Videos
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell falls in love with deaf girl Mabel Hubbard while teaching the deaf and trying to invent means for telegraphing the human voice. She urges him to put off thoughts of marriage until his experiments are complete. He invents the telephone, marries and becomes rich and famous, though his happiness is threatened when a rival company sets out to ruin him.
rating
6.2
runtime
98 min

Release

1939-04-04

Cast

Don Ameche
Don Ameche
as Alexander Graham Bell
Loretta Young
Loretta Young
as Mrs. Mabel Hubbard Bell
Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
as Thomas Watson
Charles Coburn
Charles Coburn
as Gardner Hubbard
Gene Lockhart
Gene Lockhart
as Thomas Sanders
Spring Byington
Spring Byington
as Mrs. Hubbard
Sally Blane
Sally Blane
as Gertrude Hubbard
Polly Ann Young
Polly Ann Young
as Grace Hubbard
Georgiana Young
Georgiana Young
as Berta Hubbard
Bobs Watson
Bobs Watson
as George Sanders
Russell Hicks
Russell Hicks
as Mr. Barrows
Paul Stanton
Paul Stanton
as Chauncey Smith
Jonathan Hale
Jonathan Hale
as President of Western Union
Harry Davenport
Harry Davenport
as Judge Rider
Beryl Mercer
Beryl Mercer
as Queen Victoria
Elizabeth Patterson
Elizabeth Patterson
as Mrs. MacGregor
Charles Trowbridge
Charles Trowbridge
as George Pollard
Jan Duggan
Jan Duggan
as Mrs. Winthrop
Claire Du Brey
Claire Du Brey
as Landlady
Harry Tyler
Harry Tyler
as Joe Eliot
Ralph Remley
Ralph Remley
as D'Arcy - Singer
Zeffie Tilbury
Zeffie Tilbury
as Mrs. Sanders
Jack Kelly
Jack Kelly
as Banker's Son (uncredited)
Esther Brodelet
Esther Brodelet
as Telephone Operator
Tyler Brooke
Tyler Brooke
as Mr. Calhoun
Nora Cecil
Nora Cecil
as Miss Jenkins
Davison Clark
Davison Clark
as Court Attendant at Door
Dick Elliott
Dick Elliott
as Man Laughing at Demo
Edmund Elton
Edmund Elton
as Banker at Demo
Fern Emmett
Fern Emmett
as Mac Gregor's Maid
Mary Field
Mary Field
as Piano Player
George Guhl
George Guhl
as Mr. Winthrop
Otto Hoffman
Otto Hoffman
as Pawnbroker
Warren Jackson
Warren Jackson
as Tom
Frank Jaquet
Frank Jaquet
as Edward
Sheldon Jett
Sheldon Jett
as New England Telephone Company Executive
Edward Keane
Edward Keane
as Banker at Demo
Crauford Kent
Crauford Kent
as General
Edward LeSaint
Edward LeSaint
as Banker at Demonstration
Jarold Clifford Lyons
Jarold Clifford Lyons
as Infant
Dave Morris
Dave Morris
as Telegrapher
Ottola Nesmith
Ottola Nesmith
as Nora
Ruth Robinson
Ruth Robinson
as Nurse
John Graham Spacey
John Graham Spacey
as Sir John Cowell
Landers Stevens
Landers Stevens
as Manager of New England Telephone Exchange
Charles Tannen
Charles Tannen
as Court Clerk
William Wagner
William Wagner
Eddy Waller
Eddy Waller
as Storekeeper
Jack Walsh
Jack Walsh
as James J. Starrow
Lillian West
Lillian West
as Sanders' Nurse
John Elliott
John Elliott
as Banker at Demo
REVIEWS
NA

Geronimo1967

Don Ameche takes the title role in this biopic of the Boston-based Scotsman credited with the invention of the telephone, and he does bring a certain passion to an otherwise rather procedural drama. The story traces the development of his experiments with his friend Thomas Watson (Henry Fonda) and parallels with his budding romance with Mabel (Loretta Young) and for much of the time, it rather uncomfortably straddles the line between science and melodrama. The last twenty minutes - including a visit to Queen Victoria and a court case to establish the legitimacy of his patents, livens the thing up a bit and the supporting cast of Charles Coburn and Gene Lockhart add value, but it needed to focus more of the reason we know of the man, and of the huge significance of his technological advancement. Worth a watch for Ameche's performance, still, though.

NA

tmcd77

Worth a watch once, but that's it. The reason for watching, the invention of the Telephone, is largely glossed over and background noise. The main thrust of this story is a little too Mills & Boon, Bell falling in love with the deaf daughter of one of his backers. Very much an aged Romantic Drama of the early talkies era.