One of medical science's greatest researchers in the history of modern pharmaceutical therapeutics was Germany's Dr. Paul Ehrlich. His early 1900's discoveries in medicine provided the foundation of treatment widely used today to save millions from cancer and other terminal diseases. A pet project of actor Edward G. Robinson's was bringing forth a biography on this German genius in February 1940's "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet." Upon seeing the film, the actor claimed it was the best role in his long and storied career.
Nazi Germany had erased all mention of the jewish Dr. Ehrlich, removing his name from pubic buildings and street signs that had recognized his work. Adolf Hitler claimed in 1938 that "a scientific discovery by a Jew is worthless." Yet for the jewish Robinson, he wanted to highlight one of history's greatest medical scientists, his discoveries and his lasting influence in the field. His discoveries included a wide range of cures, including treating diphtheria, syphilis and antibiotic chemotherapy to treat diseases such as cancer. Dr. Ehrlich did this in the face of incredible resistance from the country's entrenched medical community who didn't believe in his work.
"It was, I think, one of the most distinguished performances I've ever given," said Robinson years later. "I say that not only because the critics said it, and my mail and the box office said it, but most of all because that inner voice, that inner self, that captious critic Emanuel Goldenberg (Robinson's birth name) said it." Robinson ages 35 years in the film, beginning when Dr. Ehrlich was a practicing physician at a German hospital interested in color staining slides showing an affinity in attracting and targeting cells and microorganisms. His breakthrough in isolating a sample of tuberculosis from other cells when looking through a microscope proved revolutionary, even though the doctor was fired from his hospital job because of the time he took doing his research during off-hours.
Warner Brothers studio battled on two fronts to get "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" produced. One was Dr. Ehrlich's background. Studio boss Jack Warner wrote to his scriptwriters, "It would be a mistake to make a political propaganda picture out of a biography which could stand on its own feet." Despite the antisemitism the doctor faced by his colleagues, the movie gives only subtle hints of their biases towards Dr. Ehrlich. The other fight was the studio's tussle with the Hays Office censors. "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" touches upon the doctor's discovery of the Salvarsan 606 drug, a cure for syphilis, a disease the censors normally struck any mention of in films. Producer Hal B. Wallis wrote to the Hays Office stating "to make a dramatic picture of the life of Dr. Ehrlich and not include this discovery, the anti-syphilis drug Salvarsan among his great achievements would be unfair to the record." The censors finally relented, but cautioned the studio couldn't use the term in its advertisements. Scriptwriter John Huston, whose reputation was rising with each screenplay he submitted, was brought in to shore up the script. Wallis said of Huston, who later wrote and directed 1941's "The Maltese Falcon," "With his gift for writing fluid, idiomatic dialogue, he did a fine job of making the story smooth and believable and all the characters very much alive." The screenplay was nominated for the Academy Awards.
"Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" was William Dieterle fifth biography he directed. Known for his eccentricities in referring to astrological charts to determine when the best time was to begin filming while wearing white gloves on the set, Dieterle tackled his second movie about a scientist peering through a microscope, his first the Oscar 1936 Best Picture nominee "The Story of Louis Pasteur." Robinson described his routine making the movie: "During the filming I kept to myself, studied the script, practiced gestures before the mirror, read about his life and times, studied pictures of the man, tried to put myself in his mental state, tried to be him." The American Film Institute nominated the Robinson film as one of the most Cheerful Movies Ever Made.
Nazi Germany had erased all mention of the jewish Dr. Ehrlich, removing his name from pubic buildings and street signs that had recognized his work. Adolf Hitler claimed in 1938 that "a scientific discovery by a Jew is worthless." Yet for the jewish Robinson, he wanted to highlight one of history's greatest medical scientists, his discoveries and his lasting influence in the field. His discoveries included a wide range of cures, including treating diphtheria, syphilis and antibiotic chemotherapy to treat diseases such as cancer. Dr. Ehrlich did this in the face of incredible resistance from the country's entrenched medical community who didn't believe in his work.
"It was, I think, one of the most distinguished performances I've ever given," said Robinson years later. "I say that not only because the critics said it, and my mail and the box office said it, but most of all because that inner voice, that inner self, that captious critic Emanuel Goldenberg (Robinson's birth name) said it." Robinson ages 35 years in the film, beginning when Dr. Ehrlich was a practicing physician at a German hospital interested in color staining slides showing an affinity in attracting and targeting cells and microorganisms. His breakthrough in isolating a sample of tuberculosis from other cells when looking through a microscope proved revolutionary, even though the doctor was fired from his hospital job because of the time he took doing his research during off-hours.
Warner Brothers studio battled on two fronts to get "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" produced. One was Dr. Ehrlich's background. Studio boss Jack Warner wrote to his scriptwriters, "It would be a mistake to make a political propaganda picture out of a biography which could stand on its own feet." Despite the antisemitism the doctor faced by his colleagues, the movie gives only subtle hints of their biases towards Dr. Ehrlich. The other fight was the studio's tussle with the Hays Office censors. "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" touches upon the doctor's discovery of the Salvarsan 606 drug, a cure for syphilis, a disease the censors normally struck any mention of in films. Producer Hal B. Wallis wrote to the Hays Office stating "to make a dramatic picture of the life of Dr. Ehrlich and not include this discovery, the anti-syphilis drug Salvarsan among his great achievements would be unfair to the record." The censors finally relented, but cautioned the studio couldn't use the term in its advertisements. Scriptwriter John Huston, whose reputation was rising with each screenplay he submitted, was brought in to shore up the script. Wallis said of Huston, who later wrote and directed 1941's "The Maltese Falcon," "With his gift for writing fluid, idiomatic dialogue, he did a fine job of making the story smooth and believable and all the characters very much alive." The screenplay was nominated for the Academy Awards.
"Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" was William Dieterle fifth biography he directed. Known for his eccentricities in referring to astrological charts to determine when the best time was to begin filming while wearing white gloves on the set, Dieterle tackled his second movie about a scientist peering through a microscope, his first the Oscar 1936 Best Picture nominee "The Story of Louis Pasteur." Robinson described his routine making the movie: "During the filming I kept to myself, studied the script, practiced gestures before the mirror, read about his life and times, studied pictures of the man, tried to put myself in his mental state, tried to be him." The American Film Institute nominated the Robinson film as one of the most Cheerful Movies Ever Made.