The Return of Monte Cristo is a 1946 American historical adventure film directed by Henry Levin and starring Louis Hayward, Barbara Britton and George Macready. It was produced by Edward Small for distribution by Columbia Pictures. A swashbuckler, it is a sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) and The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), the latter of which also stars Hayward.
The grandson of the Count of Monte Cristo is falsely accused of a crime and imprisoned on Devil's Island. He escapes and seeks revenge against those responsible for his imprisonment.
Edward Small's previous two Monte Cristo films - The Count of Monte Cristo with Robert Donat and Son of Monte Cristo with Louis Hayward - were made through United Artists. However this one was financed with Columbia. It was done using an old commitment Small had with Louis Hayward. Hayward was paid $35,000; director Henry Levin's fee was $6,033. Small provided the package of a script and star, plus some partial funding, but he did not actively produce the film. 25% of the budget was Small's overhead; exclusive of that the film cost $526,627 of which $108,853 went on sc script, cast and direction, the rest on production.
Filming started June 1946.
Reviews were positive.
Edward Small announced plans to star Louis Hayward in The Treasure of Monte Cristo but Glenn Langan played the role instead and Small was not inovlved.