Juarez

Only Bette Davis and Gale Sondergaard have any fire in this otherwise plodding Warner Bros costume drama about the French attempt to colonise Mexico in the 1860s, the romance between the puppet dictator (Aherne) and the Empress Carlota (Davis), and the exploits of Juarez himself (Muni), the proponent of Mexican independence. The script, by John Huston and historical researchers, was rewritten by Muni's brother-in-law. Huston commented: 'His changes did the picture irreparable damage. In Mr Muni's estimation, his contributions to the dramatic arts were for the enrichment of the world. It was heavy going around Muni'.