The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Sheridan Gibney (story) and
Pierre Collings (story)
(more)

Release Date:

February 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

The biography of the pioneering French microbiologist who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine.

Plot Keywords:

France | Anthrax | Sheep | Microbe | Childbirth

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Paul Muni	...	Louis Pasteur
Josephine Hutchinson	...	Marie Pasteur
Anita Louise	...	Annette Pasteur
Donald Woods	...	Dr. Jean Martel
Fritz Leiber	...	Dr. Charbonnet
Henry O'Neill	...	Dr. Emile Roux
Porter Hall	...	Dr. Rossignol
Raymond Brown	...	Dr. Radisse
Akim Tamiroff	...	Dr. Zaranoff
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Dr. Lister
Frank Reicher	...	Dr. Pfeiffer
Dickie Moore	...	Joseph Meister
Ruth Robinson	...	Mrs. Meister
Walter Kingsford	...	Napoleon III
Iphigenie Castiglioni	...	Empress Eugénie
Herbert Corthell	...	Louis Adolphe Thiers, First President, Republic of France
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Burly Farmer (uncredited)
Manson Behfeld	...	Farm Boy (uncredited)
George Beranger	...	Assistant (uncredited)
J. Bonini	...	Intern (uncredited)
William Burress	...	Doctor François (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Alsatian (uncredited)
Mabel Colcord	...	A Lady (uncredited)
Frank Darien	...	Academy Member (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Man (uncredited)
Bill Elliott	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Alphonse Ethier	...	Finance Minister (uncredited)
Florence Fair	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Ralph Fitzsimmons	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Brenda Fowler	...	Midwife (uncredited)
Blanche Franke	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Otto Fries	...	Servant (uncredited)
Baron Hesse	...	Fat Doctor (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Boncourt (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Isabel La Mal	...	Maid (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Lord Chamberlain (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Sadi Carnot (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Jean Perry	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Frederick Peters	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
John Picorri	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Tempe Pigott	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink	...	Reporter (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw	...	British Reporter (uncredited)
Leonid Snegoff	...	Russian Ambassador (uncredited)
Robert Strange	...	Magistrate (uncredited)
Anders Van Haden	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan	...	Chairman of Medical Society (uncredited)
Fred Walton	...	Government Inspector (uncredited)
Frank Ward	...	Child (uncredited)
Paul Weigel	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Niles Welch	...	Courier with Letter (uncredited)
Marie Wells	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Lottie Williams	...	Cecile (uncredited)

Directed by
William Dieterle

Writing credits
Sheridan Gibney		(story and screenplay) and
Pierre Collings		(story and screenplay)
Edward Chodorov		uncredited

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(photography by)

Film Editing by
Ralph Dawson		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Robert M. Haas

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Irving Rapper	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Frank Shaw	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Lang	....	sound (uncredited)
Nathan Levinson	....	recording director (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Bernhard Kaun	....	composer: title music (uncredited)
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	composer: music cue (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)

Other crew
Gene Lewis	....	dialogue director
Henry Blanke	....	supervisor (uncredited)
S. Charles Einfeld	....	press agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Productions (A Cosmopolitan Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical) (present) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Bros. First National Films (1936) (Austria) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1947) (Austria) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Rozdelovna Filmu Ceskoslovenského Státního Filmu (1948) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

86 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #1551) | Sweden:Btl | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Stage 12, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

First National Productions

Trivia:

Film debut of Eddie Dew.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie Pasteur's daughter Annette marries Matel. In actual fact Pasteur did not have any daughter by the name of Annette, her name was Marie Louise Pasteur,and she married René Vallery-Radot.

Quotes:

Dr. Louis Pasteur:[speaking to the Emperor] Sire, the hospitals of Paris are pesthouses. There's scarcely a doctor in the city who's not carrying death on his hands and instruments.
Dr. Charbonnet:Because of microbes, Monsieur? Your private menagerie of invisible beasts?
Dr. Louis Pasteur:Exactly. Doctor Charbonnet could see them for himself if he took the trouble to use his microscope. He could watch them multiply into murderous millions. They breed in filth. They may start from the gutters of Paris tonight and by tomorrow claim some mother from this very court.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Brothers Warner (2007)

A Decent Bio Of An Important Man

This was a pretty interesting historical account of the man who first discovered that microbes - germs - were the cause of many sicknesses. Dr. Louis Pasteur then went about the make changes so these germs were not so prevalent and causing so much sickness. We can thank him for "pasteurization."

Paul Muni does a fine job of playing the title role. He seemed to always play intense roles.

The story is very frustrating, however, as we watch "Pasteur" become the target of an ignorant medical profession at the time, constantly trying to discredit the famous man's work. We know, of course, through history that he was right so to listen to his naysayers go on and on and on is frustrating.

At least we know Pasteur and his discoveries were finally accepted and he was given the recognition he deserved. In the end, there is a final, very moving scene that gives him his due.