La jeunesse d'Edison

This was always a favorite of mine when I would see it on television many years ago but I had forgotten how good a film it still is. I just saw it today on TCM and I have to say something about this under-appreciated gem. The cast is a terrific ensemble of filmdom's great character actors such as George Bancroft who appears in countless films, among them Stagecoach. He plays Tom's father with great heart and finally when he realizes who is son really is, they share a heartwarming thumping of the town's most obnoxious father, son pairing. Virginia Weidler is very good as Tom's sister. Another of Hollywood's most talented children, she appeared frequently with Mickey and Judy and also had a high profile role in The Philadelphia story.

Fay Bainter has one of her best roles ever as Tom's mother, easily worthy of an academy nod. While the story may not resemble reality, it communicates some very important human truths about family. This film is every bit as good as The Yearling and should be considered a must for family viewing.

In this film, Mickey Rooney very capably plays the title role. His energy, very good acting and 'aw, shucks' attitude worked well in this film. That combined with the usual MGM polish and writing made this an enjoyable movie. As for this interpretation of Edison, he's a combination of Jimmy Neutron (or Dexter) and a Horatio Alger character--full of schemes to earn a buck as well as an abiding love of science.

When I watch biopics from Hollywood's golden age of the 1930s-1940s, I always assume that the truth took a back seat to entertainment and drama. More often then not, the facts have been 'adjusted' to make a more enjoyable film--regardless if it strays pretty far from the truth. So, as I watched "Young Tom Edison", I naturally assumed it was once again a very highly fictionalized account. This seemed even more obvious when Tom jumps onto the train tracks to save a little boy's life. However, imagine my surprise when I did some reading and found this film was actually pretty close to the truth! Sure, they took a few liberties here and there, but for the most part it was real. Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction! Overall, it's quite enjoyable and a nice companion piece to MGM's other Edison film that came out the same year, "Edison, the Man"--which shows the adult life of the great inventor.

MGM opens the first film in the studio's Edison biography project by promising, "This is a story of courage. The courage and triumph of a typical American boy. In all its essential facts, it is a true story. The boy actually did experience the adventures - the joys and sorrows portrayed here. His name might have been John Jones or Bill Smith. It happened to be Thomas A. Edison."

Mickey Rooney plays "Young Tom Edison", and the movie ends with a cameo appearance by Spencer Tracy, star of "Edison, the Man" (released shortly). They weren't much like Thomas Edison or each other, but Mr. Rooney and Mr. Tracy were the #1 and #2 "Box Office" stars of 1940, according to Quigley Publications - so, these films were both very well-produced.

"Young Tom Edison" focuses on the Edison family (who disappear for the Tracy film): likewise precocious little sister Virginia Weidler (as Tannie), misunderstanding father George Bancroft (as Sam), and mysteriously ailing mother Fay Bainter (as Nancy). Rooney's adversary is "Dead End Kid" Bobby Jordan (as Joseph "Joe" Dingle), who gets repeatedly gets kicked in the shins.

In the strangest scene, Ms. Bainter pretends to take over the beating of her sixteen-year-old son while his proud father listens to Rooney's painful cries. Later, gravel-voiced train conductor Eugene Palette (as Nelson) smacks Rooney so hard he develops an earache. Doctor Lloyd Corrigan says, "Sometimes there's nothing like a good box in the ears to sharpen a boy's senses."

Edison subsequently suffered from deafness.

***** Young Tom Edison (2/10/40) Norman Taurog ~ Mickey Rooney, Virginia Weidler, Fay Bainter, George Bancroft

Mickey Rooney stars as the teenaged Thomas Edison in this wonderfully entertaining MGM biopic. The movie covers the young inventor's struggles to fit in with a town full of people who don't understand him. He makes mistakes but proves his worth and ultimately becomes a hero.

Rooney is his usual likable self. He tones his high energy down some and shows his dramatic skills. He really was a phenomenal star and a great actor. Superb supporting cast includes Fay Bainter and George Bancroft as Edison's parents, Virginia Weidler as his sister, and Eugene Palette as a railroad conductor. I really like the MGM sets and the 19th century American style. Lovely music, pleasant tone, and good cast. Script is a nice mix of humor, drama, and action.

This is the first of two MGM biopics of Edison released in 1940. The other is Edison, the Man starring Spencer Tracy. That movie covers Edison's adult years so it's like a sequel to this picture. Both are excellent. These old biopics were usually solid, uplifting character-driven stories. Yes they take liberties with the details but the more cynical defamatory biopics we get these days do the same. I'll take an inspirational biography that builds people up and leaves you with the warm fuzzies over some deconstructionist tabloid trash any day.

Like most people, I have always been an admirer of Thomas Alva Edison, probably the most prolific inventor of all time. But as I watched the movie, I wondered how much of it was fabricated. According to the world book encyclopedia, pretty much all of the incidents depicted in the movie happened, although some of the time frames were changed to allow Mickey Rooney to play the part throughout the film. And Rooney, always a very underrated actor, is terrific. With very good support from Fay Bainter, Virginia Weidler and George Bancroft as members of Edison's family, this is a film easily enjoyed by everyone. And look for a cameo by Spencer Tracy, who already had been cast in the sequel, "Edison, the Man (1940)," which was in production when this film was released.