George Arliss is great in this tale of the rise of a family from humble beginnings in Eastern Europe to control of one of the largest banking fortunes the world has ever seen. With the assistance of his four brothers, and under the gentle supervision of is ageing mother, Nathan Rothschild fights bigotry and prejudice as he attempts to use his skills and wealth to create an environment of peace in a frequently war-torn Europe dealing with factions a-plenty, and the ambitions of Napoleon! It's got a strong supporting cast including Loretta Young as his independently-minded daughter ("Julia"); Boris Karloff as his nemesis "Count Ledrantz" and C. Aubrey Smith as the Duke of Wellington. The writing is robust and rousing and though the production is a little bit stilted, Alfred Werker manages to give us a bit of a sense of the integrity and decency of this family in the face of open hostility towards themselves and their race.

Go to full review