Won't Diss Disraeli

Speaking of 1929 films, I just saw Disraeli. George Arliss, repeating his stage role, won an Oscar as the title character. The film was more than respected--I believe it was a hit, and the unprepossessing, aging Arliss became an unlikely film star.

It's a period piece, of course, but it reflects the politics of the early 1900s, as Benjamin Disraeli fights for the glory of British imperialism by plotting to purchase the Suez Canal. (It's both a joy and sorrow of old films to note the different assumptions people had.)

The performances, by today's standards (or even mid-1930s standards) are stiff and theatrical, but I can still imagine how 1929 audiences felt. Characters can discuss complex, subtle schemes that simply couldn't have come across before. After years of silence, it must have been a thrill.