The Iron Duke

George Arliss continues his string of historical characters with his portrayal of the Duke of Wellington from 1814-1818, covering the first restoration of the Bourbons, the Hundred Days, and through the occupation of France while the details of the peace are hammered out.

Producer Michael Balcon puts a lot of money on the screen, both with leading actors, including Emlyn Williams, Gladys Cooper and A. E. Matthews, and a lot of spectacular set-pieces. Major battles, large crowds of extras and huge sets alternate with close-ups and two-shots of Arliss speaking his lines in a manner that always seems carefully considered and amused. It's a first class production and good to see, but in the end, it's Arliss's show, and all the production does is serve as scenery for him.

The Iron Duke

Great Political Drama – One of Arliss' greatest performances.

This is a thinking man and woman's film. The script is a political one and historically accurate. The career of the Duke of Wellington from Napoleon's first escape to the fall of the Bourbon restoration is accurately portrayed with a superlative script and stellar performances/direction. How this has flown under the radar for so long is a mystery to me.

It begins in 1815 and only lasts a year. Yet the political intrigue is brilliantly portrayed, with Arliss giving one of his very greatest performances as the Duke of Wellington. The crowned heads and their advisors are portrayed as egocentric idiots, which was probably true. Political ineptitude is given great shrift in the script.

The Battle of Waterloo occurs at half point in the film and is well done in terms of editing and cinematography.

Two fun Wellington quotes, if indeed they are real are: "It is a mystery to me why the Creator wastes His time turning out ugly women; Except for defeat, there is nothing so tragic as a Great Victory."

Arliss' greatest scene occurs after Waterloo, awaiting the return of his generals and weeping at the casualty list.

The love interest is that of an infatuated young married woman, Lady Frances Webster, whose interest and companionship with Wellington is made use of to attempt to discredit him.

A truly great British film. Had there been BAFTAs then, it would probably have swept the awards.

Sadly, the only print available, even from TCM is fuzzy and pale.

Go out of your way to obtain it on DVD amongst the network of private collectors.

This movie is quite dated now but it is still an excellent example of early British cinema and George Arliss, as usual, is very good as Wellington. The only problem is that the near 70 year old Arliss is supposed to be playing the Iron Duke when he was in his forties. As good an actor as Arliss was, even he can't pull that off. He actually plays the Duke as he probably was in his later years; prone to cackle a lot, friendly with the young ladies, and a bit of an eccentric. The rest of the cast is just okay, with Gladys Cooper a bit ahead of the rest as Madame, King Louis VIII's vengeful niece. The Waterloo battle scenes are stilted and poorly staged but the interiors are fine, most notably the scenes of the Duchess of Richmond's ball. For a better view historically of Wellington during his fighting days, see Christopher Plummer's characterization in the 1970 Dino De Laurentis production "Waterloo".

The Iron Duke is a delightful show by George Arliss as the famous Duke of Wellington. Don't expect a factual biographical film here though. This covers a few months leading up to and the aftermath of his most famous battle, that of Waterloo where he pulled out a victory over Napoleon Bonaparte with the aid of the Prussian army. It was the last battle for both Napoleon and Wellington. Wellington who was never anything but realistic said that Waterloo was a "close run thing".

There's a film Waterloo that came out in 1969 with Rod Steiger as Napoleon Bonaparte and Christopher Plummer as Wellington. It fits the conception I've had of Wellington far more than what George Arliss does here.

Saying that however Arliss is always a treat. When a coalition is finally put together that of Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia that finally takes Bonaparte down the film opens with these Allies enjoying the spoils of victory and deciding how to cut up Europe. But party pooper that he was Bonaparte escapes from his exile in the Mediterranean Isle of Elba and rallies the troops once again that were loyal to him, but are now supposed to be working for the interests of the restored Bourbon monarchy of Louis XVIII played by Alan Aynesworth.

In particular Marshal Ney who swore he would bring his former commander to the king in a cage went right over to him and fought at Waterloo at his side. Ney is played here by Edmund Willard and history has made him a figure of sympathy. It is true that Wellington tried to save him, but the restored Bourbons wanted his death as an example.

In the supporting cast standing out is Gladys Cooper playing the French Duchess of Angoulheme and niece of the king. She wants total revenge on those who still advocate for the principles of the French Revolution which event eventually culminated in the Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. This is one woman who one dares not cross and Arliss knows he wouldn't cross her if he didn't have an army of his own.

Both Wellington and Napoleon were born in 1769 and these events happen in 1815 when he was 46. Arliss was 20 years older and would have made a great Wellington who was the ornament of young Queen Victoria's court in the 1840s when he was the national hero. Wellington was a skirt chaser and that aspect of his character is fully brought out. Then as now heroes have their groupies. Although not in this version I suspect Arliss played Wellington when he was younger in the theater as he did Disraeli. He did a few of his choice roles for the silent and talking cinema and I'll bet Wellington was one he might have done when he was younger.

Arthur Wellesley (1769 to 1855) is a character worthy of a mini-series. It was a life of considerable military and political achievement that was far more than the events shown here. But Arliss is a treat as always.