Die Rothschilds

The House of Rothschild had a great cast, which was what made me watch it in the first place. And I'm glad I did. Maybe there are lapses in the pacing, and some of the romantic parts felt a little trite. There is much to recommend about The House of Rothschild though. The lavish costumes and sets and the skilled photography makes it a beautiful film to watch. Alfred Newman's score always compliments and even adds to the drama rather than detracting from it, while the script is very intelligently written(Nathan talk on financing and war was really quite powerful) and the story, of which the subject was fascinating to begin with, is thoroughly absorbing with a beautiful ending. The acting is very good. George Arliss is wonderful in his dual role, Loretta Young is the epitome of youthful loveliness and Boris Karloff is commanding in both menacing and subdued mode. C. Aubrey Smith and Reginald Owen are similarly excellent.

Overall, beautiful to watch, well-written and acted and fascinating. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A dramatic, inter-generational history of the House of Rothchild. Most people have a vague notion of the Rothchild banking dynasty, but like me, probably didn't know the history and pain that went with it. This story covers the origin and evolution of that dynasty and an explanation of it's motivation. The story centers around the elder brother, Nathan, played by George Arliss and his four brothers. I have to admit that I never saw the George Arliss magic until I saw this picture. He really was a major talent, although he was quite old when he did this. We see the family breaking out of "Jew Street" in Frankfurt, and establishing banks throughout Europe while struggling to overcome anti-semitic attitudes and actual pogroms. There are some personal vignettes involving Loretta Young as Nathan's daughter and her goy suitor played by Robert Young that tend to humanize the family but really don't amount to much. The real story is the family drive to help stabilize a war ravaged Europe and through it, command the respect of a deeply anti-semitic aristocratic European society. The picture paints a rather pastel version of what was probably a grueling battle for acceptance, but it managed to convey a feeling of warmth and respect for the underdog. There are some very nice touches. The family members all touch the mezuzah each time the enter or leave the house. Everybody kisses Mama, and George Arliss shows what appears to be a real tenderness whenever he interacts with Loretta Young. The brothers never appear to be avaricious, but rather an integrated force of will, determined to succeed, yet determined to play by the rules. All in all, an enjoyable and informative docu-drama. Well worth the 90 minutes.

The movie tells the story of the beginnings of the Rotschild empire ,at a time (1934) when the Jews were about to suffer as never.The pogroms were a sinister omen of the Crystal Night which would happen in Germany and in Austria in 1938.And the worst was to follow as everybody knows.

I did not like the very beginning of the movie,which shows the Jews with the traditional spate of clichés.But further acquaintance with the old man shows this: he has realized that only money can bring him power and dignity and thus help his people.There is something biblical (Old Testament) when the patriarch sends his five sons to set up banks all over Europa (the score over the cast and credits includes snatches of "La Marseillaise" "Das Lied Der Deutschen" and "God save the king" ). George Arliss outclasses all the other actors ,even Boris Karloff ,in his portrayal of Nathan Rotschild,a noble gent ,probably too good and too generous to be true.Napoleon works behind the scenes ,although he plays a prominent part in the screenplay.The two Young (Robert and Loretta) supply the love interest in the Romeo (Christian or gentile) and Juliet (Jew) mold.

Dazzling finale in color ,which is quite a surprise for a 1934 movie!

Darryl F. Zanuck covered Napoleon's sweep across Europe in two early films: "Lloyds of London," in which Tyrone Power plays a fictional character who continues insuring the British fleet so that his childhood friend, Horatio Nelson, can win the war; and "The House of Rothschild" in which Nathan Rothschild and his banker brothers provide the financing to beat Napoleon. Both are excellent films.

There are a few historical liberties in "The House of Rothschild," but the film is based on fact. George Arliss has a dual role as Mayer Rothschild and his son, Nathan.

When the film begins, the family is living in a Prussian Jewish ghetto where Mayer is doing well but doesn't want the tax collectors to know. On his deathbed, he instructs his sons to establish banking houses throughout Europe as so much money is stolen when it is being carried by messengers.

The plot then focuses on Nathan and goes into the rampant anti-Semitism which forces Nathan out of an important loan. It also shows his brilliance for business as he fights Count Ledrantz (Boris Karloff) who spreads propaganda and incites pogroms.

The climax of the film takes place when it appears Napoleon is winning and Nathan starts buying up everything on the stock market, which is bottoming out, in order to keep the deal he made for the war effort.

Though not much is made of it, the Rothschilds had informants everywhere, which enabled them to get information before anyone else. He is able to announce before it is made public that Napoleon has been defeated at Waterloo.

"House of Rothschild" stars one of the great actors, George Arliss. Other actors from the stage entering films often used tremulous voices and melodramatic gestures but Arliss had a tremendous speaking voice and a grand acting style that made a powerful impression on the screen and infused the characters he played with a believability as well.

A blond, beautiful Loretta Young is on hand as his daughter, who is in love with a Gentile named Fitzroy (Robert Young) - and though one would expect the love story to be fiction, it isn't.

This film has an interesting history of its own: Excerpts from it, taken out of context, were used in the anti-semitic Nazi films Der ewige Jude and Die Rothschilds.

Despite persecution, the Rothschilds remain an extremely powerful family in the present - the original name of the family was Bauer; Rothschild is actually German for "red shield," which is in the center of the family coat of arms.

Today, they're in a variety of occupations besides banking - actress Helena Bonham Carter is a Rothschild due to a marriage on her mother's side.

I also watched it the other day on the Fox Movie Channel and the final sequence was indeed not in color. That surprised me because I thought that surely their vault would have contained a print with the Technicolor finale.

About 15 years ago, the Castro Cinema here in San Francisco showed a series of 20th Century Fox classic films, all with 35 mm prints. The House Of Rothschild was shown with the beautiful Technicolor final sequence. The fact that it was not shown that way on the FMC was disappointing, but it was still great to see the film again, as it's so rarely shown.