Edward G. Robinson looks for a vaccine to cure V.D. (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Edward G. Robinson stars as Dr. Paul Ehrlich in this 1940 film directed by William Dieterle that is one of the best biopics out of Warner Brothers. The film is noteworthy because of its mature handling of the formerly taboo subject of syphilis, which is mentioned in a Hollywood film for the first time. Ehrlich was the German doctor who decided to search for a vaccine for the venereal disease and discovered Salvarsan. These were the days when a bunch of dedicated scientists looking through a microscope while speaking of the wonders of nature and the sancity of life could come across as being dramatic. The Hays Office signed off on this film, after some intense deliberations, and "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" was supported by medical societies and the U.S. Public Health Service. This film has an outstanding supporting cast, with Ruth Gordon as Mrs. Ehrlich, Otto Kruger as Dr. Behring, Donald Crisp as Minister Althoff, Sig Ruman as Dr. Wolfert, Donald Meek as Mittelmeyer, and Maria Ouspenskaya as Franziska Spever.
Excellent Warners biography of famed chemist. (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Edward G. Robinson should have netted an Oscar nom for his finest screen portrayal - as the dedicated chemist and researcher, Paul Ehrlich. This is one of the great Warners screen biographies (THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR, THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, MADAME CURIE). The screenplay is literate and absorbing. The acting is excellent, the direction tight. Ehrlich introduced the idea of treatment with chemical substances and developed a cure for both diptheria and syphillis. The screenplay was deservedly nominated for an Oscar but it is Robinson who shines in an atypical but superb performance.
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