Customer Reviews

Edison the Man

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Edison, The Man," directed in 1940 by Clarence Brown, remains one of the best bio-pics from MGM's Golden Years. Spencer Tracy stars as Thomas Alva Edison, who looks back on his legendary career as the reluctant guest of honor at the 1929 Golden Jubilee of Light. Told in flashbacks, the film traces Edison's career from the time he arrived penniless in New York to his triumph with the incandescent electric light in 1879 when he lit the city by electricity. The act of invention has never been more interesting, as when Edison comes up with the idea for a talking machine. The story is necessarily episodic in nature, but Tracy's performance and narration hold the entire thing together, reaffirming his place as our greatest film actor. "Edison, The Man" features Rita Johnson as Edison's future wife Mary, Lynne Overman as "Bunt" Cavatt, Charles Coburn as General Powell, and Henry Travers as Ben Els. The montage at the end of the film, where Edison ages as his many inventions fly by on the screen, is a nice reminder of why Edison was widely considered the smartest American who ever lived. His list of inventions certainly quantifies him as the most prolific scientist.

We are on this earth for a reason, some for their own benefit and gain. Thomas Eddison was truly a man who benefited all to follow. He was truly a man of vision, destinity and positive thinking, paving the way for the future. Every teenager should see this movie. Spencer Tracy portrays Eddison at his best.

What a heart warming picture. Spencer Tracy did an excellent job in this movie. Loved it from start to finish. I love all these 20th century Fox bios. Young Tom Edison was also very good. This movie teaches the charactor quality of "perseverance". A very safe and enjoyable movie for the children to see. Very homeschool friendly. You will love it!!
Don't miss Boys Town, with Spencer Tracy. Another great flick!!

This movie electified me. I liked the candor that Tracy spilled into Tom. He was real warts and all; I had no doubts. It inspired me as an aspiring inventor myself. Chariots of Fire for the runner as Edison, the man for the utility inventor. I am buying 2; one for myself and one for my church library. On a cold night, I can snuggle up to the fire,persistance, loyality, and the realness of a man who looked beyond the technical inpact and cultivated his gifts to flood the world.

Tracy is simply unbeatable in this vivid and personal portrait about the most famous American inventor . Despite several shortcomings through the film and a set of vignettes with no importance , the movie sustains its force .

Great story of the adult life of Edison from the age of 22. Much of the film centers on his work at Menlo Park New Jersey and the film reaches it's climax with the inventin of the electric light bulb and the illumination of New York City. This films follows on from the equaly excellent "Young Edison" film staring Mickey Rooney and covering Edison's childhood years.

Spencer Tracy did a fine job portraying Thomas Edison, the tramp tlelgrapher on though his life highlighting some of his finest inventions, including the phonograph, light bulb, early power stations, including the mis-haps when the governors operating the steam engines operating the generators when they first lit up part of New York are accurate, and, show the adventures, and, fears of the group of men when the mis-matched governors caused the generators to hunt, making one trying to run the other as a motor.
I don't know haw the producers of this movie re-created this event managed to get the equipment to do this, but, in my view, they did an excellent job of it.
I enjoyed watching how Edison, and, his crew invented the light bulb, and, kept an eye to see how long it would last in his laboratory.
While there may be minor inefficientcies on some of it, including on the phonograph, the movie, as a whole was well done. Spencer Tracy did a fine acting job of his part of Edison, and, the other actors who portrayed other people he was associated with also did a fine job.
I highly reccommend this movie to everyone...It is an accurate account of the inventor's life, as a whole...
Bill Cahill

You don't see these kind of old-fashioned biographies anymore. There have been very few in the last 40 years. Yes, many of the classic biographies sugar-coated the stories, ignoring a person's negative traits, but today's films mostly do the opposite, so it's nice to re-visit a movie in which an American hero is shown as just that. One gets tired of all the trashing.

Thomas Alva Edison certainly was a hero with his incredible inventions (i.e., the light bulb) which affected almost everyone on the planet to a significant degree. This movie goes to great lengths to show Edison's persistence in reaching his goals while also highlighting the dedication of the men who worked for him.

Spencer Tracy as Edison, along with Rita Johnson, Lynne Overman, Charles Coburn, Gene Lockhart, Henry Travers and Felix Bressart make this a pretty solid movie. It's not spectacular, probably not worth more than one look, maybe two, but it's a story that should be seen about an amazing period in history.

I loved this movie as a child when it was shown in our school. Everyone I talk to that is around my age remembers seeing this movie as a child. I wanted to share it with my grandchildren and find I enjoy it just as much now as I did as a child.

This movie is sequel to Mickey Rooney's Young Tom Edison.

An old movie from the 40's, but all of my grandchildren enjoyed it.

8-12 years old ... especially Young Tom Edison with Mickey Rooney.