Conquest (1937 film)

Conquest

Directed by	Clarence Brown
Produced by	Bernard H. Hyman
Written by	S. N. Behrman Salka Viertel Waclaw Gasiorowski (novel)
Starring	Greta Garbo Charles Boyer Reginald Owen Alan Marshal
Music by	Herbert Stothart
Cinematography	Karl Freund
Editing by	Tom Held
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s)	22 October 1937
Running time	113 min
Country	USA
Language	English

Conquest (also called Marie Walewska) is a 1937 film which tells the story of a Polish countess who becomes the mistress of Napoleon in order to influence his actions towards her homeland. It stars Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer, Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson, Leif Erickson, Dame May Whitty, George Zucco, and Maria Ouspenskaya.

The movie was adapted by S. N. Behrman, Samuel Hoffenstein, Helen Jerome and Salka Viertel from the novel Pani Walewska by Waclaw Gasiorowski. It was directed by Clarence Brown and Gustav Machatý (uncredited).

It was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Charles Boyer) and Best Art Direction.

This movie was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's biggest money losing movie prior to 1949.

Plot

After a brief informal meeting two months earlier when they were impressed with each other, Countess Marie Walewska (Garbo) formally meets Napoleon Bonaparte (Boyer) at a ball in Warsaw. When Napoleon notes her husband, Count Walewski (Stephenson), is three times her age, and as he is taken with her charms, he unsuccessfully tries to seduce her. She ignores his frequent letters and flowers until a few grim Polish leaders led by Senator Malachowski (Zucco) urge her to give into his desires as a personal sacrifice in order to save Poland. She goes to him despite the humiliation of her husband, who leaves for Rome to annul their marriage. They are extremely happy for a while; Napoleon divorces childless Empress Josephine and Marie eventually becomes pregnant. She is about to tell Napoleon about her baby when he tells her he decided to marry Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria. He explains it will be a political marriage to insure his future son could rule securely with Habsburg blood in him. It will not affect their relationship, he says, but Marie Walewska leaves to have her baby alone without telling Napoleon she is expecting his child.

Cast

Greta Garbo as Countess Marie Walewska
Charles Boyer as Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
Reginald Owen as Tallyrand
Alan Marshal as Capt. d'Ornano
Henry Stephenson as Count Anastas Walewski
Leif Erickson as Paul Lachinski (as Leif Erikson)
Dame May Whitty as Laetitia Bonaparte
Maria Ouspenskaya as Countess Pelagia Walewska

External links

Conquest at the TCM Movie Database

v • d • e Films directed by Clarence Brown

1920s	The Great Redeemer • The Last of the Mohicans • The Foolish Matrons • The Light in the Dark • Don't Marry for Money • The Acquittal • The Signal Tower • Butterfly • The Eagle • The Goose Woman • Smouldering Fires • Flesh and the Devil • Kiki • A Woman of Affairs • The Trail of '98 • Navy Blues • Wonder of Women

1930s	Anna Christie • Romance • Inspiration • Possessed • A Free Soul • Emma • Letty Lynton • The Son-Daughter • Looking Forward • Night Flight • Sadie McKee • Chained • Ah, Wilderness! • Anna Karenina • Wife vs. Secretary • The Gorgeous Hussy • Conquest • Of Human Hearts • Idiot's Delight • The Rains Came

1940s	Edison, the Man • Come Live with Me • They Met in Bombay • The Human Comedy • The White Cliffs of Dover • National Velvet • The Yearling • Song of Love • Intruder in the Dust

1950s	To Please a Lady • Angels in the Outfield • When in Rome • Plymouth Adventure

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