Carnovsky, Morris

Carnovsky, Morris, 1897-1992, American actor, b. St. Louis. After his New York City debut in The God of Vengeance (1922), he joined the Theatre Guild and later performed with The Group Theatre, of which he was a founding member. He worked as an actor and director for the Actors Laboratory Theatre in Hollywood (1945-50). Carnovsky has concentrated on Shakespearean roles since his first appearance at Stratford, Conn., in 1956. His films include Cyrano de Bergerac (1951).

The Life of Émile Zola is a 1937 biographical film of famous French author Émile Zola. It depicts his friendship with noted painter Paul Cézanne and his involvement in the Dreyfus affair. The film was a great success both critically and financially, and contemporary reviews cited it as the best biographical film made up to that time. It is still held in high regard by many critics. It is the second biographical film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

In 2000,The Life of Émile Zola was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Cast and crew

Main Crew

• Directed by: William Dieterle
• Written by: Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg
• story by Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg
• after Matthew Josephson's book Zola and His Time
• Produced by: Henry Blanke
• Music by: Max Steiner (head of department, Leo F. Forbstein)
• Cinematography by: Tony Gaudio
• Film Editing by: Warren Low
• Art Direction by: Anton Grot
• Assistant director: Russel Saunders

Cast

• Paul Muni as Émile Zola
• Gale Sondergaard as Lucie Dreyfus
• Joseph Schildkraut as Captain Alfred Dreyfus
• Gloria Holden as Alexandrine Zola
• Donald Crisp as Maitre Labori
• Erin O'Brien-Moore as Nana
• Vladimir Sokoloff as Paul Cézanne
• Grant Mitchell as Georges Clemenceau
• Morris Carnovsky as Anatole France.

Academy Awards

• Best Picture: Warner Bros. (Henry Blanke, producer)
• Supporting Actor: Joseph Schildkraut
• Best Writing, Screenplay: Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg and Norman Reilly Raine

Academy Award nominations

• Best Actor: Paul Muni
• Best Art Direction: Anton Grot
• Best Assistant Director: Russell Saunders
• Best Director: William Dieterle
• Best Music, Score: Max Steiner, awarded to Leo F. Forbstein
• Best Sound, Recording: Nathan Levinson (Warner Bros. SSD)
• Best Writing, Original Story: Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg

External links