The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)

Thanks for the memories!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

There is film and there is history, and often the twain don't meet. Here they do...fairly well. Read the Wikipedia entry on Alexander Graham Bell before you watch the film and you'll see that the gist of the story is accurate, even if some of the details are fudged for Hollywood. In fact, some of Bell's early life was pretty interesting, and could have been brought more into the plot. But again, this is Hollywood, not the Encyclopedia Britannica.What is great film-making? I'd say when a film prints an indelible image on one's mind -- that's great film-making. And the last time I saw this film was on television some time over 50 years ago. And yet, the scene where Bell spills sulfuric acid on his leg and says, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you" remained as fresh and clear in my mind in 2013 as when I first saw the movie on the late show back in the 1960s (or was it the 1950s?). I ALWAYS found Don Ameche to be a very appealing actor, and of course, this is his most famous role...and frankly, the film is all his! Of course, he has some fine support here. Loretta Young is fine as Bell's deaf wife. Henry Fonda plays the key role of "Mr. Watson", and does nicely, but he had not fully come into his own yet. Charles Coburn and Gene Lockhart play the old codgers well, and Spring Byington doesn't get enough screen time. And thank God -- Bobs Watson is mute in the film and not only doesn't talk, but doesn't cry! ;-)This is one of the great and memorable screen biographies, and despite some flaws is very watchable, interesting, and entertaining. Highly recommended.

Movies from the first part of the 20th century that are based on actual facts are combine mostly two elements: one of them is good acting full of passion, joy, excitement, real acting. The other are factual inaccuracies. This thing happened to "Rasputin and the Empress", it happened to "Dracula" (well not actual facts but also not really true to the Bram Stoker novel). The same thing you will find also in this emotional movie. Don Ameche is portraying the role of Alexander Graham Bell full of excitement, as a young man who is dying of showing his telephone to the world, he wants to create something new. But has he really done it? Especially movies with great actors like this (Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, Loretta Young, ... ) creating a new world for the audience. So after watching this movie many people actually believe the legend of Alexander Graham Bell actually invented the telephone, even through it's not true. However now everyone knows or should know that Bell has never invented THE telephone neither the words "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you" are the first words ever spoken in a telephone. It was actually Antonio Meucci in 1860 and Phillip Reis in 1861. The last one make the telephone actually work and spoke the first time in history into the telephone. Afterwards in 1862 he has presented it in Edinburgh, where Bell saw this device and was asked by his father Alexander Bell to make this better. Bell did and made himself a name in history. But this all make the story of the telephone in the movie very inaccurate for a man who takes credit for something he hasn't really done. However this is a feature film, not a documentary about the invention of the BELL telephone, about A telephone.I like also that they are not basically are telling about the telephone but about the love to Mabel, great portrayed by Loretta Young, the vision of a young intelligent man and also how he helps deaf people to talk. These aspects make this movie a very good drama movie, that is also recommendable to watch (especially if you know the truth ;-) ).

Irving Cummings does an excellent job directing the cast of assembled actors in this film. The story itself is taken from the memories of the daughter of Alex Bell and follows through with all the trials and tribulations of Bell himself. Beginning with the decision he gave up teaching the deaf and dumb to speak and through the obscure and menial existence of an inventor, up through the difficult task fighting for his invention in court. Don Ameche plays Alexander Graham Bell, who does so with such spirit and vitality, audiences will later realize why this actor is so synonymous with the character. The same is true with Henry Fonda who plays Thomas Watson who also is easily identified with this movie. Loretta Young, Charles Coburn and Gene Lockhart are magnificent and help insure this black and white becomes a solid standard in any collection of what we now understand as Classic films. ****

If are looking for an accurate and detailed lesson about either the life of Alexander Graham Bell or the invention of the telephone, this film is far from perfect. Often it takes liberties and omissions--all in the aim of producing an entertaining film first and foremost. However, if you understand that it is NOT great history but purely there to entertain, it's pretty good. I would not put in on par with the Edison films at MGM or the wonderful Warner Brothers films on Pasteur and Erlich, but it is quite good.The movie only concerns the period just before the telephone was invented as well as the process of inventing and marketing the device. So, if you want information about his work as a deaf educator or about his interesting family background, this film is maddeningly silent. I would LOVE to see a film talk particularly talking about his hatred of sign language (as he felt the deaf MUST be forced to learn to talk and function like the hearing) or the disdain many deaf today have for him. Perhaps this sort of discussion would be best dealt with in a documentary, but it IS fascinating stuff.As far as this film goes, Ameche, Fonda and Young are all very good here, the direction very nice and the entire production is polished and pleasant from start to finish.