True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis.
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Title: Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Edward G. Robinson | ... | Dr. Paul Ehrlich | |
| Ruth Gordon | ... | Mrs. Ehrlich | |
| Otto Kruger | ... | Dr. Emil Von Behring | |
| Donald Crisp | ... | Minister Althoff | |
| Maria Ouspenskaya | ... | Franziska Speyer | |
| Montagu Love | ... | Prof. Hartmann | |
| Sig Ruman | ... | Dr. Hans Wolfert (as Sig Rumann) | |
| Donald Meek | ... | Mittelmeyer | |
| Henry O'Neill | ... | Dr. Lentz | |
| Albert Bassermann | ... | Dr. Robert Koch | |
| Edward Norris | ... | Dr. Morgenroth | |
| Harry Davenport | ... | Judge | |
| Louis Calhern | ... | Dr. Brockdorf | |
| Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Dr. Kunze | |
| Charles Halton | ... | Sensenbrenner | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Dr. Paul Ehrlich was the German physician who developed the first synthetic antimicrobial drug, 606 or Salvarsan. The film describes how Ehrlich first became interested in the properties of the then-new synthetic dyes and had an intuition that they could be useful in the diagnosis of bacterial diseases. After this work met with success, Ehrlich proposed that synthetic compounds could be made to selectively target and destroy disease causing microorganisms. He called such a drug a "magic bullet". The film describes how in 1908, after 606 attempts, he succeeded. Written by Anonymous
Taglines:
Two women stood by him while all the world jeered...a world he was trying to save! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
2 March 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Doktor Ehrlich See more »Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USACompany Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Recording System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Dr. Hata: He thinks!
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(1889) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Played on piano by Hedy
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Dr. Paul Ehrlich's family was so happy with Edward G. Robinson's portrayal of him that they gave Robinson a letter written by Dr. Ehrlich. See more »Goofs
When Dr. Ehrlich (Edward G. Robinson) is on trial, the prosecutor says: "We are not concerned with the rosy future Dr. Ehrlich paints; the revelant point is..." What he meant to say was "relevant". See more »Quotes
Becker: You assistants seem to be doing all the work. What does Dr. Ehrlich do?Dr. Hata: He thinks!
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Soundtracks
Kaiserwalzer, Op. 437 (Emperor Waltz)(1889) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Played on piano by Hedy
See more »
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It's very hard to believe that this movie was made in 1940, as much of the plot centers on Dr. Ehrlich's attempts to create a cure for syphilis. At times, the studio appeared to dance around the whole STD aspect of the disease, but it was extremely daring to try to cover such a taboo topic.
It's actually quite amazing that a story as seemingly mundane and medical research is as compelling as it is. I think this is due to excellent directing, writing and acting. In particular, Edward G. Robinson is a standout as the lead. This movie clearly demonstrates that his range far exceeded playing gangsters or that annoying Egyptian in The Ten Commandments.