El quinto jinete del Apocalipsis

How I long for the era when Hollywood was capable of producing films based upon the lives of great scientists and physicians. Current moguls may consider the material too trite, but that just proves how they misjudge quality cinema.

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet is a great old biographical melodrama that probably does overstate certain emotional moments, nonetheless it helps recall the bigger-than-life accomplishments of scientists who otherwise would be forgotten.

Edward G. Robinson, though apparently too mature for the role, knew a good script when he read it, and ended up with the finest performance of his long career. Credit goes to the Warner Studio, too, for making a film about the cure for syphilis when even the mention of the disease was prohibited in motion pictures. Those who enjoy films like Edison, The Man will find this more involved with science and less with personal matters than the MGM/Spencer Tracy epic.

This is grand Warner's entertainment with a lesson or two for all of us.

Edward G. Robinson was undoubtedly the greatest actor never to have been nominated for an Oscar. Even his honorary Oscar had to be awarded posthumously! One can only surmise that his being constantly overlooked was due to his 'leftist' leanings. Only a theory of course. He is simply stupendous in the title role of this excellent biopic from Warner Bros. Robinson was a man of immense culture and humanity whose performance in this has both intelligence and heart; an unbeatable combination. Although studio bound with a mix of both American and European actors, director William Dieterle has succeeded admirably in convincing us that we are in nineteenth century Germany. The cinematography by James Wong Howe and a Max Steiner score beautifully arranged by Hugo Friedhofer add to its effectiveness. It is possible that Warner Bros would have been the only Hollywood studio at the time to have touched this subject matter. There are a few scenes with Albert Bassermann as Dr. Robert Koch whose own biopic was directed by Hans Steinhoff a year earlier with Emil Jannings in the title role. This also is highly recommended. Dr. Ehrlich, in the film anyway, expresses the hope that the success of experiment 606 marked 'the end of the road' in the fight against syphillis. This alas has not been the case as he had failed to take into account the 'human factor' involved in the spread of STD's! This is a well-intentioned, well made and well acted film but one that I would not recommend to animal rights activists although happily the chimpanzee is cured!

It's very hard to believe that this movie was made in 1940, as much of the plot centers on Dr. Ehrlich's attempts to create a cure for syphilis. At times, the studio appeared to dance around the whole STD aspect of the disease, but it was extremely daring to try to cover such a taboo topic.

It's actually quite amazing that a story as seemingly mundane and medical research is as compelling as it is. I think this is due to excellent directing, writing and acting. In particular, Edward G. Robinson is a standout as the lead. This movie clearly demonstrates that his range far exceeded playing gangsters or that annoying Egyptian in The Ten Commandments.

Of all the great biographical flicks Hollywood pumped out in the late 30's and early 40's, such as "Juarez," "The Story of Louis Pasteur," "Abe Lincoln in Illinois," and "The Life of Emile Zola," "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" is the best. And that's saying a lot since the ones mentioned above are screen classics from the Golden Age. In "Magic Bullet" everything seems to gel, from the brilliant acting of all involved, including once-in-a-lifetime performances by Edward G. Robingson, Otto Kruger, Ruth Gordon, and Maria Ouspenskaya, to the outstanding direction of William Dieterle. Also this biography is far more factual and less sensational than the others from the period. Even the subject involved in the biography was somewhat taboo in 1940, syphilis. Many in the movie audiences of 1940 may have reacted the same way the guests at Franziska Speyer's dinner party reacted upon hearing the word. Though not at all shocking today, it must have been somewhat shocking then. I'm sure that's why it was handled with kid gloves by William Dieterle. On the other hand the problems Dr. Ehrlich faced in getting support for his magic bullet is comparable with problems faced by today's scientists in getting funding to do needed research to find a cure for AIDS.

The writers, who included John Huston, did the research needed for an intelligent and well-written script. The viewer may hesitate to watch at first when he/she discovers that the movie is about a German scientist who discovered an effective treatment for syphilis, but just pay attention for a few seconds and there is no turning back. Seeing the entire film becomes necessary. So enjoy a masterpiece from the past.

I must echo the glowing comments about this fine film by William Dieterle. The entire cast is superb, from Robinson to Maria Ouspenskaya and Donald Crisp. Some of the cast had appeared in the very fine 'Life of Emile Zola' some 5 years earlier. Everything about this film was well done, from the acting to the photography to the music. A Must see.