Disraeli (1921) is an American silent

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by

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 ...

and starring

George Arliss George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he ...

. This film features Arliss's portrayal of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...

. He had played the same role in the play ''

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a centr ...

'' in 1911. Arliss also reprised this role in the 1929 sound film ''

''. A British film of the play, ''

'', had been made in 1916 with the permission of the author Louis Napoleon Parker. Because of the production of the 1916 film angered Arliss while he was still performing the play on Broadway, Arliss later secured all screen rights to the play from its author Louis Napoleon Parker. The 1921 movie is the result of Arliss's use of his rights after his efforts and frustrations with Parker.

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, Disraeli (Arliss), a middle class Jew, has become the British Prime Minister under

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

and incurs the enmity of nobles and racist snobs. He knows that

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

is angling through diplomacy and intrigue for possession of the Suez Canal and, realizing that unless

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

secures it, the strength of her

empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

will be lost. He plays a lone game for control of the canal and wins. In his final hour of honor at court, those who stood against him claim the honor of having helped him.

Cast

Florence Arliss Florence Kate Arliss (née Montgomery; 29 July 1870 – 12 March 1950)Gerald Lawrence, revised by K. D. Reynolds, "Arliss, George eal name Augustus George Andrews(1868–1946)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Pre ...

as Lady Beaconsfield (credited as Mrs. George Arliss) * Margaret Dale as Mrs. Noel Travers *

Louise Huff Louise Huff (November 14, 1895 – August 22, 1973) was an American actress of the silent film era. Biography Huff was a descendant of former President of the United States, President James Knox Polk. She began her acting career at the age ...

as Clarissa * Reginald Denny as Charles, Viscount Deeford *

E. J. Ratcliffe Edward J. Ratcliffe (10 March 1863 – 28 September 1948) was an English actor of stage and screen. He had an established stage career behind him when he came to films in 1915. He then spent nearly twenty years before the cameras before making hi ...

as Hugh Meyers * Henry Carvill as Duke of Glastonbury * Grace Griswold as Duchess of Glastonbury * Noel Tearle as Foljambe * Fred Nicholls as Butler * Betty Blythe as (undetermined role)

Preservation

According to silentera.com, this is a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

with the exception of one reel held at the

George Eastman House The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...

. The FIAF database and Library of Congress Silent Database list complete copies of ''Disraeli'' in

Gosfilmofond Gosfilmofond is a state film archive in Russia. It is the main film archive of the Russian Federation and a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). It is a state cultural institution — curator of films collection and oth ...

, Moscow, Russia, and

Cinematheque Royale de Belgique CINEMATEK (Dutch: Koninklijk Belgisch Filmarchief; French: Cinémathèque royale de Belgique; English: Royal Belgian Film Archive) is a film archive in Brussels, Belgium. The archive was established in 1938 under the name Royal Belgian Film Archi ...

in Brussels.

References

External links

*
Still on the set of the 1921 ''Disraeli'' (University of Washington, Sayre Collection)
*
New Arliss Book – ''A Photo Reconstruction of the 1921 “Lost” DISRAELI''
at arlissarchives.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Disraeli (1921) 1921 films 1920s historical drama films American historical drama films American silent feature films Cultural depictions of Benjamin Disraeli American films based on plays Films directed by Henry Kolker Films set in England Films set in London Films set in the 19th century Films set in the 1870s United Artists films 1920s rediscovered films Films about prime ministers of the United Kingdom American black-and-white films Rediscovered American films 1920s American films Silent American drama films

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links