I've seen several movie versions of this famous Alexandre Dumas story, and it's frankly hard to imagine any filming of the story to be bad...the story is that interesting. However, it did strike me as odd that the original unhappy ending (or at least somewhat unhappy ending) is replaced by an upbeat one instead! Edmond Dantes (Robert Donat) is an honest sailor who has just become a captain. However, while he thinks he's a lucky man, his life is about to be destroyed by three man who all have different movies pushing them to do this. The end result is that Dantes is tossed into a god-awful prison to rot....or so everyone assumes. However, after years of languishing, an older prisoner tunnels into Dantes' cell and they soon become friends. This prisoner knows of a huge fortune and tells Dantes where it is. The two plan on rescuing the treasure together, but the old man dies before this can occur. Dantes then escapes and creates a new life, as the Count of Monte Cristo. And, the rest of the story is his complicated plan to exact revenge against the three who imprisoned him.Up until the latter portion of the film, I loved the story. However, the courtroom scene was drawn out too long and became a bit dull. And, following this was the odd happy ending...an ending that seemed to lose much of the intent of the original novel. Worth seeing, but I prefer the 1975 or 2002 versions.

Okay - hands up if you were led here by V for Vendetta. Be honest.But hey - that's very okay. Suffice to say that 1934's crack at Alexandre Dumas' timeless tale of treachery and revenge is a robust and spirited enough adaptation to get your blood pumping as much as everyone's favourite alliterative rollicking revolutionary. The script, while necessarily abbreviated, holds up as one of the more faithful Dumas adaptations as a procedural account of Dantes' methodical vengeful takedown of his betrayers at least until the grand departure of its romantic, very 1930s-populist ending (which is too sweet to excessively fault). Still, the pace is lively and the action plugs along at a compelling jaunt. If the screenplay sometimes dallies with segments spelling out the narrative's themes a bit thickly, it more than compensates with its share of excellent barbed dialogue zingers along the way. Those more familiar with the 2002 Jim Caviezel remake than Dumas' novel might take some adjusting to the pace here, as Dantes' dual with Mondego (restructured as principle antagonist in the remake) is dispensed with fairly early and unceremoniously. Instead, we get a climactic trial sequence (another complete departure from the text), giving Donat a chance to do his best heroic shouting, which feels adequately conclusive in its stead. Being a product of its time, this Count of Monte Cristo's staging restrictions and performance conventions may make it a flatter and calmer rendition than the explosive catharsis our righteous indignation at Dantes' plight might expect or befit (the scenes of Dantes' captivity in the Château D'If in particular feel jarringly civil, compared to the gruelling, inhumane torment Dumas painted). This certainly isn't helped by the somewhat film's cheap, anachronistic costumes, and an overenthusiastic musical soundtrack which soars in to punctuate key emotional moments with such ferocity that it tends to quash rather than heighten their resonance. Still, the film's production values are excellent, juxtaposing some key location footage (Dantes' daring underwater prison escape is perfectly chilly and claustrophobic) with some stellar studio sets - Abbe Faria's cell has the austere artistry of a stained glass window, and Dantes' treasure horde discovery is rousing adventure stuff. Robert Donat is excellent as the titular rogue-hero. He drives Dantes' plunge from chirpy sailor to apoplectically bitter prisoner to debonair aristocrat clouded by acidic ruthlessness with grace and a piercing insistence, handling Dantes' nuances much more deftly than his on-the-nose dialogue. Elissa Landi is also terrific, sliding from warm and giddy to caustic and cautious as his warped love Mercedes, and her bold decision to play up Mercedes' grim detachment rather than mugging for soft focus close-ups throughout the film's latter half plays as appealingly emotionally truthful. Sidney Blackmer and Louis Calhern are appropriately seedy, but a bit too prissy and standoffish to make much of an impact as the villainous Mondego and De Villefort; however, Raymond Walburn is a colourfully boorish, charismatic highlight as greedy, corrupt banker Danglars. Finally, character actor O.P. Reggie is warm slyness personified as the cheekily inspirational Abbe Faria, Dantes' friend in captivity. Released the year before Captain Blood, it's easy to see Monte Cristo settling into the 1930s resurgence of seafaring adventure films. Director Rowland V. Lee feels most at home with Dantes' adventures at sea and crisply energetic sword fights than the talkier melodramatic romantic angst and political intrigue, which are done suitably, but with less pizazz. As such, 1934's Count of Monte Cristo remains a sturdy and heartily enjoyable Dumas adaptation, and one of the more bombastic and abiding costume dramas of Classical Hollywood.-8/10

What a wonderful actor Robert Donat was, though he never was a Hollywood star in the sense that Clark Gable or others were. Instead, he was content to stay home in England until summoned to work. Because of chronic asthma, that wasn't a lot, and only once in Hollywood, for this film, "The Count of Monte Cristo." There have been numerous tellings of this tale, with lots left out from the novel due to time constraints. Also, as one reviewer pointed out, one begins to dislike our hero as the book goes on.This version, in black and white, has a real "old world" feeling, a marvelous cast, and an excellent characterization by Donat of a man seeking revenge on those who sent him to prison for years. The cast includes Elissa Landi, Sidney Blackmer, Louis Hayward, and O.P. Heggie.Highly recommended, but there's lots more to the story. Check out the Dumas novel and the Gerard Depardieu version for more.

This version differs significantly from the original Alexandre Dumas story; but, it's still the one to see. Most obviously, the film punctuates Dumas' story of justice through revenge with an ending not at all evident in Dumas' original work. So, "The Count of Monte Cristo" becomes the happier "love story" of Dantes and Mercedes. Notably, she "imagines" saying "I do" to Dantes only; and, his other lover (Haydee) is barely mentioned. Otherwise, the story is very neatly trimmed. And, it's certainly better than several imitations.Under Rowland V. Lee's direction, Robert Donat (as Edmond Dantes) performs exceptionally; his transformation from innocent, unsophisticated youth to the older, vengeful "Count" is beautifully conveyed. In the later half of the film, Mr. Donat's facial expressions approach horrifying. Donat's escape from prison, and his calculating revenge on Sidney Blackner (as Mondego), Raymond Walburn (as Danglars), and Louis Calhern (as Villefort) are the better parts of the movie. Elissa Landi (as Mercedes) gives a lovely performance; she ideally matches Donat's early naiveté, and later maturity. Douglas Walton (as Albert) offers, perhaps, the greatest support; he not only recalls the lovers' earlier youth, but also contrasts their later maturity.******** The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) Rowland V. Lee ~ Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Douglas Walton