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In this MGM 1937 episode, we look at two star-studded historical romances about charismatic political leaders and their mistresses:\xa0Conquest\xa0(directed by Clarence Brown), with Charles Boyer's Napoleon Bonaparte and Greta Garbo's Marie Walewska, and\xa0Parnell\xa0(directed by John Stahl), with Clark Gable's Charles Stewart Parnell and Myrna Loy's Katharine O'Shea. Despite the poor-to-terrible reputations of the films, we find a lot to recommend, from\xa0Conquest's surprisingly canny politics to\xa0Parnell's gender-inversion of Stahl's fallen woman melodramas. Dave reveals his inner Napoleon fanboy, and Elise shudders at the Gnostic void into which love leads Stahl's protagonists.\xa0

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Time Codes:

0h 01m 00s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 Studio Data

0h 10m 01s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 CONQUEST [dir. Clarence Brown]\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

0h 45m 28s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 PARNELL [dir. John M. Stahl]

1h 25m 00s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 Listener mail with Adam

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Studio Film Capsules provided by The MGM Story by John Douglas Eames

Additional studio information from: The Hollywood Story by Joel W. Finler

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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s

* Intro Song: \u201cSunday\u201d by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of\xa0The Internet Archive)

* Read Elise\u2019s latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating.

* Check out Dave\u2019s new Robert Benchley blog \u2013 an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist\u2019s 2000+ pieces as he can locate \u2013 Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!\xa0

*And Read lots of Elise\u2019s Writing at\xa0Bright Wall/Dark Room,\xa0Cl\xe9o, and\xa0Bright Lights.*

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