Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

Admirable film.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This film, the original title of which was simply DR. EHRLICH'S MAGIC BULLET, is a biographical film about Professor Paul Ehrlich (1844-1915), a Nobel Prize Winner who revolutionised medical science in many ways. His scientific and personal adventures are vividly portrayed in this dramatic film. He is played by Edward G. Robinson, in one of his finest performances. Robinson's makeup as he ages over the decades is superb, and the real Ehrlich's beard is exactly copied. Eddie Robinson was perfect casting for such a part, as he was a genuine intellectual himself. His favourite way of passing the time on film sets between takes was to study grammars of numerous languages, ancient and modern. He was a master linguist and philologist, a renowned art collector, and one of the most sophisticated people in Hollywood. But until the age of ten he could not speak a word of English. It was then that he was put on a boat at Bucharest to sail to America, where he arrived as a penniless Romanian Jewish immigrant. The story of his life is even more amazing than that of Ehrlich's. I have met numerous members of the Robinson family, though alas I never knew Eddie himself. Robinson certainly had the brains to appreciate someone like Ehrlich, which does help in portraying someone on screen. Ehrlich found the first cure for syphilis, discovered how to stain the tubercle bacillus so that TB could be conquered, brought a diphtheria epidemic to a halt, discovered serums for snakebite, and much more. Those interested in Ehrlich can find plenty about him on the web. This film was directed by the German immigrant William Dieterle, who four years earlier had directed another scientific biopic, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (1936), the same year also directed a film about the life of Florence Nightingale entitled THE WHITE ANGEL (1936), and the following year directed THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937). So he was already well known for biopics and probably made more biographical feature films than any other director in cinema history. Immediately after finishing EHRLICH, he and Robinson teamed up to make THIS MAN REUTER aka A DISPATCH FROM REUTER'S (1940), about Julius Reuter, the founder of the Reuters News Agency, and two years later, Dieterle directed THE MAN ON AMERICA'S CONSCIENCE aka TENNESSEE JOHNSON (1942), about the life on Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, who became President of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. One of the Dieterle's finest films was LOVE LETTERS (1945), with a screenplay by Ayn Rand. The famous Maria Ouspenskaya, who worked under the direction of Stanislavski himself in Moscow, appears in this film in a supporting role as Frau Speyer, and of course is superb. Donald Meek does a particularly good job of playing the sceptic Mittelmeyer, Ruth Gordon is excellent as Mrs. Ehrlich, and all the cast do well. It is a rousing story of how Ehrlich rose from being a general practitioner in a hospital to become a famous research scientist, overcoming countless obstacles and struggling to find funding for his revolutionary research. John Huston was one of the three writers of the excellent screenplay. This is something of a classic, and, frankly, films of this sort should be shown in the science classes of schools in order to inspire young people to become heroes of science in the service of humanity. Or is that a hopeless notion in today's Society of Narcissism?

A classic biography made more special by the performance of Robinson. I watched with fascination as he aged and watched with longing for the day when movies like this celebrated scientists, explorers and others who set out to better the lot of mankind. I was also surprised too when they finally mentioned the word "syphilis". I imagine it was shocking to audiences of 1940, just a year after the surprise of Clark Gable's RhettButler telling Vivian Leigh's Scarlett that he didn't "give a damn."Oh, for the days of movies like this. No CGI, no explosions, no f-bombs, nothing but pure cinema magic and a story about a great person.

Well made and accurate film illustrating the great efforts Dr. Ehrlich made in strict scientific method and his ability to comprehend disparate events. This culminated in Dr. Ehrlich's nearly single-handed development of cytology, histology, hematology, hypothesis of immunity and antitoxins and cure for syphilis. Illustrates what one determined individual willing to work may accomplish to the betterment of mankind. Paul Ehrlich was a dedicated physician and scientist of the first order. His efforts likely saved the lives of some of your ancestors if not you, yourself. I regret I can not afford to buy the movie, nor find it re-listed on the TV guide or movie listings. I would be happy to see it again, though it illustrates how little I have made of my life in comparison to that of Dr. Ehrlich.

It's very hard to believe that this movie was made in 1940, as much of the plot centers on Dr. Ehrlich's attempts to create a cure for syphilis. At times, the studio appeared to dance around the whole STD aspect of the disease, but it was extremely daring to try to cover such a taboo topic.It's actually quite amazing that a story as seemingly mundane and medical research is as compelling as it is. I think this is due to excellent directing, writing and acting. In particular, Edward G. Robinson is a standout as the lead. This movie clearly demonstrates that his range far exceeded playing gangsters or that annoying Egyptian in The Ten Commandments.