ARCHIVES

Arliss Alert! VOLTAIRE on TCM Thursday, March 11 at 6AM EST

Our favorite among all the Arliss “biopics,” VOLTAIRE is an intriguing and clever film dealing with an episode in the life of the famous philosopher, author and wit, and lady’s man.

Mr. A with Doris Kenyon who plays Madame de Pompadour

Warner Bros. regarded the project as “Arliss’s film” because he had advocated the story since at least 1919 when he asked George Bernard Shaw to write a play for him. Instead two Boston newspapermen sent Mr. A their own Voltaire play and he liked it. Revising the script himself, but refusing a co-author credit, the play remained unproduced until 1933 when Darryl Zanuck at Warners “green-lighted” the production.

Alan Mowbray as the villain De Sarnac is confronted by Voltaire

The Warners publicity department didn’t know how to advertise the film because costume films were considered box office “poison” so VOLTAIRE posters suggested some sort of modern dress romantic comedy. The studio shouldn’t have worried because the film made a healthy profit of 65% once it made back its production costs. George Arliss’s final film for Warner Bros. also proved to be one of his most successful.

Don’t miss this one!

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on March 5, 2021 at 2:08 PM Comments (6)
Tags: 1930s film, Doris Kenyon, George Arliss, Voltaire, Warner Bros.

Arliss Alert! VOLTAIRE (1933) to air on TCM (US) on July 12 at 4:45 PM EDT

For US viewers, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will air Mr. A’s hit biopic VOLTAIRE on Thursday, July 12, as part of the channel’s celebration leading up to Bastille Day on the 14th. This terrific film will be shown at 4:45 PM eastern daylight time. VOLTAIRE had been a story that Mr. A had wanted to play since 1919 but was never able to find sufficient financial support for it. Perhaps producers feared that the subject was too “high brow” for movie-goers. But to Warner Bros.’s credit, the studio decided to move forward with project. They need not have worried – Mr. A turned in a canny and hilarious performance as the French philosopher and wit – proving again the historical biographies could be very humorous and very profitable, at least in Mr. A’s hands.

VOLTAIRE provided Mr. A with his most unique character unlike his other historical roles where he plays great gentlemen. His Voltaire is a scamp who gets himself in trouble with the king and faces imprisonment. Mr. A is supported by a great cast including Doris Kenyon, Alan Mowbray, Reginald Owen, and the members of the “Arliss stock company,” Ivan Simpson, Doris Lloyd, Murray Kinnell, among other familiar faces.

Don’t miss it!

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Voltaire

on July 9, 2018 at 10:24 AM Comments (1)
Tags: Alan Mowbray, arliss, Doris Kenyon, Doris Lloyd, film, golden age, Ivan Simpson, old Hollywood, Reginald Owen, theater, Voltaire

Arliss Alert! VOLTAIRE on TCM this Saturday 7/14 @ 5:45 am EDT

Celebrate Bastille Day this Saturday morning, July 14th, by watching (or recording) VOLTAIRE (1933), your blogmeister’s favorite biopic starring Mr. A. The time is a bit early even if you’re on the east coast – 5:45 am EDT – but that’s why dvr, tivo, etc. were invented. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is the fortunate channel but if you’re scheduling your timer, be aware that TCM dates everything up to 6 am as the previous day so TCM lists VOLTAIRE as airing on July 13 at 5:45 am EDT even though we know it’s really July 14th at 5:45 am. We prefer to think of this as test to determine whether we’re smart enough to view a George Arliss film, but we’ll all get a passing grade!