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The Life Drama of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Josephine of France
Also known as Napoleon and the Empress Josephine and Napoleon, the Man of Destiny in the USA : [The Life of Napoleon]
(1909) United States of America
B&W : [?] One or Two? reels / 875 feet
Directed by J. Stuart Blackton
Cast: William Humphrey [Napoleon Bonaparte], Julia Arthur, John G. Adolphi, Edwin R. Phillips
The Vitagraph Company of America production; distributed by The Vitagraph Company of America. / © 27 March 1909 by The Vitagraph Company of America [H124898]. Part one, Napoleon and the Empress Josephine, released 6 April 1909; part two, Napoleon, the Man of Destiny, released 10 April 1909. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama: Historical.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Scene 1. The Prophecy: Josephine, while walking in the gardens on the island of Martinique, is told that “she will be more than Queen and yet outlive her dignity.” Scene 2. Napoleon Meets Josephine at Madam Talien’s Saloon and Falls in Love with Her: Josephine, with other ladies, is seated as Napoleon enters and is introduced. It is a case of love at first sight. As Napoleon makes ardent love to Josephine, the others thoughtfully withdraw. Scene 3. Napoleon’s Departure to Take Command of the Army of Italy Three Days After His Marriage to Josephine: Napoleon bids good-bye to Josephine, mounts his horse and rides away, his staff and the troops following. Scene 4. Napoleon Having Been Crowned Emperor of France, Longs for a Son to Perpetuate His Name and Contemplates Divorce From Josephine: Napoleon enters the throne room, walks restlessly up and down and at last calls his valet, whom he directs to summon Josephine. She enters with her attendants. Napoleon dismisses the ladies, tells Josephine that he must have a son. She, having expected this, is resigned and turns away in a swoon. Scene 5. The Public Proclamation of Divorce Between Napoleon and Josephine in the Grand Salon of the Tuileries: The members of Napoleon’s family and the Imperial Council of State are assembled as Josephine enters, signs the paper and leaves the room. Scene 6. The Parting of Napoleon and Josephine After the Divorce: In his bed chamber Napoleon is discovered in great grief, his valet endeavoring to calm him. The door opens and Josephine enters. After a pathetic farewell, she staggers from the room. Scene 7. Josephine at Malmaison After the Divorce: Memories of Napoleon. Josephine, seated on a chair, sees a vision of Napoleon. She crosses to the mantel, caresses a bust, sits down and plays the harp. As the vision vanishes, she stretches out her arm in despair and falls to the ground.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 10 April 1909, page ?] To successfully depict even a portion of the dramatic scenes and incidents in the life of such a man as Napoleon, is a task of great magnitude. To succeed as admirably as the Vitagraph has done in its late effort, is to be commended. Sometimes manufacturers have made the mistake of following too closely the written records of such characters. Undoubtedly it is better to suggest rather than follow slavishly. Generally a character is known by some salient development, and the character of Napoleon is one of these. But beyond the fact that the character is admirably suggested, the scenario is a marvel of historic accuracy. The manager of the company went to France for the express purpose of obtaining accurate information for this purpose. That he did so is shown by the picture itself. Both the characters of Napoleon and Josephine are presented with fidelity and power. The film opens with a scene in a garden in the West Indies, where the young Josephine is told by a fortune-teller that she will be queen. The next scene is where Napoleon and Josephine meet for the first time. The historical accuracy of the uniforms and costumes in this is interesting. The setting is beyond description. The divorce itself, the final parting, and, last of all, the memories of Napoleon at Malmaison, are all good. Of all the ambitious attempts of this house, none has succeeded so admirably as this. It is a pity that the daily changes give it only a short run. It should have more.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Keywords: Animals: Horses - France - Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) - Soldiers - Weapons: Swords
Listing updated: 9 September 2023.
References: Brownlow-Parade p. 17; O’Leary-Silent p. ?; Pratt-Spellbound p. ?; Robinson-Palace p. 141 : ; Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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