The Life of Emile Zola

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.

Cast

Paul Muni

Paul Muni

as Emile Zola

Gale Sondergaard

Gale Sondergaard

as Lucie Dreyfus

Joseph Schildkraut

Joseph Schildkraut

as Capt. Alfred Dreyfus

Gloria Holden

Gloria Holden

as Alexandrine Zola

Donald Crisp

Donald Crisp

as Maitre Labori

Erin O'Brien-Moore

Erin O'Brien-Moore

as Nana

John Litel

John Litel

as Charpentier

Henry O'Neill

Henry O'Neill

as Colonel Picquart

Morris Carnovsky

Morris Carnovsky

as Anatole France

Louis Calhern

Louis Calhern

as Major Dort

Reviews

CinemaSerf

Emile Zola liked nothing better than an opportunity to cause a bit of scandal and over the years that made him a wealthy man, but earned him the enmity of pretty much all of the Establishment. France was still finding it's political feet with the second empire giving way to the third republic, the G...

Similar Movies