Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
(1940)
103 mins | Drama | 2 March 1940
Director:
William DieterleWriters:
John Huston, Heinz Herald, Norman BurnsideCinematographer:
James Wong HoweEditor:
Warren LowProduction Designer:
Carl Jules WeylProduction Company:
Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.The working titles of this film were The Life of Dr. Ehrlich , A Magic Bullet, Test 606 and The Story of Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet. An onscreen prologue reads: "This picture is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Paul Ehrlich whose dream it was to create out of chemicals 'magic bullets' with which to fight the scourges of mankind...and this is the story of his devotion to that ideal." The film ends with the following written epilogue: "...And the temples to his memory are the bodies of human beings purified and made whole." The reviews note that the screenplay was based upon material in the possession of the Ehrlich family.
According to materials contained in the MPPDA/PCA files at the AMPAS Library, the PCA was reluctant to award a certificate of approval to this film. The code specifically forbade the use of venereal disease as a subject for films and consequently, executive producer Hal Wallis argued that the picture was not about venereal disease but a biographical film about Dr. Ehrlich. Wallis compared the film to The Life of Emile Zola and The Story of Louis Pasteur. In fact, the original title of the film, Test 606 was rejected by the MPPDA Title Committee because it referred to the cure for syphilis. The studio then changed the title to Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, thus changing the focus of the film to Dr. Ehrlich's achievements rather than his cure for syphilis. Although Joseph I. Breen, director of the PCA, accepted Wallis's argument, he worried that if ...
The working titles of this film were The Life of Dr. Ehrlich , A Magic Bullet, Test 606 and The Story of Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet. An onscreen prologue reads: "This picture is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Paul Ehrlich whose dream it was to create out of chemicals 'magic bullets' with which to fight the scourges of mankind...and this is the story of his devotion to that ideal." The film ends with the following written epilogue: "...And the temples to his memory are the bodies of human beings purified and made whole." The reviews note that the screenplay was based upon material in the possession of the Ehrlich family.
According to materials contained in the MPPDA/PCA files at the AMPAS Library, the PCA was reluctant to award a certificate of approval to this film. The code specifically forbade the use of venereal disease as a subject for films and consequently, executive producer Hal Wallis argued that the picture was not about venereal disease but a biographical film about Dr. Ehrlich. Wallis compared the film to The Life of Emile Zola and The Story of Louis Pasteur. In fact, the original title of the film, Test 606 was rejected by the MPPDA Title Committee because it referred to the cure for syphilis. The studio then changed the title to Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, thus changing the focus of the film to Dr. Ehrlich's achievements rather than his cure for syphilis. Although Joseph I. Breen, director of the PCA, accepted Wallis's argument, he worried that if the picture was awarded a certificate, it would open up the topic of venereal disease for discussion. In order to win approval, Wallis appealed to Will H. Hays, the president of the MPPDA, who issued a special executive order allowing the picture to be made. Hays directed the studio to minimize all references to syphilis and reduce it to an incident rather than the subject of the picture. He also instructed the studio to delete all scenes dealing with the treatment of syphilis and to refrain from mentioning the disease in advertising and publicity campaigns. The film was rejected in Peru and received an "adult permit" in England with the proviso that all use of the word syphilis be deleted from the film. John Huston, Heinz Herald and Norman Burnside were nominated for an Academy Award in the Writing (Original Screenplay) category.
Test 606
The Life of Dr. Ehrlich
The Story of Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
Discharged from his Berlin hospital post in the latter half of the 19th century for opposing the primitive medical treatments perscribed by his superiors, Dr. Paul Ehrlich goes on to develop a dye which delineates the tubercule bacillus . For his achievement, Ehrlich is awarded a position by the famous research bacteriologist Dr. Robert Koch. Ehrlich's exposure to tuberculosis has infected him with the disease, however, and he is forced to travel to Egypt for his health. There, while treating a snake bite victim, he conceives of the idea of anti-toxins, and upon his return to Germany, Ehrlich works with his friend, Dr. Emil von Behring, to develop a serum for diptheria. After their development of a vaccination that arrests the diptheria epidemic, Ehrlich pursues his dream of finding a "magic bullet" to destroy invading microbes. He spends fifteen years developing a theory of how nature fights disease, and for his efforts is awarded the Nobel Prize and an institute in which to work. There he launches a series of experiments which apply his theory to the task of curing disease, but his efforts are attacked by a recalcitrant medical community, led by his old friend Behring. Assailed on two fronts, Ehrlich struggles to develop a cure for syphilis while fighting to keep his budget intact. When his budget is cut in half, he turns to wealthy widow Franziska Speyer for funding. Six hundred-and-six experiments later, he discovers the cure for syphilis, and in the hope of saving lives, is persuaded to release the formula before testing is completed. Finding himself under atack when a few patients die from ...
Discharged from his Berlin hospital post in the latter half of the 19th century for opposing the primitive medical treatments perscribed by his superiors, Dr. Paul Ehrlich goes on to develop a dye which delineates the tubercule bacillus . For his achievement, Ehrlich is awarded a position by the famous research bacteriologist Dr. Robert Koch. Ehrlich's exposure to tuberculosis has infected him with the disease, however, and he is forced to travel to Egypt for his health. There, while treating a snake bite victim, he conceives of the idea of anti-toxins, and upon his return to Germany, Ehrlich works with his friend, Dr. Emil von Behring, to develop a serum for diptheria. After their development of a vaccination that arrests the diptheria epidemic, Ehrlich pursues his dream of finding a "magic bullet" to destroy invading microbes. He spends fifteen years developing a theory of how nature fights disease, and for his efforts is awarded the Nobel Prize and an institute in which to work. There he launches a series of experiments which apply his theory to the task of curing disease, but his efforts are attacked by a recalcitrant medical community, led by his old friend Behring. Assailed on two fronts, Ehrlich struggles to develop a cure for syphilis while fighting to keep his budget intact. When his budget is cut in half, he turns to wealthy widow Franziska Speyer for funding. Six hundred-and-six experiments later, he discovers the cure for syphilis, and in the hope of saving lives, is persuaded to release the formula before testing is completed. Finding himself under atack when a few patients die from adverse reaction, Ehrlich is finally vindicated in a court trial led by Behring. The struggle has drained the doctor's health, however, and Ehrlich pays for the development of his miracle cure with the cost of his own life.
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