Preston Sturges directed this real life account of Dr. Morton(played by Joel MacCrea) a Boston dentist who experiments with ether, in order to develop an anesthesia that would prevent needless patient pain and suffering. He meets a man named Eben Frost(played by William Demarest) who agrees to be a human guinea pig for Morton, and miraculously an effective ether is discovered, though the medical community is initially skeptical, it comes around when they see the successful results. Dr. Morton becomes famous, but refuses to patent it, because he doesn't feel it is right to profit on such a humanitarian discovery, which is met with astonishment by most everyone! Good acting and story, but too much emphasis on comedy is misplaced, and film is strangely unmemorable, despite the potential. An unfortunate misfire.
Review of The Great Moment
