Marie Antoinette (1938)
Actors:
Ed Brady (actor),
Sam Ash (actor),
Erville Alderson (actor),
Robert Barrat (actor),
John Barrymore (actor),
Scotty Beckett (actor),
Richard Alexander (actor),
Trevor Bardette (actor),
Al Bridge (actor),
Peter Bull (actor),
John Burton (actor),
John Butler (actor),
Joseph Calleia (actor),
Frank Campeau (actor),
Lane Chandler (actor),
Plot: The life of Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) from betrothal and marriage in 1770 to her beheading. At first, she's a Hapsburg teenager isolated in France, living a virgin's life in the household of the Dauphin, a shy solitary man who would like to be a locksmith. Marie discovers high society, with the help of Orleans and her brothers-in-law. Her foolishness is at its height when she meets a Swedish count, Axel de Fersen. He helps her see her fecklessness. In the second half of the film, she avoids an annulment, becomes queen, bears children, and is a responsible ruler. The affair of the necklace and the general poverty of France feed revolution. She faces death with dignity.
Keywords: 1700s, 18th-century, arranged-marriage, austria, benjamin-franklin, birth, character-name-in-title, childbirth, dauphin, epic
Genres:
Biography,
Drama,
History,
Romance,
Quotes:
Marie: Perhaps the great loves come with tears.
Marie: I cannot wear a crown upon my heart.
Mme. du Barry: I was never a laundress! I was a milliner!
King Louis XV: [presenting Marie to Louis the Dauphin on their wedding night] Louis, I cast this pearl before you.
Duke d'Orléans: Bravo, witty & beautiful. Oh most rare lady. To the King:Sire.::Mme. du Barry: Oh, his Grace d'Orleans. I've been waiting.::Duke d'Orléans: I'm desolate.::Mme. du Barry: His grace is late.::Duke d'Orléans: The loss is mine, Madame.::Mme. du Barry: Flatter, I believe you want something.::Duke d'Orléans: Let's see. Why, of course I do. I want to be Grand Admiral of France::Mme. du Barry: Laughing: And can we resist him? He has all the charm of a sailor.::Duke d'Orléans: You're too kind.::Mme. du Barry: Oh, but you have. And I've know lots of sailors. All fancy lads. And all liars.::King Louis XV: What? What?::Mme. du Barry: Handing the pamphlet to the King:Read this little sea ballad. It's about me. This couch, the one you gave me, it was pinned there. Oh, I'll read it! "Is this the couch of a princess? Is this the couch of a duchess? Oh, no indeed twa-la, twa-la. It's only the couch of a laundress."::King Louis XV: Who wrote this?::Mme. du Barry: Ask his Grace d'Oleans.::Duke d'Orléans: Why,I deny it sire.::Mme. du Barry: He had it written. He paid for it. He has writers by the dozen. Riff-raff! Against the state, against you, against me and blast your eyes I never was a laundress, I was a milliner!::Duke d'Orléans: If Madame will kindly permit me to assure her that I...::Mme. du Barry: You fool! I could've made you the biggest man in Paris, but you weren't smart enough. You let me find you out!::Duke d'Orléans: That has its pleasant side, Madame. For to be frank as these gentleman would like to be, I am as weary of paying homage to the somewhat overblown charms of the ladies who rule our ruler as the people are paying their bills.::Mme. du Barry: You royal lout!::King Louis XV: This is enough! You can't forget, cousin, that your great-grandfather was Regent of France. You have his ambition, but without his talent. No, I'm not afraid of you, nor of the nobles, nor of the people, nor of ideas. The state will last my time. After me, the deluge.::Duke d'Orléans: Taking leave & bowing to the King: With your permission, Your Majesty.::King Louis XV: And take care, cousin. The liberals you encourage for your ends, they'll destroy you for theirs. Good morning!::Mme. du Barry: Laughing hysterically: His face when he saw the pamphlet!
Prince de Rohan: Monseigneur, Madame. I have the honor to deliver this charming box.::Marie: A present! Yes, I'm sure it is! Our anniversary, you know! From whom?::Prince de Rohan: Oh, that Madame, I am not at liberty to say. Shall we unfasten the ribbon?::Marie: I shall do it myself! To Louis: Will you help me? It's for you too, you know. What do you suppose it is?::King Louis XVI: From the King perhaps?::Marie: Oh, I do hope so! To the Price de Rohan: Is it from the King?::Prince de Rohan: Madame, you positively must not ask or I shall break my vows, but Madame is warm, if I may so express myself. Madame, is very warm.::Marie: Unwrapping the gift with child-like excitememt, and then a sudden look of confusion: A cradle... uh, an empty cradle. Read from the card attached to the present: Since at least it is quite beyond doubt this cot your unable to fill... go back to your schitzel and krout and leave the job to some baggage who will."::Prince de Rohan: Oh Madame! I assure you! I had no idea! The Countess DuBerry...::Marie: Wll you go, Monsieur?::Prince de Rohan: I assure you, Madame, I knew nothing!::Marie: You may leave us, Monsieur. Go back to the person who sent you and let her have the satisfaction of knowing her barb went home.::Prince de Rohan: Madame!::Marie: Will you go, please?::Prince de Rohan: As he's bowing & departing: Oh, this is ! Deplorable!::King Louis XVI: Snatching the cradle from Marie Antionette and quickly crushing it to pieces: I'll go to the King! I'll have her punished! I'll have her flogged! I'll have her branded!::Marie: Oh, go Louis!::King Louis XVI: It'll be no use.::Marie: Louis, this woman only dares to insult me because you seem to despise me.::King Louis XVI: But I...::Marie: Help me, Louie, please! I need you! I know you don't love me, but couldn't you pretend to like me a little?::King Louis XVI: Why I...::Marie: If only you would, before everybody. I'd feel so secure, so proud. I could even ignore DuBerry. Louie: It would only make trouble. What if it does? We have been brushed aside as though we were of no account and we've been cowardly enough to submit! We should live as becomes heirs to the throne of France. I want life to be rich and full and beautiful. It could be if only we stood together!::King Louis XVI: I tell you I can't! I can't try to be anything but what I am! Why do you plauge me? The King is the King?::Marie: And I'm a princess of the House of Hapsburg;I'm an Archduchess of Austria and a daughter of the Empress Maria Therese! I'm sorry you don't see it my way, Louis, but I mean to be the Dauphine of France. Not in the way I might have been if we'd stood together, but at least I'll be the highest, brightest figure in this court!
Mme. du Barry: I'm late, Madame, but with His Majesty's permission... a slight headache.::Marie: I'm so sorry, Madame. It was a pleasure delayed.::Mme. du Barry: For me too, Madame. I might say a triumph.::Marie: You're very kind.::Mme. du Barry: I presume I shall not have the honor of meeting his Royal Highness?::Marie: My husband does not care for dancing, madame.::Mme. du Barry: Quite the family man, isn't he? The fireside, the nursing room and all that? To the duc Orleans: Well, here is my old friend and how well he takes the husband's place!::Marie: I'm sorry you feel your triumph incomplete, madame. My husband has better sense than I. He knows where to draw the line.::King Louis XV: To du Berry: Will you dance, Madame?::Mme. du Barry: Ignoring the King's request: So that's it? I'm dirt, ah? Not good enough for your high and mightiness?::Marie: But, nooo, madame! Royalty loves an occasional roll in the gutter, don't they Grand-pappa?::King Louis XV: Madame!::Marie: Ignoring the King's dismay at her rudeness: I enjoy nothing more than meeting people of broad experience.::King Louis XV: To both Marie-Antionette & du Berry: Recollect yourselves!::Marie: Still ignoring the King: You see I've never walked the streets of Paris, but I am sure you could tell me something about that.::King Louis XV: To du Berry: You will prefer to leave, madame, as I do.
King Louis XV: What's the meaning of this? Why are you here?::King Louis XVI: I don't want her to be sent back!::King Louis XV: Ha, ha! Indeed.::Mme. du Barry: [Sharply to Louis XVI] His majesty is not well!::King Louis XVI: [Ignoring du Barry] But it isn't her fault! Don't you understand?::King Louis XV: [Looking up to Du Barry with confusion] What? What's he talking about?::Mme. du Barry: [Even more sharply to Louis XVI] Will you go, please?::King Louis XVI: No! You get out! [Then to the king & now pleading on his knees] Listen, grandfather, it's going to be different now...::King Louis XV: Get up you fool! Your argument is as unimpressive as your appearance. Your wife goes back to Austria! Your marriage will be annulled! I'll hear no more of it! [Looking frail & weak he starts coughing uncontrollably & waves him impatiently away] Get out! Get out!::King Louis XVI: I'll get out, but I'll come back! I'll come back when your dead! I'll be king then!::King Louis XV: Silence!::King Louis XVI: [Ignoring the king he turns to du Barry] And you! You know what will happen to you when I'm king? There are places for women like you in the Bastille!::Mme. du Barry: Stop it! [to the king] Make him stop!::King Louis XV: Silence!::King Louis XVI: I'm going to have my wife back! I'm going to have children! I know! [he starts loosing his composure] But you... your weak! Your not going to live long! I'll be sitting there and you'll be dead!::King Louis XV: [Trembling with anger he starts to rise] Be silent!::King Louis XVI: [Roughly shoving the king down hard] Sit down! [Then with shame he hangs his head as he leaves] Forgive me, sire. I didn't mean to touch you. Forgive me.
Empress Maria Theresa: Toni, France is not Austria. You must accustom yourself to new people and new ways. Count Mercy is my ambassador at Versailles. He will guide you when he can. The rest, you must trust to your husband.::Marie: I will! Of course I will! Is he handsome?::Empress Maria Theresa: There's time enough for that later. You go to bed now.::Marie: They say Versailles is too marvelous!::Empress Maria Theresa: [More firmly now] I said to bed.::Marie: Yes, mama.::Empress Maria Theresa: Versailles is no more marvelous than Vienna.::Marie: No, mama.::Empress Maria Theresa: [Kissing her cheek] Goodnight.::Marie: Oh, goodnight, mama and thank you, thank you, thank you! Mama! Oh, mama, just think of it! I shall be queen! Queen of France!
King Louis XVI: I don't want to be king. People expect so much of a king. Nothing comes easily to me.