The Count of Monte Cristo
Movie, 1934, Classic era, Set in Robert Donat
The Count of Monte Cristo is #1 of 11 in release order and #1 of 11 in chronological order in the The Count of Monte Cristo.
The story
Young sailor Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and reinvents himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.
The Count of Monte Cristo recap
The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) is the first sound film of Dumas's novel, directed by Rowland V. Lee, with Robert Donat as Edmond Dantès and Elissa Landi as Mercedes. In 1815, Edmond carries a letter from the exiled Napoleon to Marseille and is arrested on the word of the second officer, Danglars. His friend Fernand Mondego wants Mercedes, and the magistrate de Villefort buries the case because the letter was for his own father. Edmond is sent without trial to the Château d'If, and Mercedes, told he is dead, marries Mondego. After eight years alone, the Abbé Faria tunnels into his cell, educates him and, dying in a cave-in, leaves him a treasure. Edmond escapes in Faria's burial shroud, finds the treasure on Monte Cristo and returns to Paris as the Count.
The Count of Monte Cristo ending explained
The Count exposes Mondego as the man who betrayed Ali Pasha, defeats him in a duel and spares him, and Mondego takes his own life. Danglars is ruined by a false stock tip and loses his mind. Mercedes, who recognised Edmond at once, begs him to spare her son Albert, and their duel ends without injury. Villefort is put on trial, and Edmond, after first protecting Villefort's daughter Valentine, gives evidence of his corruption. With all his enemies destroyed, Edmond is reunited with Mercedes.
Where to watch The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo is streaming on Prime Video, Philo, Kanopy, Fawesome, Cineverse, and Tubi in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon.
Ratings
IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 88%
Where it fits
- Release order: first, before The Son of Monte Cristo.
- Chronological order: first, before The Son of Monte Cristo.
What to watch before The Count of Monte Cristo
Nothing. The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own.
Cast
- Robert Donat as Edmond Dantes
- Elissa Landi as Mercedes
- Louis Calhern as De Villefort Jr.
- Sidney Blackmer as Mondego
- Raymond Walburn as Danglars
- O. P. Heggie as Abbe Faria
- Irene Hervey as Valentine
- Georgia Caine as Mme. De Rosas
- Walter Walker as Morrel
- Lawrence Grant as De Villefort Sr.
- Luis Alberni as Jacopo
- Douglas Walton as Albert
Directed by Rowland V. Lee.