''Disraeli'' is a biographical play by the British writer Louis N. Parker, which was first staged in 1911. The play was commissioned by the actor

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 ...

who saw a portrayal of the Victorian British statesman

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 o ...

as an ideal vehicle for his stage career. It was written in London during 1910. Parker suffered from

writer's block Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...

at one point and received some assistance from Arliss. Parker included a

subplot In fiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting cha ...

lifted from the 1839 play '' Richelieu'' by

Edward Bulwer-Lytton Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, PC (25 May 180318 January 1873) was an English writer and politician. He served as a Whig member of Parliament from 1831 to 1841 and a Conservative from 1851 to 1866. He was Secret ...

which was later the subject of some controversy. He added a number of fictitious characters to add excitement and drama to the story. The real role of

Lionel de Rothschild Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (22 November 1808 – 3 June 1879) was a British Jewish banker, politician and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England. He became the first practising Jew to sit a ...

in the purchase was changed to that of the fictional banker Meyers.Fells p. 28 The play premièred at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...

in New York City on 18 September 1911. The play was a popular success for Arliss, and developed a loyal following. It became Arliss' signature role and he was strongly identified with it in popular culture.

Synopsis

In 1875, the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli attempts to gain control of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

and secure Britain's route to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He manages to secure a loan from a London financier Meyers, but has to thwart the machinations of a network of Russian spies operating in Britain who attempt to wreck the purchase. He also has to face down fierce opposition in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

led by William Gladstone. Both Disraeli and Meyers have to contend with a degree of prejudice from their contemporaries because of their Jewish heritage.

Film adaptations

The play was adapted for the screen on three occasions. The first was a 1916 British film, ''

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 ...

'', starring the stage actor

Dennis Eadie Dennis Eadie (14 January 1869 – 10 June 1928) was a British stage actor who also appeared in three films during the silent era. Eadie was a leading actor of the British theatre, appearing in plays by Edward Knoblauch and Louis N. Parker. In 19 ...

. Arliss then managed to acquire the film rights to the work for $3,000 and in 1921 he appeared in the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

version, ''

''. In 1929, following the sound revolution, Arliss made a sound remake, ''

'', for

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

. The film was a major critical and popular success and Arliss won the

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...

for his performance.

References

Bibliography

* Fells, Robert M. ''George Arliss: The Man Who Played God ''. Scarecrow Press, 2004.

External links

*{{IBDB show , 3085, Disraeli 1911 plays British plays adapted into films Plays set in London Plays set in the 19th century Plays about race and ethnicity Plays by Louis N. Parker