The Great Moment (1944)
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83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
32% of users liked it
(92 ratings)
After producing, writing and directing one hit film after another, Preston Sturges finally misfired with the biopic The Great Moment. Sturges was always fascinated with the saga of W.T.G. Morton, the 19th century Boston dentist who, after inventing the first truly effective anesthesia, was forced to… More After producing, writing and directing one hit film after another, Preston Sturges finally misfired with the biopic The Great Moment. Sturges was always fascinated with the saga of W.T.G. Morton, the 19th century Boston dentist who, after inventing the first truly effective anesthesia, was forced to give up his proprietary interest in the invention and ended up dying in poverty and obscurity. Joel McCrea stars as Morton, a young oral surgeon determined to find a painless method for exracting teeth-which he does, virtually by accident. Betty Field costars as Morton's faithful spouse Elizabeth, while Sturges regular William Demarest offers a gem of a performance as Morton's best friend-guinea pig Eben Frost (his persistence upon recalling his first meeting with Morton -- "I was in excru-ci-ating pain"-is one of the film's highlights). Completed in 1942, The Great Moment was taken out of Sturges' hands and heavily re-edited and re-arranged by the Paramount executives: as a result, the story is confusing and downright incomprehensible at times (the film's present ending, for example, originally occured in the middle of the film). The result was varying runtimes for the film of 80, 83, 87, and 90 minutes. An enormous box-office flop in 1944, the film proved to be the beginning of the end for Sturges, who was never able to completely recover from its failure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Preston Sturges
- Written By
- Rene Fulop-Miller, Preston Sturges
- Genres
- Drama, Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jul 24, 1921 Wide
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Derek Adams, Time Out
Recut by the studio and generally considered to be a failure, it's nevertheless an oddly moving film that sticks obstinately and agreeably in the mind.
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Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Perhaps scientific inspiration is not conventionally reverenced in this film. But, at least, Mr. Sturges has triumphed over stiffness in screen biography.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
One of lesser known gems by master Preston Sturges.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Director Sturges, better known for his comedies, handles the drama and story well.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A very agreeable biopic that is both delightfully comical and insightfully touching.
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Cast
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Joel McCrea
as W.T.G. Morton
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Betty Field
as Elizabeth Morton
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Harry Carey
as Prof. Warren
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William Demarest
as Eben Frost
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Franklin Pangborn
as Dr. Heywood
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Louis Jean Heydt
as Dr. Horace Wells
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Julius Tannen
as Dr. Jackson
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Grady Sutton
as Homer Quimby Early Patient
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Edwin Maxwell
as V.P. from Medical Society
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Porter Hall
as Dr. Heywood
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Donivee Lee
as Betty Morton
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Harry Hayden
as Judge Shipman
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Torben Meyer
as Dr. Dahlmeyer
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Victor Potel
as Dental Patient
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Thurston Hall
as Senator Borland
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John Farrell MacDonald
as The Priest
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Robert Dudley
as Cashier-Charles
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Sylvia Field
as Young Mother
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Reginald Sheffield
as Young Father
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Robert Greig
as Morton's Butler
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Sheila Sheldon
as Girl Facing Leg Operation
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Harry Rosenthal
as Mr. Chamberlain
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Frank Moran
as Porter
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Sig Arno
as Whackpot
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Roscoe Ates
as Sign Painter
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Al Bridge
as Mr. Stone
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Georgia Caine
as Mrs. Whitman
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Chester Conklin
as Frightened Patient
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Jimmy Conlin
as Mr. Burnett
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Byron Foulger
as Morton's Office Manager
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Arthur Stuart Hull
as Mr. Whitman
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Esther Howard
as Wells' Ugly Patient
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Arthur Hoyt
as Presidential Secretary
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Emory Parnell
as Gruber Glassware Shop Owner
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Dewey Robinson
as Colonel Lawson
- Harry Carey Sr.
