''Disraeli'' is a 1916

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

silent

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

directed by Charles Calvert and

Percy Nash The English surname Percy is of Normans, Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came i ...

and starring

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 ...

Mary Jerrold Mary Jerrold (4 December 1877 – 3 March 1955) was an English actress. She was married to actor Hubert Harben, and mother of actress Joan Harben and celebrity chef Philip Harben. She made her London stage debut as Prudence Dering in ''Mary Penn ...

and

Cyril Raymond Cyril William North Raymond MBE (13 February 1899 – 20 March 1973) was a British character actor. He maintained a stage and screen career from his teens until his retirement, caused by ill health, in the 1960s. His many stage, film and tele ...

. The film was based on the 1911 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 ...

'' by

Louis N. Parker Louis Napoleon Parker (21 October 1852 – 21 September 1944) was an English dramatist, composer and translator. Parker wrote many plays, developing a reputation for historical works. His 1911 play ''Disraeli'' is one of his best known, written a ...

, which was adapted twice more, as a 1921 silent version and most famously in 1929, as an early sound film. It was made at

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...

. When 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 had made his name appearing in the play, wanted to make the 1921 version in America he acquired the rights from producer

Arrigo Bocchi Arrigo Bocchi (c.1871 – ?) was a British-Italian film director and producer of the silent era.Low p.149-50 After the First World War Bocchi worked for Windsor Films at the Catford Studios in London as well as shooting films on location in Ital ...

and oversaw the destruction of all copies of the original film.Fells p.33-34

Synopsis

The mid-Victorian 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 ...

manages to thwart the plans of Britain's rival

Great Powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...

and gain control of the strategically important

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 ...

Cast

as Benjamin Disraeli *

as Lady Beaconsfield *

as Lord Deeford * Dorothy Bellew as Clarissa * Fred Morgan as Nigel Foljambe *

Daisy Cordell Daisy Cordell was a British actress of the silent era. She was born in Hong Kong and died in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. She was married to the actor Evelyn Roberts. Selected filmography * '' The Harbour Lights'' (1914) * ''In the Ranks'' ( ...

as Mrs. Travers *

Cecil Morton York Cecil Morton York (29 April 1857 – 23 February 1935) was a British actor of the silent era. Born Cecil Morton Smith in Kensington, West London, UK, he died at age 77 in Denville Hall, Northwood, London. Selected filmography * '' Flying fro ...

as Duke of Glastonbury * Evelyn Harding as Duchess of Glastonbury * Arthur M. Cullin as Sir Michael Probert *

A. B. Imeson A.B. Imeson (1875 – 28 February 1944) was an English stage and film actor. Filmography His first role was playing Satan in the silent film ''The Picture of Dorian Gray (1916 film), The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1916). * ''Disraeli (1916 ...

as Meyers * Mrs. Henry Lytton as Queen Victoria

References

Bibliography

* Fells, Robert M. ''George Arliss: The Man Who Played God ''. Scarecrow Press, 2004. * Low, Rachael. ''History of the British Film, 1914-1918''. Routledge, 2005.

External links

* 1916 films 1910s political drama films 1910s historical drama films British political drama films British historical drama films Films directed by Charles Calvert Films directed by Percy Nash British silent feature films Ealing Studios films British films based on plays Films set in London Films set in the 19th century Films set in the 1870s Cultural depictions of Benjamin Disraeli Films about prime ministers of the United Kingdom Cultural depictions of Queen Victoria on film British black-and-white films 1916 drama films 1910s English-language films 1910s British films Silent historical drama films {{1910s-UK-film-stub