Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

True story of the doctor who considered it was not immoral to search for a drug that would cure syphillis.

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

John Huston (original screen play), Heinz Herald (original screen play)

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Gordon, Otto Kruger

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

medical research | syphilis | chemotherapy | serum | laboratory | 

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Taglines:

Two women stood by him while all the world jeered...a world he was trying to save!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Although not covered in the film, Paul Ehrlich also discovered the structural formula of atoxyl, a chemical compound used in the treatment of sleeping sickness.

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Goofs

In this film's first part, newspaper headlines talk of diptheria (sic). Must be the same ones who spell "opthalmology" (sic). The etymology of both words comes from Greek which confirms an "h" which is missing in both misspellings. Properly spelled, they are "diphtheria" and "ophthalmology."

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Quotes

Dr. Paul Ehrlich: I want no legal advice. This is a question of truth. I'm only trying to help the court understand the real nature of these deaths.
Judge: Dr. Ehrlich, I'm afraid your observations are irrelevant to this issue.
Dr. Paul Ehrlich: [In perplexed astonishment] Irrelevant?... Irrelevant?

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Connections

Referenced in Patient Porky (1940)

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Soundtracks

Kunsterleben, Op. 316 (Artist's Life)
(1867) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Played at Madame Speyer's dinner party

User Reviews

Remarkable movie about a remarkable discovery.

Edward G. Robinson will always be remembered for LITTLE CAESAR(1930), but this movie features probably the best acting of his career. This is based on the true story of Dr. Paul Ehrlich, a Polish born German bacteriologist that discovered the cure for syphilis. Stubborn dedication paid off on the 606th test that provided Dr. Ehrlich's 'magic bullets' to fight a silent killer of society. Not only was Robinson in top form, but other cast members provided strong support: Otto Kruger, Ruth Gordon and Donald Crisp. Highly recommended.

Note: It was a daring risk that this movie made it to the screen. In a time when a man and a woman could not share the same bed...here is a movie about finding a cure for venereal disease.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Doktor Ehrlich

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$205

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1