The Great Moment (1944)

83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(86 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

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Preston Sturges
Written By: Rene Fulop-Miller, Preston Sturges
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 24, 1921 Wide
On DVD: Nov 21, 2006
Studio: MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

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.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
One of lesser known gems by master Preston Sturges.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Director Sturges, better known for his comedies, handles the drama and story well.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A very agreeable biopic that is both delightfully comical and insightfully touching.
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.
, Film4
An interesting failure of a movie.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stephen M

This biopic about William Thomas Green Morton (Joel McCrea), pioneer in the use of ether as a surgical anaesthetic, was a curious but not altogether successful departure for Preston Sturges. After a scrappy and sombre opening, during which the story threatens to unfold in reverse… More
This biopic about William Thomas Green Morton (Joel McCrea), pioneer in the use of ether as a surgical anaesthetic, was a curious but not altogether successful departure for Preston Sturges. After a scrappy and sombre opening, during which the story threatens to unfold in reverse chronological order, the film settles into a lengthy flashback, lightens considerably and becomes very entertaining. It's almost as if Sturges set out to tell a sad tale with due solemnity (of a man who never received the recognition he deserved), managed to get so far into it and then couldn't resist throwing in some gags. Consequently, the film is never quite as funny as you want it to be but far too flippant to serve as a credible biopic. The performances, however, are uniformly excellent. Well worth seeing.

Cast

            Joel McCrea as W.T.G. Morton

            Betty Field as Elizabeth Morton

            Harry Carey as Prof. Warren

            William Demarest as Eben Frost

            Franklin Pangborn as Dr. Heywood

            Louis Jean Heydt as Dr. Horace Wells

            Julius Tannen as Dr. Jackson

            Grady Sutton as Homer Quimby Early Patient

            Edwin Maxwell as V.P. from Medical Society

            Porter Hall as Dr. Heywood

            Donivee Lee as Betty Morton

            Harry Hayden as Judge Shipman

            Torben Meyer as Dr. Dahlmeyer

            Victor Potel as Dental Patient

            Thurston Hall as Senator Borland

            John Farrell MacDonald as The Priest

            Robert Dudley as Cashier-Charles

            Sylvia Field as Young Mother

            Reginald Sheffield as Young Father

            Robert Greig as Morton's Butler

            Sheila Sheldon as Girl Facing Leg Operation

            Harry Rosenthal as Mr. Chamberlain

            Frank Moran as Porter

            Sig Arno as Whackpot

            Roscoe Ates as Sign Painter

            Al Bridge as Mr. Stone

            Georgia Caine as Mrs. Whitman

            Chester Conklin as Frightened Patient

            Jimmy Conlin as Mr. Burnett

            Byron Foulger as Morton's Office Manager

            Arthur Stuart Hull as Mr. Whitman

            Esther Howard as Wells' Ugly Patient

            Arthur Hoyt as Presidential Secretary

            Emory Parnell as Gruber Glassware Shop Owner

            Dewey Robinson as Colonel Lawson

            Harry Carey Sr.
            
See full cast