''Conquest'' (also called ''Marie Walewska'') is a 1937

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

film which tells the story of the Polish Countess Marie Walewska, who becomes the mistress of Napoleon in order to influence his actions towards her homeland. It stars

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic c ...

, Charles Boyer, Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson,

Leif Erickson Leif Erikson, Leiv Eiriksson, or Leif Ericson, ; Modern Icelandic: ; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Leiv Eiriksson'' also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norsemen, Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to have s ...

Dame May Whitty ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zeala ...

George Zucco George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave ...

, and Maria Ouspenskaya. The movie was adapted by S.N. Behrman,

Samuel Hoffenstein Samuel "Sam" Hoffenstein (8 October 1890 - 6 October 1947) was a screenwriter and a musical composer. Born in Russia, he emigrated to the United States and began a career in New York City as a newspaper writer and in the entertainment business. In ...

, Helen Jerome and

Salka Viertel Salka Viertel (15 June 1889 – 20 October 1978) was an Austrian Jewish actress and Hollywood screenwriter. While under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1933 to 1937, Viertel co-wrote the scripts for many movies, particularly those star ...

from the novel ''Pani Walewska'' by Wacław Gąsiorowski. It was directed by

Clarence Brown Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. Early life Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when h ...

and

Gustav Machatý Gustav Machatý (9 May 1901 – 13 December 1963) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed films in Czechoslovakia, USA and Germany including '' Erotikon'' and ''Ecstasy''. Life He was born Augustín Otokar Jan Machat� ...

(uncredited). It was nominated for

Best Actor in a Leading Role Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

(Charles Boyer) and

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

(

Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons (March 23, 1890 – July 26, 1960) was an Irish-American art director for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s. Gibbons designed the ...

and

William A. Horning William Allen Horning (November 9, 1904 – March 2, 1959) was an American two-time Academy Award winner. He was married to Esther Montgomery until his death. Together they had three sons. He joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1931 as a draftsm ...

). Its worldwide gross amounted to $2,141,000. But its massive budget led to a loss of $1,397,000. MGM initially advertised the upcoming release of the film under the title "Marie Walewska", but at the last moment changed it to the more marketable "Conquest" when it arrived in theaters. The ''Dad's Army'' episode " A Soldier's Farewell" starts with the platoon in the cinema watching this film.

Plot

Napoleon Bonaparte ( Charles Boyer) launches an unsuccessful seduction of the Countess Marie Walewska (

), who is married to a much older man ( Henry Stephenson), but she resists until convinced that giving in will save Poland. After her husband annuls their marriage and Napoleon divorces the Empress Josephine, the pair are free to formalize their happy relationship, but Napoleon shocks her by announcing his decision to wed the Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria for political reasons. While he doesn't expect it to impact his relationship with Marie, she leaves him, without ever telling him that she is expecting his child.

Cast

as Countess Marie Walewska * Charles Boyer as Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte * Reginald Owen as Talleyrand * Alan Marshal as Captain d'Ornano * Henry Stephenson as Count Anastas Walewski *

as Paul Lachinski (as Leif Erikson) *

as Maria Letizia Buonaparte * Maria Ouspenskaya as Countess Pelagia Walewska *

C. Henry Gordon C. Henry Gordon (born Henry Racke; June 17, 1883 – December 3, 1940) was an American stage and film actor. Gordon was born in New York City, New York. He was educated both in New York and abroad in Switzerland and Germany. For some years ...

as Prince Poniatowski *

Claude Gillingwater Claude Benton Gillingwater (August 2, 1870 – November 1, 1939) was an American stage and screen actor. He first appeared on the stage then in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1939, including the Academy Award-nominated ''A Tale of Two ...

as Stephan (Marie's servant) * Vladimir Sokoloff as Dying soldier * George F. Houston as Géraud Duroc Uncredited Cast *

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program '' Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the firs ...

as Prince Mirska *

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

as Count Potocka * Scotty Beckett as Alexandre Walewska * Betty Blythe as Princess Mirska * Ed Brady as Soldier * George Cowl as Count Augustus Walewska *

Paul Fix Peter Paul Fix (March 13, 1901 – October 14, 1983) was an American film and television character actor who was best known for his work in Westerns. Fix appeared in more than 100 movies and dozens of television shows over a 56-year career ...

as Dumb Soldier *

Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 ome sources 1870– July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and director. Early years Kolker was born in Quincy, Illinois. Career Kolker, like fellow actors Richard Bennett and Robert Wa ...

as Sen. Wybitcki * Mitchell Lewis as Beppo *

Lois Meredith Lois Meredith (alternative styling Loïs Mérédith) (June 26, 1897 – January 15, 1967) was a silent film and theatre actress. Career She infrequently appeared on the Broadway stage from 1911 to 1926. Meredith appeared in 22 films, of which 21 ...

as Countess Potocka * Charles Middleton as Sergeant at Elba * Dennis O'Keefe as Jan Walewska *

Robert Warwick Robert Warwick (born Robert Taylor Bien, October 9, 1878 – June 6, 1964) was an American stage, film and television actor with over 200 film appearances. A matinee idol during the silent film era, he also prospered after the introductio ...

as Capt. Laroux * Ian Wolfe as Prince Metternich *

Noble Johnson Noble Johnson (April 18, 1881 – January 9, 1978), later known as Mark Noble, was an American actor and film producer. He appeared in films such as '' The Mummy'' (1932), '' The Most Dangerous Game'' (1932), ''King Kong'' (1933) and '' Son ...

Roustam Raza Roustam Raza (arm Ռուստամ Ռուզա) (Georgian: როსტომ რაზმაძე, Rostom Razmadze) (1783 – 7 December 1845), also known as Roustan or Rustam, was a mamluk bodyguard and secondary valet of Napoleon. Early life R ...

* George Givot as Constant

Production

Boyer's fee was $125,000, with an equal amount to be paid for any French version, as well as an overtime provision. In the final event, Boyer earned $450,000 for his performance; reshoots on the film saw the budget rise.

Reception

Writing for '' Night and Day'' in 1937,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

gave the film a poor review, characterizing it simply as "one of the dullest films of the year". Greene's chief complaints came from the plot, writing, and "middlebrow" dialogue which inelegantly attempted to bridge "poetic and realistic drama". Greene also notes a number of scenes or moments of "unconscious comedy" which undermined the film and let to a feeling of "great fake emotions booming out - Love, Country, Ambition". On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the film has an aggregate score of 100% based on 5 critic reviews. The film grossed $730,000 in the United States and $1,411,000 abroad, bringing the total sum of $2,141,000. Although a hit it lost $1,397,000, due to such a high budget.

References

External links

* * * * {{Clarence Brown 1937 films 1937 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Biographical films about Napoleon American black-and-white films Films based on Polish novels Films based on romance novels American films based on plays Films directed by Clarence Brown Films directed by Gustav Machatý Films scored by Herbert Stothart Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films based on multiple works History of Poland on film Cultural depictions of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1930s American films