Juarez (1939)

57% of users liked it
(246 ratings)

Juarez was originally designed to concentrate almost exclusively on the tragedy of Hapsburg Emperor Maximillian, whose attempts to establish a puppet government in Mexico on behalf of Napoleon III ended in disaster and death. But when Paul Muni decided that he wanted to play… More Juarez was originally designed to concentrate almost exclusively on the tragedy of Hapsburg Emperor Maximillian, whose attempts to establish a puppet government in Mexico on behalf of Napoleon III ended in disaster and death. But when Paul Muni decided that he wanted to play Zapotec-Indian-turned-Mexican President Benito Pablo Juarez, the film's emphasis perceptibly shifted -- and Bette Davis, cast as Empress Carlotta, was shunted to second billing rather than first. Muni's makeup and costuming convincingly transforms him into Juarez incarnate. But unlike his other historical impersonations (Pasteur, Zola), Muni's Juarez is a one-note characterization: stoic, uncompromising, and v-e-e-r-y slow of speech. Far more exciting dramatically is Bette Davis as Empress Carlotta, whose highly stylized descent into madness is a tour de force both for the actress and for director William Dieterle. Claude Rains and Gale Sondergaard, as Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, in essence repeat their diabolical characterizations from Anthony Adverse (1936), while John Garfield is singularly miscast as Pofirio Diaz. The best performance is delivered by Brian Aherne, whose kindly, honorable Emperor Maximillian is less a despot than a misguided political pawn. When Aherne, about to be executed at Juarez' orders, requests that his favorite Mexican song "La Paloma" be played as he is led before the firing squad, audience sympathies are 100% in Maximilian's corner--which was not quite what the filmmakers intended. Based largely on Bertita Harding's book The Phantom Crown (the film's original title), Juarez takes every available opportunity to parallel its title character's fight against foreign intervention with the then-current European situation. To protect their investment in Juarez Warner Bros. purchased outright a like-vintage Mexican film on the same subject, The Mad Empress, suppressing the latter film's release in the United States. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 12 min.
Directed By: William Dieterle
Written By: Franz Werfel, Bertita Harding
Genres: Western, Drama, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Jun 10, 1939 Wide

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
Warner Brothers spectacle of highest order with Muni never better.

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Cast

            Paul Muni as Benito Pablo Juarez

            Bette Davis as Empress Carlota von Habsburg

            Brian Aherne as Emperor Maximilian von Habsburg

            Claude Rains as Louis Napoleon

            John Garfield as Porfirio Diaz

            Donald Crisp as Marechal Bazaine

            Gale Sondergaard as Empress Eugenie

            Gilbert Roland as Col. Miguel Lopez

            Henry O'Neill as Miguel Miramon

            Walter Fenner as Achille Fould

            Alexander Leftwich as Drouyn de Lhuys

            Georgia Caine as Countess Battenberg

            Robert Warwick as Maj. DuPont

            Gennaro Curci as Senor de Leon

            John Miljan as Mariano Escobedo

            Hugh Sothern as John Bigelow

            Fred Malatesta as Senor Salas

            Carlos De Valdez as Tailor

            Irving Pichel as Carbajal

            Frank Lackteen as Coachman

            Walter O. Stahl as Senator del Valle

            Frank Reicher as Duc de Morny

            Holmes Herbert as Marshall Randon

            Walter Kingsford as Prince Metternich

            Egon Brecher as Baron von Magnus

            Monte Blue as Lerdo de Tejada

            Louis Calhern as LeMarc

            Mickey Kuhn as Augustin Iturbide

            Lillian Nicholson as Josefa Iturbide

            Noble Johnson as Regules

            Martin Garralaga as Negroni

            Vladimir Sokoloff as Camilo

            Grant Mitchell as Mr. Harris

            Charles Halton as Mr. Roberts

            William Edmunds as Italian Minister

            Joseph Calleia as Alejandro Uradi

            Harry Davenport as Dr. Samuel Basch

            Nigel De Brulier
            
            Pedro de Cordoba as Riva Palacio

            Gilbert Emery
            
            Montagu Love as Jose de Montares

            Bill Wilkerson as Tomas Mejia
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