''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' is a 1937

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film starring

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

and

Luise Rainer Luise Rainer ( , ; 12 January 1910 – 30 December 2014) was a German-American-British film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her ...

and directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

. It is based on the 1899 novel of the same name by

Baroness Orczy Baroness Emma Orczy (full name: Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orci) (; 23 September 1865 – 12 November 1947), usually known as Baroness Orczy (the name under which she was published) or to her family and friends as Em ...

. The story follows the adventures of spies from opposing sides who fall in love while following the eponymous candlesticks—and the papers hidden inside them—all over turn-of-the-20th-century Europe.

Plot

While visiting

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

incognito,

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Grand Duke Peter ( Robert Young) is lured away from a

masquerade ball A masquerade ball (or ''bal masqué'') is an event in which many participants attend in costume wearing a mask. (Compare the word "masque"—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal "costume parties" may be a descendant of this tra ...

by the beautiful Maria (

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...

), only to find himself the prisoner of Polish nationalists. Peter is made to write a letter to his father, the

Tsar of Russia This is a list of all reigning monarchs in the history of Russia. It includes the princes of medieval Rus′ state (both centralised, known as Kievan Rus′ and feudal, when the political center moved northeast to Vladimir and finally to Mos ...

, offering to exchange him for Maria's father, who has been sentenced to be executed. Because their previous petitions for clemency were intercepted and never reached the Tsar, the Poles task secret agent Baron Stephan Wolensky (

) to deliver the letter. Meanwhile, Colonel Pavloff (

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reicher; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in Mu ...

), head of the Russian secret police, assigns his own agent, Countess Olga Mironova (

), to take to Russia documents incriminating Wolensky as an enemy agent, along with an order for his arrest. Since he is already going to

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Wolensky's friend, Prince Johann (

Henry Stephenson Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in ''Mutiny on the Bou ...

), asks him to deliver a pair of ornate candlesticks to a princess. Each of the candlesticks has a secret compartment, so the baron secretly places the letter in one. Later, when Prince Johann amuses Countess Mironova by showing her the candlesticks' unusual feature, she puts her documents inside the other, and persuades the prince to entrust the pair to her. When Wolensky is given the news, he sets off in pursuit. A complication arises when Mironova's maid, Mitzi Reisenbach (Bernadene Hayes), and Mitzi's lover Anton (Donald Kirke) steal her jewelry and the candlesticks. As they trace the candlesticks, first to Paris and then to London, Wolensky and Mironova admit to each other that they are on opposite sides, but this does not prevent them from falling in love. Finally, the candlesticks are put up for auction. The countess places the winning bid, but since only cash is acceptable as payment, she does not have enough to pay for them. The baron solves the problem by offering to pool their resources, each getting one candlestick. Wolensky chooses what he believes is the one with his letter, but he picks the wrong one. He finds and reads his own

death warrant An execution warrant (also called death warrant or black warrant) is a writ that authorizes the execution of a condemned person. An execution warrant is not to be confused with a " license to kill", which operates like an arrest warrant bu ...

. When Mironova tries to exchange candlesticks, Wolensky declines. She then offers to deliver both sets of documents, while Wolensky remains safely outside Russia. He does not trust her, but knowing the price of her failure, offers to give her back her papers once he has safely delivered Peter's letter. Meanwhile, the Polish patriots become restless at the long, unexplained delay. Korum ( Douglas Dumbrille) favors killing Peter, but Maria persuades the others to wait until they hear from Wolensky. Peter eavesdrops and is pleased. The Tsar pardons and releases Maria's father in exchange for his son. In St. Petersburg, Pavloff arrests Miranova at her mansion. When Wolensky shows up there with her documents, she tosses them into the fireplace. Pavloff takes them both before the Tsar. The ruler of Russia graciously frees the loving couple, who decide to marry.

Cast

as Baron Stephan Wolensky *

as Countess Olga Mironova * Robert Young as Grand Duke Peter *

as Maria *

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

as Colonel Baron Suroff *

as Prince Johann *

Bernadene Hayes Bernadene Hayes (March 15, 1912 – August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actress. Early years Hayes was born at 3855 Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Hayes. She had three brothers an ...

as Mitzi *

Donald Kirke Donald Kirke (1901–1971) was an American stage, film and television actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern ...

as Anton * Douglas Dumbrille as Korum *

Charles Waldron Charles Waldron (December 24, 1874 – March 4, 1946) was an American stage and film actor, sometimes credited as Charles Waldron Sr., Chas. Waldron Sr., Charles D. Waldron or Mr. Waldron. Early life He was born and grew up in Waterford, New Y ...

as Dr. Malchor *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as a ...

as Leon *

Barnett Parker Barnett Parker (September 11, 1886 – August 5, 1941) was a British actor. Biography He appeared in the films '' The Misleading Lady'', ''Roaming Lady'', ''The President's Mystery'', ''Adventure in Manhattan'', ''Born to Dance'', ''We Who Are A ...

as Albert *

as Pavloff *

Bert Roach Egbert "Bert" Roach (August 21, 1891 – February 16, 1971) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 320 films between 1914 and 1951. He was born in Washington, D.C., and died in Los Angeles, California, age 79. Selected filmogr ...

as Porter *

Paul Porcasi Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

as Santuzzi *

E. E. Clive Edward Erskholme Clive (28 August 1879 – 6 June 1940) was a Welsh stage actor and director who had a prolific acting career in Britain and America. He also played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood movies between 1933 and his death. Biog ...

as Auctioneer *

Emma Dunn Emma Dunn (26 February 1875 – 14 December 1966) was an English actress. After starting her acting career on stage in London, she became known for her works in numerous films and Broadway productions. Career Emma Dunn appeared onstage in ...

as Housekeeper * Frank Conroy as Colonel Radoff *

Philo McCullough Philo McCullough (June 16, 1893 – June 5, 1981) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1914 and 1969. He was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Burbank, California. McCullough's film debut came in 1 ...

as Conspirator (uncredited) *

Larry Steers Lawrence Wells Steers (February 14, 1888 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 550 films between 1917 and 1951. He was born in Indiana, and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Partial filmography * ...

as Conspirator (uncredited)

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $733,000 in the US and Canada and $600,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $259,000.

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

(bylined B.R.C) praised the film in his July 9, 1937, review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': “The Baroness Orczy, one of light literature’s most deserving noblewomen, has seldom if ever enjoyed handsomer screen treatment… …the producers have breathed debonair life into a shopworn tale of intrigue and espionage, opening the action brilliantly and suddenly as a popping champagne cork at a masked ball in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and taking it on an itinerary of world capitals which includes… a perfectly enchanting

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, on which the snow falls in great, soft, downy, Tchekovian flakes – and what if they are

corn flakes Corn flakes, or cornflakes, are a breakfast cereal made from toasting flakes of corn (maize). The cereal, originally made with wheat, was created by Will Kellogg in 1894 for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium where he worked with his bro ...

? A delightful Summer-weight picture, full of romantic encounters in Continental train sheds, the piping of Mittel-Europa locomotives, the amazing old-fashioned simplicity of pre-war European politics, with nothing more complicated than secret documents, hidden compartments in silver candlesticks, black-net

dominoes Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

and string orchestras…a picture to take one’s mind off the world and the weather. William Powell is magnificently Polish and baronial… The other people are just as right. Robert Young, as the susceptible son of the

czar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the t ...

(who was apparently being difficult in those days about

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

) is a triumph of grand-ducal make-up and bearing; Maureen O’Sullivan, with the tree bark combed out of her hair, is charming and spunky as the Polish beauty… Frank Morgan… is agreeably Frank Morganish; Henry Stevenson…is splendid as what the Soviets would assuredly call a decadent aristocrat. And the list goes on … (T)he story is the old one about the two secret agents who fall in love while engaged on intersecting missions, and depends for its effects on plot manipulations as studied and formal as a ballet, but in this case it is narrated deftly and plausibly with a wealth of purely cinematic embellishments. An inventory of its assets must include rich and tasteful production, directorial finesse, skillful editorial joinery of scene to scene, and casualness and grace of acting—all of which combine to make of “The Emperor’s Candlesticks” one of the pleasantest surprises of the summer.”

Production

According to TCM's Jeremy Arnold, “The studio lavished huge amounts of money and effort on the film, a true 'A' production with a formidable cast and sumptuous sets and costumes …. Today, it's that glossy star power, given the full MGM treatment, which makes ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' fun to watch.” Credit for the qualities that won high praise from Bosley Crowther at the time (see above) belongs to: Producer John W. Considine Jr.; Director Geo. Fitzmaurice, assisted b
Edward Woehler
Cinematographers

Harold Rosson Harold G. "Hal" Rosson, A.S.C. (April 6, 1895 – September 6, 1988) was an American cinematographer who worked during the early and classical Hollywood cinema, in a career spanning some 52 years, starting from the silent era in 1915. He is bes ...

and

Oliver T. Marsh Oliver T. Marsh (January 30, 1892 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States – May 5, 1941 in Hollywood, California, United States) was a prolific Hollywood cinematographer. He worked on over eighty films just for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer alone. Mar ...

(uncredited); Film Editor

Conrad A. Nervig Conrad Albinus Nervig (June 24, 1889 – November 26, 1980) was an American film editor with 81 film credits. He began work in 1922 at Goldwyn Pictures, and remained with the studio after its merger to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1924. He ...

; Art Director

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 ...

, assisted by Daniel B. Cathcart and Edwin B. Willis; Costmes by

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin language, Latin given name Adrianus (given name), Adrianus or Hadrianus (disambiguation), Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria (river), Adria from the Venetic language, Venetic and ...

; Music by

Franz Waxman Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', ''Rebecca'', ' ...

. Writer
Harold Goldman

Monckton Hoffe Monckton Hoffe (1880–1951) was an Irish playwright and screenwriter. Early life On 26 December 1880, Hoffe was born in Connemara, Ireland. His full name was Reaney Monckton Hoffe-Miles. Career Hoffe was known for his romantic comedies a ...

and Herman J. Manckiewiz worked from the novel by Baroness Orczy with additional dialogue provided by Hugh Mills
John Meehan
and

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

This was the third—and last—film co-starring Luise Rainer and William Powell. The first was a romantic comedy called '' Escapade (1935).'' Rainier won the

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

for her performance as

Anna Held Helene Anna Held (19 March 1872 – 12 August 1918) was a Polish-French stage performer on Broadway. While appearing in London, she was spotted by impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, who brought her to America as his common-law wife. From 1896 through ...

opposite Powell as

Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

in their second film, ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Luise Rainer as Anna Held, and Myrna L ...

'' (1936).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emperors Candlesticks, The 1937 films American black-and-white films Films scored by Franz Waxman Films based on British novels Films directed by George Fitzmaurice Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1937 romantic drama films American spy films Films set in Vienna Films set in Paris Films set in London Films set in Poland Films set in Russia American romantic drama films Films based on works by Emma Orczy 1930s historical romance films American historical romance films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films