Mervyn LeRoy was a major director for a couple of decades during Hollywood's golden years, and he was certainly prolific, but there is just no denying that he was hopelessly dull. He was like the Ron Howard of the 1940s, making safe, middle brow entertainments for people who don't want to be remotely challenged by having to have a thought of their own while watching a movie.
"Marie Curie" stars Greer Garson and Walter PIdgeon as the duo whose scientific explorations resulted in the discovery of radium. The film tries awfully hard to make this exciting, but while I'm sure radium is really important and all, it's just not quite the stuff of edge of your seat film making, at least not as delivered here. This is one of about a billion movies made over the years that is only notable now because it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars in its day, but is nothing special when watched all these years later.
Garson and Pidgeon both received Oscar nominations a year after they achieved the same feat for "Mrs. Miniver" (Garson won for that film, and deservedly so). "Madame Curie" was also nominated for Best Picture, Best B&W Art Direction (the lab sets do create a very strong sense of time and place), Best B&W Cinematography, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score, and Best Sound Recording.
Grade: B
"Marie Curie" stars Greer Garson and Walter PIdgeon as the duo whose scientific explorations resulted in the discovery of radium. The film tries awfully hard to make this exciting, but while I'm sure radium is really important and all, it's just not quite the stuff of edge of your seat film making, at least not as delivered here. This is one of about a billion movies made over the years that is only notable now because it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars in its day, but is nothing special when watched all these years later.
Garson and Pidgeon both received Oscar nominations a year after they achieved the same feat for "Mrs. Miniver" (Garson won for that film, and deservedly so). "Madame Curie" was also nominated for Best Picture, Best B&W Art Direction (the lab sets do create a very strong sense of time and place), Best B&W Cinematography, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score, and Best Sound Recording.
Grade: B