Biopics about scientists and inventors have long been popular with audiences. Some of the best ones produced by Hollywood include Warner Brothers' THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR; MGM's MADAME CURIE, and this fine effort from 20th Century Fox about the inventor of the telephone. As with all biographical pictures, some liberties are taken and events may be condensed to tell a cohesive story. But this is a thoroughly entertaining and daresay educational film.
Occasionally the dialogue gets a bit too technical such as the scene where Bell (Don Ameche) explains his experiments with the telegraph to a prospective investor (Charles Coburn). Or the part where he and his pal Watson (Henry Fonda) first hear sound transmitted through a wire. He automatically calls it a telephone sound and tells us what the word telephone means.
Mr. Ameche is very engaging in the title role, playing the handsome though slightly eccentric inventor. He would become so identified with this role that for years afterward, the actor's surname was synonymous with phone usage. People often said they had to use 'The Ameche' to call someone.
The script includes an obligatory love story. These romantic elements are primarily conveyed by Loretta Young, playing Coburn's deaf daughter who falls for 'Alec.' She would like to hear him say he loves her- to hear it literally. Theirs is a unique cinematic courtship. Five years later Miss Young would undertake a similar role as a hearing impaired woman in Paramount's melodrama AND NOW TOMORROW.
Interestingly, Coburn's three other daughters in the movie are portrayed by Young's own real-life sisters, all of who were actresses and had varying degrees of success in Hollywood. This family casting may have been a concession made by Fox boss Daryl Zanuck who was keen to keep Miss Young under contract. However, she left the studio after this film to freelance. I should mention that earlier during her tenure at Fox she costarred with Ameche in RAMONA and LOVE IS NEWS.
The second half of THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL occurs after our two main characters have wed. The telephone has now been installed in wealthy homes, but becomes embroiled in litigation when Western Union claims it developed the invention, and thus, should control the patent. There is an elongated court sequence, with both Ameche and Young delivering powerful soliloquies- Ameche's in the middle of proceedings in possible contempt of court; Young's on the witness stand offering testimony on behalf of her husband.
Ultimately Bell and Western Union come to some sort of agreement and settle outside court. This ends the protracted legal battle and paves the way for a happy ending. Films like this with simple, straightforward and wholesome storytelling aren't made anymore. The main goal here is to celebrate a remarkable discovery that aids human progress. This is a genuine reflection about how our lives are enriched because of what a brilliant man gave us, after considerable trial and error.
Occasionally the dialogue gets a bit too technical such as the scene where Bell (Don Ameche) explains his experiments with the telegraph to a prospective investor (Charles Coburn). Or the part where he and his pal Watson (Henry Fonda) first hear sound transmitted through a wire. He automatically calls it a telephone sound and tells us what the word telephone means.
Mr. Ameche is very engaging in the title role, playing the handsome though slightly eccentric inventor. He would become so identified with this role that for years afterward, the actor's surname was synonymous with phone usage. People often said they had to use 'The Ameche' to call someone.
The script includes an obligatory love story. These romantic elements are primarily conveyed by Loretta Young, playing Coburn's deaf daughter who falls for 'Alec.' She would like to hear him say he loves her- to hear it literally. Theirs is a unique cinematic courtship. Five years later Miss Young would undertake a similar role as a hearing impaired woman in Paramount's melodrama AND NOW TOMORROW.
Interestingly, Coburn's three other daughters in the movie are portrayed by Young's own real-life sisters, all of who were actresses and had varying degrees of success in Hollywood. This family casting may have been a concession made by Fox boss Daryl Zanuck who was keen to keep Miss Young under contract. However, she left the studio after this film to freelance. I should mention that earlier during her tenure at Fox she costarred with Ameche in RAMONA and LOVE IS NEWS.
The second half of THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL occurs after our two main characters have wed. The telephone has now been installed in wealthy homes, but becomes embroiled in litigation when Western Union claims it developed the invention, and thus, should control the patent. There is an elongated court sequence, with both Ameche and Young delivering powerful soliloquies- Ameche's in the middle of proceedings in possible contempt of court; Young's on the witness stand offering testimony on behalf of her husband.
Ultimately Bell and Western Union come to some sort of agreement and settle outside court. This ends the protracted legal battle and paves the way for a happy ending. Films like this with simple, straightforward and wholesome storytelling aren't made anymore. The main goal here is to celebrate a remarkable discovery that aids human progress. This is a genuine reflection about how our lives are enriched because of what a brilliant man gave us, after considerable trial and error.