"Juarez," latest in the series of Paul Muni historical biographies filmed in the Warner studios and a worthy successor to "Louis Pasteur" and "Emile Zola," concerns itself with three stories. Firstly, there is that of the attempt to take advantage of America's pre-occupation with her Ci War and drive a coach and An horses through the Monroe Doctrine. Secondly, there is the tragic tale of the well-meaning Puppet emperor, Maximilian: and" his equally ill-fated empress, Carlotto. And lastly, the epic story of Benito Pablo Juarez.
Born in dire poverty of illiterate Zapotecan Indian parents, Juarez was soon to follow his magnificent destiny to become the "Abraham Lincoln of Mexico" by liberating the downtrodden peons from whose midst he had sprung. When, in 1864, Maximilian came to rule his puppet state, "the golden archduke" proved himself to be a man who, in all sincerity, desired the happiness and welfare of his subjects. To some of them, indeed, he appeared as Quetzalcoat—the god who had sailed away into the sunrise and promised to come back—but to the inexorable Juarez, Maximilian represented foreign aggression, despotism however benevolent, come to subjugate his people once more.
And so Mexico's great "Liberator" fought back and finally Maximilian was taken prisoner and sent to face a firing squad, innocent victim of clashing forces and enmities whose significance passed him by.
Excellent as Muni is as Juarez and Bette Davis as Carlotto, it is probable that the popular verdict will wreath most of the laurels so far as the acting honours in "Juarez" are concerned around the modest head of Brian Aherne, His performance, indeed, is something more than just "acting he lives the part,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.