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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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

La balle magique du Docteur Ehrlich

Filming Locations:

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

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Ehrlich's cure for syphilis, Salvarsan 606, became the most prescribed drug in the world until the discovery of penicillin in the 1940s, when it became the preferred treatment for the disease.

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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

Defense Attorney: So while no cures can be attributed to '606,' 38 deaths resulted from it's use?
Dr. Emil Von Behring: 39.
Defense Attorney: 39? You know of another death?
Dr. Emil Von Behring: Yes, syphilis. The death of syphilis itself.
Dr. Hans Wolfert: Dr. von Behring you have written and lectured against the Ehrlich theory.
Dr. Emil Von Behring: Yes, I did, Dr. Wolfert, but you must understand it is the task of science to discover the truth. There is no shame attached to the recognition of error.

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Connections

Referenced in Four Mothers (1941)

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Soundtracks

Wein, Weib und Gesang, Op. 333 (Wine, Women and Song)
(1869) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Played when Paul and Hedy dance

User Reviews

Warner Brothers' courageous bio of a gifted and important scientist

"Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" is the story of the groundbreaking Nobel prize winner Paul Ehrlich, credited with many discoveries still critical in the practice of medicine today, and perhaps most importantly, for finding the cure for syphilis. This is an important film for the use of the word 'syphilis' which was the basis of a fight between the Hays code and Warners. But Ehrlich's story deserved telling, and you couldn't do it without using the word syphilis.

The beginning of the film shows Dr. Ehrlich in Germany futilely treating patients who have the disease, though nothing can really help them. It chronicles his rise up the scientific ranks through his use of staining organisms so that they could be seen under the microscope, his work in disease resistance, and finally, after long experiments with an arsenical compound - 606, in fact - the discovery of a cure for syphilis.

For me, one reason to watch bios is that I develop interest in the subjects and seek out more information; after all, some Hollywood stories are less factual than others. Though I'm sure a lot of Ehrlich's life had to be telescoped, the film certainly hits the highlights, and portrays him as a gifted scientist and vigorous innovator obsessed with his work.

Edward G. Robinson was always a good actor in the right role, but as Dr. Ehrlich, he is magnificent, totally immersing himself in the character and drawing the audience in. Stage actress Ruth Gordon, for whom movie stardom was about 28 years off, gives a lovely, understated performance as Ehrlich's wife. The rest of the cast is excellent, from Otto Kruger as a fellow scientist and friend, right down to a small role by Louis Calhern.

The movie is a little too sentimental at times by today's standards, I suppose, but the only thing that really bothered me was the lack of presence of Ehrlich's daughters at the film's end. At the beginning of the movie, we see them as youngsters, and reference is made to them later as being married. Would it have killed Warners to have two female extras at the end of the film? We would have known who they were.

I don't know if Ehrlich really said that diseases of the body will not be conquered until we conquer diseases of the soul, but it's a great and true thought. He was in fact a victim of a disease of the soul: there was a street in Frankfurt named after him, but the name was changed in the '30s because Ehrlich was Jewish. Later, it was reinstated.

This is a marvelous movie, a real must-see.