The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

Don Ameche has the title role in "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" in this 1939 film starring Henry Fonda, Loretta Young, Charles Coburn, Gene Lockhart, and Spring Byington.

This movie was a big hit - it must have been, because in 1941's "Ball of Fire," Barbara Stanwyck teaches Gary Cooper slang and refers to the telephone as "the Ameche," as others have mentioned here. As far as how accurate the story is - for Fox, not bad at all. The background of Bell's teaching experience and family history of working with speech and sound is correct, he did have a demonstration of his new device, he did have patent problems, he did take on the little boy and Mabel as deaf clients to teach, he did teach finger-spelling, he did have patent problems, he did marry Mabel, their first child was a girl, and Mabel's father was one of his investors. The Fonda character, Watson, was also real, though Bell had two other assistants, and the scene where Bell finds out the telephone works when he calls for Watson is accurate. Also, Bell mentions a great interest in aeronautics in the movie - he indeed did a lot of work in aeronautics later on.

Don Ameche does a great job as Bell. Before Tyrone Power appeared at 20th Century Fox, Ameche was set for many more lead roles; Power's popularity pushed him into second leads. If Ameche seems melodramatic in the courtroom scenes, that was the style of the day. He gives a serious, intense, and sincere performance. It's probably the role for which he's best remembered. Henry Fonda is wonderful - he's funny and relaxed, positively excellent. In another year, he'd be starring in his own movies. Loretta Young as Mabel is believable as well as lovely, and her sisters in real life -- Sally Blane, Polly Young, and Georgiana Young - play her sisters here.

Gene Lockhart as Sanders is another standout in a poignant performance as a man who wants his deaf son to be able to speak. Charles Coburn plays Mable's no-nonsense, gruff father very well.

Considering that the movie "Suez" is fiction from beginning to end, 20th Century Fox is to be commended for bringing so much real history into this film and making it so entertaining.

Just how factual all the events are in Fox's biographical account of THE STORY OF Alexander GRAHAM BELL, I don't know, but it seems safe to say they have taken the basic outline of his life and embellished it with a series of vignettes that serve to show us how and why he became the inventor of the telephone.

Although this is DON AMECHE's signature role (indeed the invention is often referred to as "The Ameche"), he clearly had better roles in his future. Here he overacts to a tiresome degree under Irving Cummings' direction. On the other hand, there's a considerable amount of underplaying by LORETTA YOUNG and HENRY FONDA in subordinate roles. Young is Ameche's deaf wife and Fonda is his laboratory assistant.

Factual or not, it moves at a slow pace and may not be the kind of biography for everyone, lacking the vigorous style of a story about Jesse James, for example. There's a little too much talk before we get to the crucial scene in the film where Ameche spills acid and calls for help over the wire to Fonda in the next room.

Supporting cast includes GENE LOCKHART, SPRING BYINGTON and CHARLES COBURN (who must have been one of Hollywood's busiest character actors in the '30s and '40s).

If are looking for an accurate and detailed lesson about either the life of Alexander Graham Bell or the invention of the telephone, this film is far from perfect. Often it takes liberties and omissions--all in the aim of producing an entertaining film first and foremost. However, if you understand that it is NOT great history but purely there to entertain, it's pretty good. I would not put in on par with the Edison films at MGM or the wonderful Warner Brothers films on Pasteur and Erlich, but it is quite good.

The movie only concerns the period just before the telephone was invented as well as the process of inventing and marketing the device. So, if you want information about his work as a deaf educator or about his interesting family background, this film is maddeningly silent. I would LOVE to see a film talk particularly talking about his hatred of sign language (as he felt the deaf MUST be forced to learn to talk and function like the hearing) or the disdain many deaf today have for him. Perhaps this sort of discussion would be best dealt with in a documentary, but it IS fascinating stuff.

As far as this film goes, Ameche, Fonda and Young are all very good here, the direction very nice and the entire production is polished and pleasant from start to finish.

Movies about history are very important. They also need to be entertaining and believable. All three of those qualities need to be involved in a film such as this. Don Ameche brings to the silver screen an early representation of the life of Alexander Graham Bell and his contribution to the world. The invention of the telegraph and the telephone are explored in this Irving Cummings film.

I bet you didn't know that AGB got his inspiration for the telephone from his years of teaching the deaf talk and communicate. That brings us to the love interest portion of the film, when we are introduced to the future Mrs. Mable Bell, who also is deaf, played by Loretta Young. It is a very interesting contrast between the film's intention and what the facts entail, because the first full decade of the talkies and sound happened in the 1930s, which makes that the quietest decade in film history, as it applies to full sound in film. It is interesting that there is no music in the movie, hardly at all, because this is a movie about trying to achieve the ability to hear and to transmit sound, so this is, kind of, an interesting juxtaposition of how this movie feels.

It also is interesting seeing a film that was made only 65 years after Bell did his experiments, so you get a more uniquely believable script, then if it was one produced today, because 150 years have now gone by since Bell did his experiments. It also is apparent that the mind of an inventor can also be driven by his love of people or his compassion towards the world he/she lives in. None of that is more apparent when we see the love that is shared between Bell and his deaf students and his eventual love to Mable.

Ameche is also contrasted with his less intelligent assistant Thomas Watson, played by Henry Fonda, who compensates for his lack of certain knowledge by being Bell's friend and cheerleader. This film teaches us that drive and desire doesn't always have to lead to power and money, but can sometimes lead to what it really should, love and accomplishment.

8.1 (B MyGrade) = 8 IMDB.

I always thought of him being an under rated actor. He certainly was versatile. He could sing, play comedy and drama, and if for no other reason, the academy finally realized his talents and gave him an oscar. It was long overdue. As for this film, he was very good and keep in mind Henry Fonda was playing a supporting role. As for Loretta Young..she was very lovely during those years, but her role had me squirming. As a deaf person, she spoke very well and the audience knows she's deaf because she makes it obvious as to her glaring at the actors mouths. I don't recall anyone mentioning if she was born deaf, or acquired it in later life.All in all, a satisfying film..thanks to Don's performance.