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The Great Moment

  • 19441944
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1K
YOUR RATING
The Great Moment (1944)
BiographyDrama
The biography of Dr. W. T. Morgan, a 19th century Boston dentist, during his quest to have anesthesia, in the form of ether, accepted by the public and the medical and dental establishment.The biography of Dr. W. T. Morgan, a 19th century Boston dentist, during his quest to have anesthesia, in the form of ether, accepted by the public and the medical and dental establishment.The biography of Dr. W. T. Morgan, a 19th century Boston dentist, during his quest to have anesthesia, in the form of ether, accepted by the public and the medical and dental establishment.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1K
YOUR RATING
    • Preston Sturges
  • Writers
    • René Fülöp-Miller(book "The Triumph Over Pain")
    • Preston Sturges
    • Charles Brackett(1939 version)
  • Stars
    • Joel McCrea
    • Betty Field
    • Harry Carey
    • Preston Sturges
  • Writers
    • René Fülöp-Miller(book "The Triumph Over Pain")
    • Preston Sturges
    • Charles Brackett(1939 version)
  • Stars
    • Joel McCrea
    • Betty Field
    • Harry Carey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos38

    William Demarest, Betty Field, and Joel McCrea in The Great Moment (1944)
    Betty Field and Joel McCrea in The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)
    The Great Moment (1944)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joel McCrea
    Joel McCrea
    • William Thomas Green Morton
    Betty Field
    Betty Field
    • Elizabeth Morton
    Harry Carey
    Harry Carey
    • Professor John C. Warren
    William Demarest
    William Demarest
    • Eben Frost
    Louis Jean Heydt
    Louis Jean Heydt
    • Dr. Horace Wells
    Julius Tannen
    Julius Tannen
    • Professor Charles T. Jackson
    • (as Julian Tannen)
    Edwin Maxwell
    Edwin Maxwell
    • Vice-President of Medical Society
    Porter Hall
    Porter Hall
    • President Franklin Pierce
    Franklin Pangborn
    Franklin Pangborn
    • Dr. Heywood
    Grady Sutton
    Grady Sutton
    • Homer Quimby
    Donivee Lee
    • Betty Morton
    Harry Hayden
    • Judge Shipman
    Torben Meyer
    Torben Meyer
    • Dr. Dahlmeyer
    Victor Potel
    Victor Potel
    • First Dental Patient
    • (as Vic Potel)
    Thurston Hall
    Thurston Hall
    • Senator Borland
    J. Farrell MacDonald
    J. Farrell MacDonald
    • The Priest
    George Anderson
    • Frederick T. Johnson
    • (uncredited)
    Sig Arno
    Sig Arno
    • Whackpot
    • (uncredited)
      • Preston Sturges
    • Writers
      • René Fülöp-Miller(book "The Triumph Over Pain")
      • Preston Sturges
      • Charles Brackett(1939 version) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was filmed in April-June 1942, but not released until 1944. Preview audiences found the film confusing, and Executive Producer Buddy G. De Sylva re-edited it over Preston Sturges's objections.
    • Quotes

      Elizabeth Morton: He's going to be a dentist!

      [weeps on her mother's shoulder]

      Mrs. Whitman: Oh, and he seemed such a nice young man.

    • Connections
      Featured in American Masters: Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      Ave Maria
      Music by Franz Schubert

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    No, it's not a great film, but it's better than you may have heard
    The Great Moment, as I'm sure you know, is not a typical Preston Sturges movie. It is a historical drama with a few comic moments, all of which are clunky (although a couple of the stranger ones are so bizarre they're entertaining in a way, especially when Morton tries to knock out his dog with ether). The film might actually have been quite great if the comedy were subtracted completely. Yeah, I know, we're talking Sturges here. But Sturges was a great dramatic director, too. See The Great McGinty if you don't believe me - the comedy there is less than in many of his other films, and the drama is more pronounced. Most often, Sturges was a master of mixing both dramatic and comedic moments. All of his films were like that. The Great Moment has an excellent story at its core. A dentist - he was in medical school, but he ran out of money and had to earn his living as a dentist - wants to find a way to knock out his patients before he pulls teeth. He does so with ether. He also has aspirations to introduce the use of ether into the medical profession. These intentions are noble, but his patent hasn't come through and he feels the guilt of every painful operation. You see, the AMA will not allow doctors to use Letheon (his name for it) unless they know exactly what it is. But as soon as he tells, everyone will know, and his discovery will go unrecognized.

    The film actually has a very good structure. It begins in medias res, with Morton (Joel McCrea, who is very good in the film) being advised on how to proceed legally to attain a patent. In taking these steps, he ruins his career and reputation. The rest of the film is the buildup to the loss of his secret. The final scene is very powerful. 7/10.

    One other small reason you should see this: Franklin Pangborn has the funniest facial hair in this film! Grady Sutton also has a really funny scene.
    helpful•9
    2
    • zetes
    • Jan 6, 2002

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 6, 1944 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 23 minutes
      • Black and White

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