The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

Director: Irving Cummings Irving Cummings

Overview

This fictionalized biography of the famed American inventor's life provided actor Don Ameche with his signature role. For years after its release, people even referred to the telephone as "an Ameche." The story begins in 1873 Boston as Bell endeavors to teach deaf people to speak in the manner invented by his father. When not teaching, Bell tinkers with his various inventions. Opportunity knocks when Bell is befriended by an aristocratic fellow (Charles Coburn) who wants Bell to help teach his daughter (Loretta Young) to speak. Bell agrees and falls in love with her. It is she who inspires and encourages him to invent the telephone, while it is young Watson (Henry Fonda) who assists him. After they meet with success, the inventors must do battle in court with Western Union, the company that held the patent to the telegraph.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/06/2012
UPC:	0024543857167
Original Release:	1939
Source:	ALLIED VAUGHN
Presentation:	[B&W, Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	25,377

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Don Ameche	Alexander Graham Bell
Loretta Young	Mrs. Mabel Hubbard Bell,Grace Hubbard,Berta Hubbard
Henry Fonda	Thomas Watson
Charles Coburn	Gardner Hubbard
Spring Byington	Mrs. Hubbard
Gene Lockhart	Thomas Sanders
Sally Blane	Gertrude Hubbard
Bobs Watson	George Sanders
Russell Hicks	Barrows
Paul Stanton	Chauncey Smith
Jonathan Hale	President of Western Union
Harry Davenport	Judge
Beryl Mercer	Queen Victoria
Elizabeth Patterson	Mrs. McGregor
Charles Trowbridge	George Pollard
Claire DuBrey	Landlady
Ralph Remley	D'Arcy,D'Arcy
Zeffie Tilbury	Mrs. Sanders
Jan Duggan	Mrs. Winthrop
Harry Tyler	Doc Elliott
Lillian West	Nurse
Warren Jackson	Singer
Tyler Brooke	Singer
George Guhl	Mr. Winthrop
Mary Field	Piano Player
William Wagner	Bit
Dave Morris	Telegrapher
Jack Kelly	Banker's Son
Edmund Elton	Banker
Jarold Clifford Lyons	Infant
Landers Stevens	Manager of North Eastern Telephone Exchange
John Spacey	Sir John Cowell
Dick Elliott	Man Who Laughs
Jack Walsh	James J. Starrow
Charles Tannen	Court Clerk
Otto Hoffman	Pawnbroker

Technical Credits

Lamar Trotti

Irving Cummings	Director
Kenneth MacGowan	Producer
Lamar Trotti	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Rarely has an actor been so identified with a role as Don Ameche is with the title character of The Story of Alexander Graham Bell. There's good reason, too. Ameche gives his finest performance as Bell, and while to some that might be damning with faint praise, most would admit that his work here is indeed superlative. What's interesting is how good it is without being so very different from many of his other performances. It works so well because it draws very specifically on his strongest talents and because the part is so very well written. While the screenplay as a whole has some problems -- it's (of course) historically inaccurate, and much of the plotting is in a very "Hollywood" vein -- Bell is delineated very effectively. Ameche gets especially fine support from a lovely Loretta Young in her "bloom" period, and there's a rare chemistry between the two. There's chemistry of a different but equally important sort between Ameche and Henry Fonda; indeed, Bell succeeds as a film largely because these three leads not only work well together but create a history and a sense of bonding between them as characters. Irving Cummings direction is smooth, if a bit slick in places, and he certainly knows how to point up the important highlights in the film. The famous "Watson, come here" moment, even after all these years, still makes considerable impact.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler