The Count of Monte Cristo (1975 film)

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The Count of Monte-Cristo

Directed by	David Greene
Produced by	Norman Rosemont
Written by	Alexandre Dumas, père (book) Sidney Carroll
Starring	Richard Chamberlain Kate Nelligan Tony Curtis Donald Pleasence Trevor Howard
Distributed by	add
Release date(s)	January 10, 1975
Running time	119 minutes
Language	English Italian (known as Conte di Montecristo, Il)
IMDb profile

The Count of Monte-Cristo is a 1975 television film, produced by ITC Entertainment and based upon the book The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père. It was directed by David Greene and starred Richard Chamberlain as Edmond Dantes, Kate Nelligan as Mercedes, Tony Curtis as Fernand Mondego, Donald Pleasence as Danglars, and Trevor Howard as Abbe Faria. ITC had previously produced a 39-part tv series based on the same source material, in 1956.

This version was nominated for two Emmys: Richard Chamberlain for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy, and Trevor Howard for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special.

This version tends to emphasize the complex psychological drama that unfolds in which Chamberlain (as Dantes) manipulates characters until the final swordfight with Curtis (as Mondego). The courtroom scene in which Chamberlain brings down Louis Jourdan (as crown prosecutor De Villefort) is a highlight of the film. As in the classic 1934 film version and the 2002 remake, however, important characters are omitted, and the methods of revenge that Dantes wreaks on his enemies are completely changed.

In contrast to other film versions, this one was originally made for television in the days before the VCR or DVD player. For years, it was annually featured as an evening movie. The present videocassettes do not include the commercials, but the timing and scene shifting remain. This tends to mimic the book by Dumas, which also shifted scenes between the characters.