Edison, the Man (1940)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Hugo Butler (story)
Bradbury Foote (writer)

Release Date:

10 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

In flashback, fifty years after inventing the light bulb, an 82-year-old Edison tells his story starting...

Plot Keywords:

Invention | Hiding Place | Skepticism | Montage | Poverty

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Thomas A. Edison
Rita Johnson	...	Mary Stillwell
Lynne Overman	...	James J. Cavatt
Charles Coburn	...	General Powell
Gene Lockhart	...	Mr. Taggart
Henry Travers	...	Ben Els
Felix Bressart	...	Michael Simon
Peter Godfrey	...	Bob Ashton
Guy D'Ennery	...	Lundstrom
Byron Foulger	...	Edwin Hall
Milton Parsons	...	Acid Graham
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Jack Bigelow
Gene Reynolds	...	Jimmy Price
Addison Richards	...	Johnson
Grant Mitchell	...	Shade

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the film, Edison and his wife communicate with each other by tapping out Morse code. In the movie this is presented as a charming endearment, but in fact Edison was so deaf the only way he and his wife could talk was by tapping Morse code on each other's hands.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The montage sequence depicting Edison's inventions lists "electric power transmission" over a shot of a massive transmission line and the tower that holds it up. That technology was actually developed not by Edison but by his contemporary rival, Elihu Thomson. Edison insisted on powering his lights with direct current, which could only travel sort distances from the generators that produced it. Thomson used alternating current, which could be run through transformers to increase its voltage so it could be moved over long distances, then reduced in voltage again for home use. Thomson's alternating current, not Edison's direct current, quickly became the standard and is what we use today.

Quotes:

Ben Els: I keep worryin' about Bunt. I guess I won't get a wink of sleep tonight.
Thomas A. Edison: Ah, Mr. Els, you shouldn't try to do two things at once. If you're gonna sleep, sleep. If you're gonna worry, why stay awake and make a good job of it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Servant of Mankind (1940)

Great as an Edison "Primer"

The more things change, the more they remain the same. We hear current scandals and corporate ruthlessness now and in past history. This picture paints the "Hollywood" side of Edison, but he too has a ruthless side.

Edison certainly deserves much credit, but he had his vices. He invested heavily in Direct Current (DC) technology; good for many applications, but not for the needed power and lighting applications Edison envisioned. No mention is made in the movie of Nikola Tesla. Edison invited him to the USA from Croatia to work in Edison's labs. Edison made him work from 10:30 am to 5:00 the next morning, seven days per week. Even though Tesla did not believe in Edison's direct current motors he worked hard to improve them. Edison told him if he could do that he would give him a bonus of $50,000. He came up with twenty-four new designs to replace the old ones of Edison's. Edison was delighted with the results but did not pay Tesla the $50,000 he had promised. When Tesla finally asked him about it, it is said that Edison told him, "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor." That is when Tesla left the Edison Co. and eventually worked for Edison's rival George Westinghouse. Westinghouse was ruthless as well, but he and Tesla got along, and secured the contract to supply generators at Niagara Falls.

Films such as these are great to bring initial awareness. My hope would be they prompt more investigation. That in mind, I'll take these "Hollywood biographies" over what often comes from the current film industry: recycled garbage.