The Life of Emile Zola_
"He'll hold you in silence as deep as your emotions!"
A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for being a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.
Starring
Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Apple TV
20 countries
G
Google Play
14 countries
Prime Video
6 countries
YouTube
3 countries
Max
1 country
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
The Life of Emile Zola was released 89 years ago in 1937.
Overview
A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins succes...
The Life of Emile Zola is a Drama, History film with a runtime of 1h 56m.
CAST (20)
Paul Muni
Emile Zola
Gale Sondergaard
Lucie Dreyfus
Joseph Schildkraut
Capt. Alfred Dreyfus
Gloria Holden
Alexandrine Zola
Donald Crisp
Maitre Labori
Erin O'Brien-Moore
Nana
John Litel
Charpentier
Henry O'Neill
Colonel Picquart
Morris Carnovsky
Anatole France
Louis Calhern
Major Dort
Ralph Morgan
Commander of Paris
Robert Barrat
Major Walsin-Esterhazy
Vladimir Sokoloff
Paul Cezanne
Grant Mitchell
Georges Clemenceau
Harry Davenport
Chief of Staff
Robert Warwick
Colonel Henry
Charles Richman
M. Delagorgue
Gilbert Emery
Minister of War
Walter Kingsford
Colonel Sandherr
Paul Everton
Assistant Chief of Staff
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Life of Emile Zola about?
A fictionalized account of famous French writer Emile Zola and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair. After struggling to establish himself, Zola wins success writing about the unsavory side of Paris and settles into a comfortable upper-class life. However, Zola's complacency is shaken when Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus is imprisoned for being a spy. Realizing that Dreyfus is an innocent victim of anti-Semitism, Zola boldly pens a newspaper article exposing the truth, is charged with libel and must defend himself in a dramatic courtroom testimony.
How long is The Life of Emile Zola?
The Life of Emile Zola has a runtime of 116 minutes (1h 56m).
Who stars in The Life of Emile Zola?
The cast of The Life of Emile Zola includes Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp.
What is the rating of The Life of Emile Zola?
The Life of Emile Zola has a rating of 6.7 out of 10 based on 149 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
History