Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Edison, the Man

  • 19401940
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Spencer Tracy in Edison, the Man (1940)
82 year old inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison is honored in 1929 and he reflects back on his sixty year career of scientific achievement.
Play trailer2:26
1 Video
17 Photos
BiographyDramaMusic
82 year old inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison is honored in 1929 and he reflects back on his sixty year career of scientific achievement.82 year old inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison is honored in 1929 and he reflects back on his sixty year career of scientific achievement.82 year old inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison is honored in 1929 and he reflects back on his sixty year career of scientific achievement.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • Talbot Jennings(screen play)
    • Bradbury Foote(screen play)
    • Dore Schary(original story)
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Rita Johnson
    • Lynne Overman
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • Talbot Jennings(screen play)
    • Bradbury Foote(screen play)
    • Dore Schary(original story)
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Rita Johnson
    • Lynne Overman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 27User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos17

    Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy, Felix Bressart, and Henry Travers in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy and Mikhail Dlugach in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Spencer Tracy and Rita Johnson in Edison, the Man (1940)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Spencer Tracy
    Spencer Tracy
    • Thomas A. Edison
    Rita Johnson
    Rita Johnson
    • Mary Stilwell
    Lynne Overman
    Lynne Overman
    • James G. 'Bunt' Cavatt
    Charles Coburn
    Charles Coburn
    • General Powell
    Gene Lockhart
    Gene Lockhart
    • Mr. Taggart
    Henry Travers
    Henry Travers
    • Ben Els
    Felix Bressart
    Felix Bressart
    • Michael Simon
    Peter Godfrey
    Peter Godfrey
    • Ashton
    Guy D'Ennery
    Guy D'Ennery
    • Lundstrom
    Byron Foulger
    Byron Foulger
    • Edwin Hall
    Milton Parsons
    Milton Parsons
    • 'Acid' Graham
    Arthur Aylesworth
    Arthur Aylesworth
    • Jack Bigelow
    Gene Reynolds
    Gene Reynolds
    • Jimmy Price
    Addison Richards
    Addison Richards
    • Mr. Johnson
    Grant Mitchell
    Grant Mitchell
    • Snade
    Paul Hurst
    Paul Hurst
    • Sheriff
    George Lessey
    George Lessey
    • Toastmaster
    Jay Ward
    • John Schofield
      • Clarence Brown
    • Writers
      • Talbot Jennings(screen play)
      • Bradbury Foote(screen play)
      • Dore Schary(original story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Seventh Cross
    7.4
    The Seventh Cross
    Northwest Passage
    7.0
    Northwest Passage
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    6.8
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    Kid Galahad
    7.2
    Kid Galahad
    Brother Orchid
    7.0
    Brother Orchid
    Plymouth Adventure
    6.2
    Plymouth Adventure
    Pat and Mike
    6.9
    Pat and Mike
    Men of Boys Town
    6.6
    Men of Boys Town
    Stanley and Livingstone
    7.0
    Stanley and Livingstone
    Cass Timberlane
    6.3
    Cass Timberlane
    Boom Town
    7.1
    Boom Town
    Father's Little Dividend
    6.5
    Father's Little Dividend

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was one of the films that Spencer Tracy really believed in and actively supported not because he starred in it, but because he was a great admirer of Thomas A. Edison. This was unusual as Tracy was known throughout most of his career to disparage his own gifts as well as the importance of motion pictures. Also, prior to this film Spencer Tracy had been a very active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He even hosted the awards show on at least one occasion. However, when the nominations came out for the best films of 1940, Tracy was appalled that Edison the Man was so overlooked in the nominations, being nominated for only Best Writing. Tracy swore he would never attend another Academy Award ceremony again, and he never did. Not without irony is that although he was nominated another six times over the next 28 years, Tracy never won another Oscar after that (after having won two in a row in the previous two years).
    • Goofs
      The montage sequence depicting Edison's inventions lists "electric power transmission" over a shot of a massive transmission line and the tower that holds it up. That technology was actually developed not by Thomas A. Edison but by Nikola Tesla. (Tesla held over 700 patents, including Radio. Guglielmo Marconi stole the radio patent from Tesla. The US Patent office has since revoked Marconi's claim, giving it to Tesla.) Edison insisted on powering his lights with direct current, which could only travel short distances from the generators that produced it. Tesla used alternating current, which could be run through transformers to increase its voltage so it could be moved over long distances, then reduced in voltage again for home use. Tesla's alternating current, not Edison's direct current, quickly became the standard and is what we use today.
    • Quotes

      Ben Els: I keep worryin' about Bunt. I guess I won't get a wink of sleep tonight.

      Thomas A. Edison: Ah, Mr. Els, you shouldn't try to do two things at once. If you're gonna sleep, sleep. If you're gonna worry, why stay awake and make a good job of it.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits appear as 19th Century sampler embroideries.
    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940)
    • Soundtracks
      Sweet Genevieve
      (1869) (uncredited)

      Music by Henry Tucker

      Lyrics by George Cooper

      Played often in the score

      Sung a bit by Spencer Tracy

    User reviews27

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Great as an Edison "Primer"
    The more things change, the more they remain the same. We hear current scandals and corporate ruthlessness now and in past history. This picture paints the "Hollywood" side of Edison, but he too has a ruthless side.

    Edison certainly deserves much credit, but he had his vices. He invested heavily in Direct Current (DC) technology; good for many applications, but not for the needed power and lighting applications Edison envisioned. No mention is made in the movie of Nikola Tesla. Edison invited him to the USA from Croatia to work in Edison's labs. Edison made him work from 10:30 am to 5:00 the next morning, seven days per week. Even though Tesla did not believe in Edison's direct current motors he worked hard to improve them. Edison told him if he could do that he would give him a bonus of $50,000. He came up with twenty-four new designs to replace the old ones of Edison's. Edison was delighted with the results but did not pay Tesla the $50,000 he had promised. When Tesla finally asked him about it, it is said that Edison told him, "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor." That is when Tesla left the Edison Co. and eventually worked for Edison's rival George Westinghouse. Westinghouse was ruthless as well, but he and Tesla got along, and secured the contract to supply generators at Niagara Falls.

    Films such as these are great to bring initial awareness. My hope would be they prompt more investigation. That in mind, I'll take these "Hollywood biographies" over what often comes from the current film industry: recycled garbage.
    helpful•8
    2
    • holzhauer
    • Dec 4, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 10, 1940 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 47 minutes
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Spencer Tracy in Edison, the Man (1940)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Edison, the Man (1940) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.