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Romantic drama

Anthony Adverse (1936): Cast & Plot

Anthony Adverse (1936) movie poster

Anthony Adverse is a 1936 romantic drama directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Fredric March as Anthony Adverse, Billy Mauch and Edmund Gwenn. It runs 2 hours 21 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
Anthony Adverse (1936) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 21m (141 min)
Director
Mervyn LeRoy
Genres
Drama , Romance , History
Original language
English
Studio
Warner Bros. Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Anthony Adverse About?

The premise of Anthony Adverse without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Based on Hervey Allen’s novel, this sweeping drama follows Anthony Adverse. After his father Don Luis abandons him at a convent, his grandfather John Bonnyfeather raises him. He falls for Angela Giuseppe, but they are separated. He then embarks on a long, peril‑filled journey across continents, determined to reunite with her at any cost.

Anthony Adverse Themes & Keywords

· 31 tags
  • catholic orphanage
  • illegitimate son
  • slave trade
  • foundling
  • opera singer
  • manipulative female
  • homosexual subtext
  • search for identity
  • femme fatale
  • character name as title
  • boy rear nudity
  • nudity
+19 more
  • napoleon bonaparte character
  • younger version of character
  • epic
  • catholic priest
  • mother superior
  • husband wife relationship
  • deception
  • military officer
  • masked ball
  • lottery winner
  • husband wife reunion
  • father son relationship
  • extramarital affair
  • dying in childbirth
  • paris france
  • betrayal
  • inheritance
  • havana cuba
  • moral reformation
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Cast & crew

Anthony Adverse Cast & Characters

Fredric March leads the cast as Anthony Adverse, with Billy Mauch as Young Anthony Adverse and Edmund Gwenn as John Bonnyfeather. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy; 49 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Anthony Adverse

· 45 more
Show all 49 cast members
From the director

More from Mervyn LeRoy

More films directed by Mervyn LeRoy, best-rated first: The Wizard of Oz, Waterloo Bridge, Mister Roberts and Quo Vadis.

Full filmography
Plot

Anthony Adverse Plot Summary

What happens in Anthony Adverse from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1773, the young Scottish Maria Bonnyfeather, Anita Louise, becomes the wife of the middle-aged Spanish Marquis Don Luis, Claude Rains. Their marriage is put off from the start until he completes a gout cure at a famed spa, a delay that sets the stage for the secrecy and danger that follow. Maria’s true love, Denis Moore, Louis Hayward, stays close to their château, watching over the match that society might not approve. When the Marquis leaves to seek his cure, Maria and Denis meet in the woods, and three months later she tells him she is carrying his child. The tension deepens as the couple plots to flee that very night, hoping to escape the social and moral bindings that would condemn them.

Full summary

The whole story of Anthony Adverse, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Anthony Adverse?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actress portrayed Maria Bonnyfeather in the film?
Details

Anthony Adverse Also Known As

9 alternative titles, including “Гонимый судьбой” and “Avorio nero”.

Also known as
  • Гонимый судьбой
  • Avorio nero
  • Anthony Adverse, marchand d'esclaves
  • El caballero Adverse
  • Ein rastloses Leben
  • Ентоні нещасний
  • Антони-неудачник
  • Adversidade
  • 风流世家

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Movies Like Anthony Adverse

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Absolution of Anthony, Antonio’s Secret and Antony and Cleopatra.

FAQ

Anthony Adverse FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Anthony Adverse, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Anthony Adverse?

Anthony Adverse runs 2 hours 21 minutes (141 minutes).

When was Anthony Adverse released?

Anthony Adverse was released on May 19, 1936.

Who directed Anthony Adverse?

Anthony Adverse was directed by Mervyn LeRoy.

More films by Mervyn LeRoy

Who is in the cast of Anthony Adverse?

Anthony Adverse stars Fredric March as Anthony Adverse, Billy Mauch as Young Anthony Adverse and Edmund Gwenn as John Bonnyfeather, among 49 credited actors.

Does Anthony Adverse have a post-credit scene?

No. Anthony Adverse has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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