{"id":36220,"date":"2016-02-11T10:45:20","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T17:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36220"},"modified":"2022-02-21T23:00:59","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T06:00:59","slug":"dr-ehrlichs-magic-bullet-1940","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36220","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Ehrlich&#8217;s Magic Bullet (1940)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It is the task of science to discover the truth. There is no shame attached to the recognition of error.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlichs-Magic-Bullet-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlichs-Magic-Bullet-Poster-206x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"206\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-36221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlichs-Magic-Bullet-Poster-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlichs-Magic-Bullet-Poster-88x128.jpg 88w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlichs-Magic-Bullet-Poster.jpg 344w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWith the support of his loyal wife (Ruth Gordon) and colleague (Otto Kruger), Dr. Paul Ehrlich (Edward G. Robinson) leaves his clinical career behind to pursue scientific research on potential diagnosis and cure of bacterial diseases &#8212; including syphilis.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biopics<\/li>\n<li>Doctors and Nurses<\/li>\n<li>Donald Crisp Films<\/li>\n<li>Edward G. Robinson Films<\/li>\n<li>Inventors<\/li>\n<li>Louis Calhern Films<\/li>\n<li>Ruth Gordon Films<\/li>\n<li><Scientists<\/li>\n<li>William Dieterle Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nOf all his many celebrated roles, Edward G. Robinson was purportedly most proud of his work in this Warner Brothers biopic about the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Paul_Ehrlich\">Nobel Prize-winning German physician and scientist Paul Ehrlich<\/a>: &#8220;It was, I think, one of the most distinguished performances I&#8217;ve ever given,&#8221; he stated. It&#8217;s easy to understand why Robinson so enjoyed getting to portray this justly famous man; as summarized by the review site <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/drehrlichsmagicbullet.htm\"><em>And You Call Yourself a Scientist!<\/em><\/a>: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Ehrlich pioneered the discovery of specific bacteriological stains to facilitate diagnosis; was involved in the development of a treatment for diphtheria; elucidated the toxin\/antitoxin relationship, which allowed the standardisation of serum-based treatments; refined and improved the treatment for sleeping sickness; discovered a cure for syphilis; proved the existence of the blood-brain barrier; originated the concepts of \u201cautoimmunity\u201d and \u201cchemotherapy\u201d and conducted groundbreaking research in these new fields; and won the Nobel Prize.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Wow. He did all this, <em>and<\/em> apparently fought many uphill battles to do so. Of course, any dramatization of a person&#8217;s life will necessarily be that &#8212; a strategically crafted dramatization &#8212; but it seems there&#8217;s enough of the &#8220;truth&#8221; incorporated here that one can watch with reasonable assurance that we&#8217;re learning about a critically important figure in medical history. <\/p>\n<p>Robinson&#8217;s performance is indeed top-notch; he ages 35 years throughout the film, and does so seamlessly (kudos to the make-up department as well). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson3-405x270.png 405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ruth Gordon, sadly, is given much less to do in her gratuitous role as the &#8220;supportive wife behind the scenes&#8221;, who gets to make statements like: &#8220;There must be something we can do. There must be!&#8221; Cinematographer James Wong Howe films the entire affair with atmosphere, and the screenplay &#8212; co-written by John Huston &#8212; effectively humanizes the illnesses Ehrlich and his colleagues worked so diligently to cure. It&#8217;s refreshing to see (uncredited) Wilfred Hari as Ehrlich&#8217;s research partner, Nobel Prize-nominated bacteriologist <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sahachiro_Hata\">Dr. Sahachiro Hata<\/a>, though he&#8217;s given an unfortunate line about how Dr. Ehrlich is the one doing &#8220;all the thinking&#8221; (!). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-67488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Hata-405x270.png 405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>So it goes when one attempts to immortalize a single man. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Trivia:<\/strong> According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/600\/dr-ehrlichs-magic-bullet#articles-reviews?articleId=79869\">TCM&#8217;s review<\/a>, director William Dieterle&#8217;s &#8220;talent let him get away with some bizarre habits, such as never starting a film unless his astrologer cleared it, and always wearing white gloves on the set.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Ehrlich<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Robinson-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Several suspenseful sequences of medical breakthroughs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Medical.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Medical.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Medical.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Medical-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Medical-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>James Wong Howe&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography2-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography2-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Dr-Ehrlich-Cinematography-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once, simply for Robinson&#8217;s performance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0032413\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1940\/02\/24\/archives\/the-screen-another-fine-biographical-film-arrives-here-in-dr.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/drehrlichsmagicbullet.htm\">And You Call Yourself a Scientist! Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/600\/dr-ehrlichs-magic-bullet#articles-reviews?articleId=79869\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/dr-ehrlichs-magic-bullet\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It is the task of science to discover the truth. There is no shame attached to the recognition of error.&#8221; Synopsis: With the support of his loyal wife (Ruth Gordon) and colleague (Otto Kruger), Dr. Paul Ehrlich (Edward G. Robinson) leaves his clinical career behind to pursue scientific research on potential diagnosis and cure of bacterial diseases &#8212; including syphilis. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Biopics Doctors and Nurses Donald Crisp Films Edward G. Robinson Films Inventors Louis Calhern Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36220\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36220"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81585,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36220\/revisions\/81585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}