Edison, the Man (1940)

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (screen play) and
Bradbury Foote (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

82 year old inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison is honored in 1929 and he reflects back on his sixty year career of scientific achievement.

Plot Keywords:

Inventor | Stock Market | Invention | Banquet | Phonograph

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Thomas A. Edison
Rita Johnson	...	Mary Stilwell
Lynne Overman	...	Bunt Cavatt
Charles Coburn	...	General Powell
Gene Lockhart	...	Mr. Taggart
Henry Travers	...	Ben Els
Felix Bressart	...	Michael Simon
Peter Godfrey	...	Ashton
Guy D'Ennery	...	Lundstrom
Byron Foulger	...	Edwin Hall
Milton Parsons	...	'Acid' Graham
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Bigelow
Gene Reynolds	...	Jimmy Price
Addison Richards	...	Mr. Johnson
Grant Mitchell	...	Snade
Paul Hurst	...	Sheriff
George Lessey	...	Toastmaster
Jay Ward	...	John Schofield
Ann Gillis	...	Nancy Gray
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erville Alderson	...	First Lecturer (uncredited)
William Arnold	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Broker (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Arthur Belasco	...	Broker (uncredited)
Billy Bletcher	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Preacher (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Bisbee (uncredited)
Fritzi Brunette	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Gold Exchange Clerk (uncredited)
Howard Chase	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Nick Copeland	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Maurice Costello	...	Broker (uncredited)
Nell Craig	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Broker (uncredited)
Donald Douglas	...	Jordan (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Broker (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Galbreath (uncredited)
Walter Fenner	...	Man at Banquet (uncredited)
Eddie Gribbon	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Hale Hamilton	...	Broker (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Broker (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Broker (uncredited)
Harry Humphrey	...	Broker (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Lecturer (uncredited)
Eve Kendall	...	Marion Estelle Edison (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Workman (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Second Lecturer (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Broker (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ralph McCullough	...	Reporter (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Minister (uncredited)
Harold Minjir	...	Blair (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Broker (uncredited)
Louis Natheaux	...	Broker (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Lamplighter (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Butler (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jackie Taylor	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Clark (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Charles Waldron	...	First Commissioner (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Joe Whitehead	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Lloyd Whitlock	...	Broker (uncredited)
Robert Winkler	...	Newsboy (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence Brown

Writing credits
Talbot Jennings		(screen play) and
Bradbury Foote		(screen play)
Dore Schary		(original story) and
Hugo Butler		(original story)

Produced by
John W. Considine Jr.	....	producer
Orville O. Dull	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fredrick Y. Smith		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Gile Steele		(costumes: men)
Dolly Tree		(costumes: women)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup creator

Production Management
Jay Marchant	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert A. Golden	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John S. Detlie	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Music Department
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Franz Waxman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Eugene Zador	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
William A. Simonds	....	technical advisor: The Edison Institute, Dearborn, Michigan
Norman R. Speiden	....	technical advisor: director of historical research, Thomas A. Edison, Inc., West Orange, New Jersey

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (Clarence Brown's Production)
• Loew's (produced by) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R Poster art work on cover)

Other Companies

• MGM/UA Home Video  VHS package design
• Turner Entertainment  DVD package design
• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design
• Warner Bros. Entertainment  DVD package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | Australia:G | USA:Approved (PCA #6216) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This was one of the films that Spencer Tracy really believed in and actively supported not because he starred in it, but because he was a great admirer of Thomas Edison. This was unusual as Tracy was known throughout most of his career to disparage his own gifts as well as the importance of motion pictures. Also, prior to this film Spencer Tracy had been a very active member of the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". He even hosted the awards show on at least one occasion. However when the nominations came out for the best films of 1940, Tracy was appalled that "Edison the Man" was so overlooked in the nominations. It was only nominated for best writing. Tracy swore he would never attend another academy award ceremony again. He never did. Not without irony is that although he was nominated another 6 times over the next 28 years, Tracy never won another Oscar after that after winning two in a row in the previous two years.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The montage sequence depicting Edison's inventions lists "electric power transmission" over a shot of a massive transmission line and the tower that holds it up. That technology was actually developed not by Edison but by Nikola Tesla. (Tesla held over 700 patents, including Radio. Marconi stole the radio patent from Tesla. The US Patent office has since revoked Marconi's claim, giving it to Tesla.) Edison insisted on powering his lights with direct current, which could only travel sort distances from the generators that produced it. Tesla used alternating current, which could be run through transformers to increase its voltage so it could be moved over long distances, then reduced in voltage again for home use. Tesla's alternating current, not Edison's direct current, quickly became the standard and is what we use today.

Quotes:

Thomas A. Edison:How about that job you promised me?
Bunt Cavatt:Hah? Oh... You don't want to work in New York, Tom. This town is no good fer yeh. The tall buildings crush the spirit and torment the soul.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Servant of Mankind (1940)

Soundtrack:

I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen

Great as an Edison "Primer"

The more things change, the more they remain the same. We hear current scandals and corporate ruthlessness now and in past history. This picture paints the "Hollywood" side of Edison, but he too has a ruthless side.

Edison certainly deserves much credit, but he had his vices. He invested heavily in Direct Current (DC) technology; good for many applications, but not for the needed power and lighting applications Edison envisioned. No mention is made in the movie of Nikola Tesla. Edison invited him to the USA from Croatia to work in Edison's labs. Edison made him work from 10:30 am to 5:00 the next morning, seven days per week. Even though Tesla did not believe in Edison's direct current motors he worked hard to improve them. Edison told him if he could do that he would give him a bonus of $50,000. He came up with twenty-four new designs to replace the old ones of Edison's. Edison was delighted with the results but did not pay Tesla the $50,000 he had promised. When Tesla finally asked him about it, it is said that Edison told him, "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor." That is when Tesla left the Edison Co. and eventually worked for Edison's rival George Westinghouse. Westinghouse was ruthless as well, but he and Tesla got along, and secured the contract to supply generators at Niagara Falls.

Films such as these are great to bring initial awareness. My hope would be they prompt more investigation. That in mind, I'll take these "Hollywood biographies" over what often comes from the current film industry: recycled garbage.