biography,scandal,historical figure,black and white,writer,miscarriage of justice,devil's island,dreyfus affair,19th century

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Poster for The Life of Emile Zola

He'll hold you in silence as deep as your emotions!

A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for being a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.

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Cast & Crew

Director
William Dieterle
  • Profile picture of Paul Muni
    Emile Zola Paul Muni
  • Profile picture of Gale Sondergaard
    Lucie Dreyfus Gale Sondergaard
  • Profile picture of Joseph Schildkraut
    Capt. Alfred Dreyfus Joseph Schildkraut
  • Profile picture of Gloria Holden
    Alexandrine Zola Gloria Holden
  • Profile picture of Donald Crisp
    Maitre Labori Donald Crisp
  • Profile picture of Erin O'Brien-Moore
    Nana Erin O'Brien-Moore
  • Profile picture of John Litel
    Charpentier John Litel
  • Profile picture of Henry O'Neill
    Colonel Picquart Henry O'Neill

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Keywords

  • biography
  • scandal
  • historical figure
  • black and white
  • writer
  • miscarriage of justice
  • devil's island
  • dreyfus affair
  • 19th century