''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

film directed by Alexander Korda and starring

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. The film is about the life of the aging Don Juan, based on the 1920 play ''L'homme à la Rose'' The Man With the Rose"by

Henry Bataille Félix-Henri "Henry" Bataille (4 April 1872, in Nîmes – 2 March 1922, in Rueil-Malmaison) was a French dramatist and poet. His works were popular between 1900 and the start of World War I. Bataille's parents died when he was young. He atten ...

. It was made by Korda's

London Film Productions London Films Productions is a British film and television production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda and from 1936 based at Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included ''The Private Life o ...

at British & Dominion Studios in

Elstree Elstree is a large village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England. It is about northwest of central London on the former A5 road, that follows the course of Watling Street. In 2011, its population was 5,110. It forms part of t ...

Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly know ...

and distributed by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

Plot

After twenty years in exile, an aging Don Juan returns to

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...

in secret with his friend Leporello trying to keep his health in check. His wife Dolores has threatened to have him thrown in prison because he won't see her after five years of absences. The next morning, he is surprised to find that all the town knows he is back. Rodrigo, an admirer of his, follows Don Juan everywhere, wanting to be just like him, and able to give a good impression of him with his own amorous advances. Don Juan prepares to flee to France but Rodrigo is killed by a jealous husband who believes he is Don Juan and all Seville now believes him dead. A book and play of his exploits are even written as he assumes the life of a Captain in seclusion. He attends his own magnificent funeral; six months later, having found many discomforts when pretending that Don Juan is dead (particularly when his statement of being Don Juan results in various moments of laughter from the people he tells), he returns to Seville. His attempts to discredit the play as fiction fall short as no one believes him, even when his "widow" is asked about him. However, the two reunite together in bed, complete with him breaking a window to get there.

Cast

as Don Juan * Merle Oberon as Antonita, a dancer of passionate temperament *Bruce Winston as the cafe manager * Gina Malo as Pepita, another dancer of equal temperament * Benita Hume as Dona Dolores, a lady of mystery * Binnie Barnes as Rosita, a maid pure and simple *

Melville Cooper George Melville Cooper (15 October 1896 – 13 March 1973) was an English actor. His many notable screen roles include the High Sheriff of Nottingham in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), Mr. Collins in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1940) and ...

as Leporello * Owen Nares as Antonio Martinez, an actor, as actors go *

Heather Thatcher Heather Thatcher (3 September 1896 – 15 January 1987) was an English actress in theatre and films. Dancer By 1922, Thatcher was a dancer. She was especially noted for her interpretation of an Egyptian harem dance. Her exotic clothes were desi ...

as Anna Dora, an actress, as actresses go *

Diana Napier Alice Mary Wolkowicki (née Ellis, formerly Mulcaster and Tauber; 31 January 1905 – 12 March 1982), known professionally as Diana Napier, was an English film actress.

as a lady of sentiment * Joan Gardner as Carmen, a young lady of romance * Gibson Gowland as Don Alfredo, Carmen's Poor Husband * Barry MacKay as Rodrigo, the Impostor, a Man of Romance *

Claud Allister Claud Allister (born William Claud Michael Palmer, 3 October 1888 – 26 July 1970) was an English actor with an extensive film career in both Britain and Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 70 films between 1929 and 1955. Life and ...

as The Duke, as Dukes Go * Athene Seyler as Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment *Hindle Edgar as A Jealous Husband * Natalie Paley as Jealous Husband's Poor Wife * Patricia Hilliard as The Girl at the Castle, a Young Girl in Love * Lawrence Grossmith as Pedo, Uncle of the Castle Girl, Who Knows Better *

Clifford Heatherley Clifford Heatherley Lamb (8 October 1888 in Preston, Lancashire – 15 September 1937 in London) was an English stage and film actor. Filmography * ''Henry VIII'' (1911) * ''Bleak House'' (1920) * '' The Tavern Knight'' (1920) * '' The Mys ...

as Pedro, Don Juan's Young Masseur *

Morland Graham Morland Graham (8 August 1891 – 8 April 1949) was a British film actor. Graham had a career on the stage spanning over 35 years. He was known as a character actor, but also wrote a one act comedy, ''C'est la Guerre'', which was first perfo ...

as Hector, Don Juan's Cook * Edmund Breon as Cardona, the Playwright, as Playwrights Go *Betty Hamilton as First Tired Businessman's Wife *Rosita Garcia as Second Tired Businessman's Wife * John Brownlee as Singer

References

External links

* * * 1934 films British black-and-white films 1930s romantic comedy-drama films British films based on plays Films directed by Alexander Korda London Films films British romantic comedy-drama films United Artists films Films based on the Don Juan legend Films set in Spain Films set in Seville Films set in the 17th century Films scored by Ernst Toch Films produced by Alexander Korda 1934 comedy films 1934 drama films Films shot at Imperial Studios, Elstree 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-comedy-drama-film-stub