The Cardinal (1936 film) explained

The Cardinal
Music:Leighton Lucas
Cinematography:Cyril Bristow
Editing:Max Brenner
Studio:Grosvenor Films
Runtime:70 minutes
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English

The Cardinal is a 1936 British historical drama film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Matheson Lang, Eric Portman and June Duprez.[1] The film depicts a power battle in sixteenth-century Rome between the leading church-statesman Giuliano de' Medici and one of his rivals. Other themes in the film are the Italian Wars against France and the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica to a design by Michelangelo.

The film was based on the 1901 play The Cardinal by Louis N. Parker. It was made at Welwyn Studios as an independent production, but released by a leading distributor Associated British.[2]

Reception

Variety considered the film to be weak apart from the performance of Matheson Lang in the title role.[3] Questions have been raised about the historical accuracy of the film, which appears to borrow people and events from different time periods.[4]

Cast

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20090114071837/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/28739 BFI Database entry
  2. Wood p.85
  3. Klossner p.61
  4. Klossner p.61