The Son of Monte Cristo (1940) on Netflix
Approved19401h 42mDramaRomance
General Gurko Lanen becomes the dictator of the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg. Its rightful ruler, Grand Duchess Zona, gets help from Edmund Dantes Jr., the son of Monte Cristo.
- Netflix3.1/5
- IMDb6.2/10984 votes
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Trailer
Plot summary
In 1865, the proletarian General Gurko Lanen (George Sanders) becomes the behind-the-scenes dictator of the Grand Duchy of Lichtenburg located in the Balkans. Gurko suppresses the clergy and the free press and imprisons the Prime Minister Baron Von Neuhoff (Montagu Love). The rightful ruler of the Grand Duchy, the Grand Duchess Zona (Joan Bennett), hopes to get aid from Napoleon III of France and makes her escape pursued by a troop of Hussars loyal to Gurko. While on a hunting trip, the visiting Count of Monte Cristo (Louis Hayward), rescues her. The Count escorts the Grand Duchess Zona to a neutral country, but Gurko's Hussars violate international neutrality to return the Grand Duchess and her lady-in-waiting back to Lichtenburg.
The count has become romantically enamored of Zona and undertakes to help her, visiting the Grand Duchy where he falls in with the underground resistance movement of Lichtenburg. He befriends the loyal Lt. Dorner (Clayton Moore) of the palace guard who knows a variety of secret passages leading from the Grand Ducal Palace to the literal catacombs of the Grand Duchy.
Discovering that Baron Von Neuhoff is to be executed, the Count gains entry to the palace through his previously being asked for a large loan of French Francs by Gurko and plays the role of a cowardly foppish international banker. There he overhears Gurko meeting with the French Ambassador (Georges Renavent) who raises the issue of human rights in the Grand Duchy.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Son of Monte Cristo (1940)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Before it was made, the sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo had Robert Donat, Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. named as stars, while Jean Arthur was being considered for a lead role.
- Edward Small's production reused the same sets, and many of the same cast and production crew, as his previous year's film The Man in the Iron Mask.
