Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

romanorum1 The caption quote is what visitors to the Edison National Historic Site in New Jersey are told. For there is no question that Thomas Alva Edison, "The Wizard of Menlo Park," was America's greatest inventor. His accomplishment of 1150 patents is truly astonishing when one takes into account the times when he lived. Most of his life was spent in the 19th century.Movie makers have always had an attraction for biographies. To name just a few of the many featured in motion pictures: Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Columbus, Marie Antoinette, Kit Carson, Abraham Lincoln, Brigham Young, Louis Pasteur, Geronimo, Knute Rockne, Hank Williams, John F. Kennedy. Of course it is difficult to cram a person's life into a two or even three-hour movie. Then again, the movies, for various reasons, are not too accurate with the facts. With "Edison the Man" we at least have an enjoyable representation that focuses much on Edison's earlier inventions. We still miss much, like the early death of Mrs. Edison (Mary Stilwell) at age 29, and Edison's second marriage two years later to Mina Miller. The real Edison had three children with the first marriage, and three with the second. But as the movie ends in 1882, the first Mrs. Edison was still alive. Then again, the real purpose of the movie is to make drama with the earlier inventions.The biography begins in 1929 when Thomas A. Edison was honored at a banquet for the Jubilee of light (1879-1929). He reflects on his long life – already exceeding 80 years – by thinking back to 1869, when relatively unknown at age 22 he had improved the stock market ticker. From his success he received $40,000 from General Powell (the actual amount was $10,000). With the payment Edison constructed his famous laboratories at Menlo Park, NJ. After much sweat he and his loyal associates invented the Quadruplex telegraph, the phonograph (1877), the electric light bulb (1879), and many others. It was the phonograph, the talking machine, which really brought the inventor into the public eye. The singular great accomplishment was the electric light bulb, along with the dynamo and electrification of Pearl St. in Manhattan on 4 September 1882. These achievements came after he found that one of his pseudo-supporters (Taggart) had a vested interest in the gaslight business. But Edison was determined to get the job done in the allotted six months. From time immemorial man had needed to use burning flames to produce light. Electric power remains safer (and more comfortable in the summer).To keep the movie within a reasonable time length (Edison's life from 1869 to 1882), some of the major inventions of the later 19th and early 20th centuries are quickly listed at movie's end. They include the fluoroscope (X-ray machine), ediphone (dictating machine), cement kiln, mimeograph, and motion pictures (kinetoscope, 1891). The last listing, "talking pictures," is dubious at best as Edison was long deaf and preferred silent movies to talkies. Also, Spencer Tracy makes the great man to be more pleasant than he really was. For the real Edison was motivated by commercial success as much as his desire to improve man's lot.Spencer Tracy was such a marvelous actor that he would study about those he portrayed, especially Thomas A. Edison. He even visited his famous New Jersey Laboratories. The actor had already won the Academy Award in 1938 for his portrayal of Father Flanagan of Boys Town. Perhaps his best representation of Edison is demonstrating the man's personal drive to succeed in all of his endeavors, to push harder and harder, to combine inspiration (1%) with perspiration (99%). Look at his despair when he cannot keep up with the bills, then later his weary joy when Pearl Street lights up. Worth seeing.

MartinHafer I have probably seen more bio-pics than anyone you'll ever meet and so I obviously like this style film. BUT, at the same time, I am a retired history teacher and love to know the true stories behind the films--and often these movies and reality have little in common! In some other cases, there stories are close overall to the true characters and events BUT key elements have been changed or omitted--and such is the case with "Edison the Man". While generally sticking to the truth better than most bio-pics of the era, some parts of Edison's life were changed for a variety of reasons. In some cases, I understand, the movie COULD have been 6-8 hours long if it dealt in detail with all of Edison's most important inventions. Plus, in doing this, what about his private life? You just can't do it all in a two hour film! However, one odd omission occurred in the film that I think they should have addressed. Edison's young wife portrayed in the film didn't live that long--dying before age 30. Here, they appear to have been married a long time and no mention is made of his second wife nor the children from this marriage. It's odd, as the dying young wife could have infused the movie with a bit more pathos and drama. A few other incidents were compressed because of time and to heighten the drama--such as how the phonograph developed (it actually took some time and inventions by other folks following Edison's invention to prefect the device). But, despite these errors and omissions that crazed ex-history teachers might notice, the film IS very good. It achieves the goal of lionizing this important inventor (and ignores his foibles to do so) and is always interesting. Well worth seeing but I strongly recommend you read up on the man--he was much more complex and incredible than the character you see in the movie.By the way, despite what was said in the film, ostriches DON'T stick their heads in the ground--whether they are afraid or not. It's an old myth.

lugonian EDISON, THE MAN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940), directed by Clarence Brown, became Hollywood's second contribution into the life of one of America's greatest inventors, Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931). Following the earlier release of YOUNG TOM EDISON (1940) starring Mickey Rooney, which covered the title character's boyhood years in Port Huron, Michigan, this second of a two-part biography covers the rest of the story of Edison's life from unknown inventor to historic figure. Rather than waiting a few years having Rooney coming of age to reprise his Edison role, this continuing story not only came a few months after its initial release, but one of the few sequels where none of the actors nor director (Norman Taurog) from the preceding film returns. The acting honor goes to Spencer Tracy in one of his more challenging film roles of his career. While it's logical for anyone who's seen both these films to make comparisons, it's easy to point out how EDISON, THE MAN is connected with the other through its underscoring of "Sweet Genevieve" in certain scenes; a reminder of Edison's slight trouble with his hearing; Edison's communication through the use of Morse Code by tapping on the pipes; and eating his favorite meal, apple pie and milk. Rather than starting off with the usual "Forward" reading to what's to be presented, it offers a written passage by Ralph Waldo Emerson that states: "The true test of civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities, not the crops - no, but the kind of man the country turns out." And now, on with the adult life of Thomas Edison. Getting down to basics from an original story by Dore Schary and Hugo Butler, the adult life of a great man begins with a golden jubilee of light (1879-1929) where 82-year-old Thomas Alva Edison (Spencer Tracy) is being interviewed by a couple of teenagers (Jay Ward and Anne Gillis) getting the facts for their school newspaper before attending the banquet in his honor at Independence Hall. As Edison sits at the table as the speaker tells about his life, he thinks back to the days of 1869 as a young man coming to New York City from Boston on an invitation from his friend and telegrapher, Bunt Cavatt (Lynne Overman) to come work for Ben Els (Henry Travers). Attempting to get James J. Taggart (Gene Lockhart) of Wall Street to finance him for his inventions, Edison gets support from General Powell (Charles Coburn), president of Western Union. After selling his invention, Edison, who earlier met Mary Stillwell (Rita Johnson), earns enough money to get married and open his own invention factory in Menlo Park, New Jersey (The reproduction of it is first rate set designing). Edison's marriage brings forth two children, but due to he working tirelessly on his many inventions, it nearly causes hardship on his marriage. After Powell dies, it appears Edison will face financial ruin, but with the confidence and loyalty of those working under him, he strives to work on the greatest invention of all time.Aside from Felix Bressart, Peter Godfrey, Milton Parsons, Byron Foulger, Grant Mitchell and Addison Richards leading fine support, Gene Reynolds, in small but worthy performance as Jimmy Price, a teenage runaway landing a job with Edison's middle-aged associates on various inventions. While one serious mistake nearly puts him on the downside, Tracy's Edison give him this great line as he gives him that's second chance, "One thing about mistakes, they don't have to be permanent." Rita Johnson's role as Mrs. Edison is a bit downplayed at times and offers little challenge to her performance.As cliché as movie biographies goes, EDISON, THE MAN ranks one of the best of its kind. Naturally historians might be discouraged with some inaccuracies or eliminations that took part in Edison's life, yet so much can only be disclosed without putting this motion picture past the two or three hour mark. The fact that Edison's second wife and more children are eliminated, the screenplay covers more on his struggles than personal life and achievements, namely that on the invention of the phonograph, dictating machine (Edison's first words, "Mary had a little lamb ...") and finally doing the impossible by lighting up New York City, the most detailed of all.One cannot help but notice similarities of Edison with Tracy's earlier portrayal of Father Flanagan taken from BOYS TOWN (1938) as one who doesn't let troubles discourage him. As Edison is said to be as one who would have been a great man even if he never invented anything, Tracy would have been a great actor even if he never won an Academy Award. Though Tracy did win two, he earned no nomination for this fine portrayal. Longer and a bit slower than YOUNG TOM EDISON, EDISON, THE MAN is unforgettable by any means, especially Tracy's exact likeness towards the real Edison, the old man.Regardless of minor flaws and/or factual errors (that's to be expected), EDISON, THE MAN is no disappointment. To learn more about Edison's life as depicted on screen, get hold of the old home video release from 1991, DVD copy, or wait for another broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. To learn more on Edison in the life as he lived it, check out a library book from the biography section. (****)

bkoganbing If anyone is looking for a factual account of the life of Thomas Alva Edison this ain't the film for you. In fact Edison the Man is the second film that MGM did on him. Young Tom Edison had come out before this one and Mickey Rooney played a boy's life version of him. At the conclusion of that film there was a preview that Edison the Man would be coming out soon starring Spencer Tracy.The widow Edison who was still alive at the time gave her personal stamp of approval on casting Spencer Tracy as her husband. Who wouldn't want his life's story portrayed by Tracy. But among the many things not shown was the fact that she was the second Mrs. Edison. The first Mrs. Edison, played by Rita Johnson in the film died in the 1880s and Edison married again the Gay Nineties. He had three children with each wife. So you can see a lot of the personal life has been left out.The film is told in flashback as an aged Edison is sitting at a banquet table listening to the toastmaster tell of his life. We only see about 10 years of it from the time he arrives in New York to when he proves the validity of the electric light by powering a section of New York.One of the great quotes from Edison is that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Inventing the electric light was the result of trial and error running into the thousands of methods and that is the part of Edison graphically shown. Edison is always held up as the great example of the American success story. He was a man with little formal education at all who had ideas and the natural ability and will to see them through. It should always be remembered that Edison gained his fame during the Horatio Alger era. He was the living embodiment of those stories about the poor kid who succeeds through hard work. The part of Edison that's not so nice, his battles over patents with other inventors, his ruthlessness in business exploiting those patents, that all comes later. It would take a mini-series to really do his life justice.But I think Edison himself would have loved to see the way MGM handled his life in both films. He certainly would have seen himself as Spencer Tracy plays him, the wise benevolent man, with an iron perseverance.Just don't anyone doing serious research on Edison use this film as a guide to his life.