Olga Kurylenko was distraught after having to cut her hair for the role. She said she didn't feel like herself anymore, which she used to help her connect with her character.
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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Fan of The Life of Emile Zola or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to The Life of Emile Zola
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Considered highly contentious in France, the film wasn't granted a proper release in that country until 1952.
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Studio boss Jack L. Warner, who was himself Jewish, personally ordered that the word "Jew" be removed from all dialogue in this movie about the Alfred Dreyfus Affair, apparently in order not to offend the Nazi regime and hurt business for the film in Germany. Source: Ben Urwand in his controversial 2013 study, "The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact With Adolf Hitler".
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Paul Muni's finest moment in the film is probably the famous six minute courtroom speech. He had to do multiple takes of this crucial scene. Upon completion, he received a standing ovation from the cast and crew.
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The first Best Picture Oscar winner to also win Best Supporting Actor, for Joseph Schildkraut.
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The second biographical film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture after The Great Ziegfeld (1936).
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Bonita Granville (Violet) is in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but she did not appear. In March 1937 it was announced in movie industry Trade Papers that she had been signed to a long term contract by Warner Bros. and that "The Story of Emile Zola" (released as "The Life of Emile Zola") would be her first film under the new contract.
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The film was shot in reverse order; Paul Muni grew his own beard for the role, and it was trimmed and darkened as he proceeded to scenes where Zola is younger. His makeup took 3-1/2 hours to apply each morning.
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Due to severe flooding in Los Angeles in 1938, the presentation of the Best Picture Oscar for this movie was postponed from Thursday March 3rd to Thursday March 10, 1938. (see also - In the Heat of the Night (1967) and Raging Bull (1980)).
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Joseph Schildkraut's Oscar winning performance in this film is his only Academy Award nomination.
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Early in the film, Zola burns a few books to warm his drafty apartment. When Cezanne opens the window to let out the smoke, Zola asks him to close the windows to avoid a draft. The real Émile Zola in fact died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a stopped chimney. Considering that the preface to the movie declares that many of the events of the screenplay were invented, this may be a writer's attempt to foreshadow Zola's dearh.
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Writers Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg initially took the project to Ernst Lubitsch at Paramount, who immediately recognized the potential of the film. He also knew that Paul Muni was the best choice for the role of Émile Zola -- but Muni was contracted to Warner Brothers at the time, so Lubitsch sold the project on to Warners.
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The same story was later told in José Ferrer's film I Accuse! (1958), which flopped badly, despite a screenplay by Gore Vidal.
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To research his role, Paul Muni read all of Émile Zola's works, researched the entire Alfred Dreyfus affair and experimented with different types of make-up designs with the help of leading film make-up artist, Perc Westmore.
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It marks as the only film role of Dolores Weisenfreund, Paul Munis niece in real life.
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First shown on New York television 9 March 1958 on WCBS Channel 2.
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One of two Best Picture Oscar winners with a 'Z' in the title. The other one was The Great Ziegfeld (1936).
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The Latin on Zola's mansion's fireplace hearth, seen twice, is "Nulla Dies Sine Linea": "No Day Without a Line".
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This was the first film to receive 10 Academy Award nominations.
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The film cast includes four Oscar winners: Paul Muni, Joseph Schildkraut, Gale Sondergaard and Donald Crisp; and one Oscar nominee: Louis Calhern.
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
The Life of Emile Zola - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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