The House of Rothschild

The House of Rothschild (1934) is an American film written by Nunnally Johnson from the play by George Hembert Westley, and directed by Alfred L. Werker. It chronicles the biographical story of the rise of the Rothschild family of European bankers.

Contents
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 * 1 Summary
 * 2 Cinematography
 * 3 Cast
 * 4 Reception
 * 5 References
 * 6 External links

Summary[edit]
The film begins at the home of Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) and his wife Guttle Schnapper (1770–1812). As one of their sons sees the taxman coming, they hurry and hide their wealth, including currency, silver, etc. However, the taxman finds some of it hidden in the basement, and decides to charge Rothschild less than the amount due, but keep the money with him. Later, as Mayer Amschel Rothschild is lying on his deathbed, he instructs his five sons to start banks in different countries across Europe: Amschel Mayer Rothschild (1773-1855) in Germany, Salomon Mayer von Rothschild (1774-1855) in Austria, Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836) in England, Carl Mayer von Rothschild (1788-1855), and James Mayer de Rothschild (1792-1868) in France. As they fund the Napoleonic Wars of 1803–1815, they aim to gain respectability from the European nobility, which shuns them and refuses to treat them as equals because they are Jews. However, at the end of film, the House of Rothschild buys when all of society sells their own country stock, and because of faith became the rich and respected through a moral decision to buy against the tyranny over Jews.

Cinematography[edit]
Its final sequence was one of the first shot in the three-strip Technicolor process, along with the MGM musical The Cat and the Fiddle, released in February 1934.

Cast[edit]

 * George Arliss - Mayer Rothschild / Nathan Rothschild
 * Boris Karloff - Count Ledrantz
 * Loretta Young - Julie Rothschild
 * Robert Young - Captain Fitzroy
 * C. Aubrey Smith - Duke of Wellington
 * Arthur Byron - Baring
 * Helen Westley - Gudula Rothschild
 * Reginald Owen - Herries
 * Florence Arliss - Hannah Rothschild
 * Alan Mowbray - Prince Metternich
 * Holmes Herbert - Rowerth
 * Paul Harvey - Solomon Rothschild
 * Ivan F. Simpson - Amschel Rothschild (as Ivan Simpson)
 * Noel Madison - Carl Rothschild
 * Murray Kinnell - James Rothschild

Reception[edit]
The film was the biggest hit of the year for Twentieth Century Pictures.[1] It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.