A Man to Remember

Man to Remember, A (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Remake of One Man's Journey, which I watched a few days ago. This time Edward Ellis plays a country doctor who grows old and poor because of his kind heart, which won't allow him to turn away sick people even if they don't have the money to pay him. Garson Kanin directed the screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and it's pretty faithful to the original movie. The fact that it's too faithful is the only real problem with the picture because if you've seen the original then you know everything that's going to happen here. Other than that I'd say this version is somewhat better as the story is better laid out and there's a new opening and closing, which suits the story very well. Ellis is terrific in his role and brings a lot of class and warmth to his character.

To use the cliché, "they don't make them like this anymore," is perfect for this classic. I could write volumes about the power of a generous human spirit overcoming the surge of economic indecency, but I'll leave that for someone else.

One technique I really enjoy in this film is the use of the doctor's notes, bills and other bits of information to introduce the different chapters of the film. It's a great literary vehicle and was used often in silent films. It also reminded me of some of the chapter introductions used in R.F. Delderfield's work.

The one thing I will state: if the devils on Wall Street and the banking community maintained half the community spirit as the old doctor in this story, we would all be much better for it.

Ethics and a purity of heart, what a wonderful concept. This is a great film for a Church Popcorn theology class, high school students considering a medical career or anyone questioning their community spirit.

This is one of the great unheralded films...called movies in those days...of the century. I saw it the age of 10 and it remained clearly in my mind for 50 years. Now that IMDB has refreshed my memory with the names of the director (Garson Kanin) and screenwriter (Dalton Trumbo), I understand why it remains one of my favorites in the entire history of the cinema.

Opening at the funeral of John Abbott, doctor of the small town, three men that Abbott owed money to are eager to wait for Abbott's assets to be distributed so they can reclaim their money. Abbott's effects however are a series of notes each with their own story to tell, such as a remittance for a doctor's fee for the birth of a baby girl, Jean, whom Abbott adopts, paid bills where the doctor provided everything he could for sacks of potatoes or a couple of dollars, as well as other memories of Abbott helping the town get their hospital, stopping a polio epidemic, sacrificing an advanced career in a more prosperous city, watching his son, Dick, following in his dad's footsteps, eventually taking over his practice, and more which make the men think that Dr. Abbott has paid his debts many times over. The film is a great slice of small town Americana that is very moving and brilliantly presented (by first time director Kanin). Edward Ellis in probably his only leading role is perfect even surpassing Lionel Barrymore's understated performance in an earlier version, One Man's Journey. Shirley and Bowman also lend fine support and a great mix of character actors play up the sentimentality of the film. Sad thing is the only surviving print is a Dutch subtitled version, but it is in good quality and it is a rare treat to watch. Rating, 9

I just saw this film last night on TCM (Sunday morning at 2am - couldn't sleep). My only complaint is that I missed the first 30 minutes, and wish I had seen the entire film. What a great film that has been missed apparently by most movie lovers. I never heard of it before, and it's quite charming, and the message is clear. This isn't your average big budget film. In fact in a way it's a rather low budget film, that still delivers a simple and clear message perfectly, and in a way that is charming and meaningful. An interesting article in Time Magazine can be found by typing A Man to Remember 1938 in google. It's a good read for sure.