The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
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- Approved
- 1h 38min
- Biography, Drama
- 14 Apr 1939 (USA)
- Movie
The story of how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Don Ameche | ... |
Alexander Graham Bell
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| Loretta Young | ... |
Mrs. Mabel Hubbard Bell
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| Henry Fonda | ... |
Thomas Watson
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| Charles Coburn | ... |
Gardner Hubbard
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| Gene Lockhart | ... |
Thomas Sanders
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| Spring Byington | ... |
Mrs. Hubbard
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| Sally Blane | ... |
Gertrude Hubbard
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| Polly Ann Young | ... |
Grace Hubbard
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| Georgiana Young | ... |
Berta Hubbard
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| Bobs Watson | ... |
George Sanders
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| Russell Hicks | ... |
Mr. Barrows
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| Paul Stanton | ... |
Chauncey Smith
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| Jonathan Hale | ... |
President of Western Union
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| Harry Davenport | ... |
Judge Rider
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| Beryl Mercer | ... |
Queen Victoria
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| Elizabeth Patterson | ... |
Mrs. Mac Gregor
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| Charles Trowbridge | ... |
George Pollard
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| Jan Duggan | ... |
Mrs. Winthrop
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| Claire Du Brey | ... |
Landlady
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| Harry Tyler | ... |
Joe Eliot
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Ralph Remley | ... |
D'Arcy - Singer
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| Zeffie Tilbury | ... |
Mrs. Sanders
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Esther Brodelet | ... |
Telephone Operator (uncredited)
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| Tyler Brooke | ... |
Mr. Calhoun (uncredited)
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| Nora Cecil | ... |
Miss Jenkins (uncredited)
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Davison Clark | ... |
Court Attendant at Door (uncredited)
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| Dick Elliott | ... |
Man Laughing at Demo (uncredited)
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| John Elliott | ... |
Banker at Demo (uncredited)
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Edmund Elton | ... |
Banker at Demo (uncredited)
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| Fern Emmett | ... |
Mac Gregor's Maid (uncredited)
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| Mary Field | ... |
Piano Player (uncredited)
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| George Guhl | ... |
Mr. Winthrop (uncredited)
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| Otto Hoffman | ... |
Pawnbroker (uncredited)
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Warren Jackson | ... |
Tom (uncredited)
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| Frank Jaquet | ... |
Edward (uncredited)
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Sheldon Jett | ... |
New England Telephone Company Executive (uncredited)
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Edward Keane | ... |
Banker at Demo (uncredited)
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| Jack Kelly | ... |
Banker's Son (uncredited)
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| Crauford Kent | ... |
General (uncredited)
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| Edward LeSaint | ... |
Banker at Demonstration (uncredited)
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Jarold Clifford Lyons | ... |
Infant (uncredited)
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| Dave Morris | ... |
Telegrapher (uncredited)
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| Ottola Nesmith | ... |
Nora (uncredited)
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Ruth Robinson | ... |
Nurse (uncredited)
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| John Graham Spacey | ... |
Sir John Cowell (uncredited)
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| Landers Stevens | ... |
Manager of New England Telephone Exchange (uncredited)
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| Charles Tannen | ... |
Court Clerk (uncredited)
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William Wagner | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Eddy Waller | ... |
Storekeeper (uncredited)
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Jack Walsh | ... |
James J. Starrow (uncredited)
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Lillian West | ... |
Sanders' Nurse (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Irving Cummings | ||
Written by
| Ray Harris | ... | (story) |
| Lamar Trotti | ... | (screenplay) |
| Boris Ingster | ... | (contributor to screenplay construction) (uncredited) |
| Milton Sperling | ... | (contributor to screenplay construction) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Kenneth Macgowan | ... | associate producer |
| Darryl F. Zanuck | ... | producer |
Music by
| Ernst Toch | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Leon Shamroy | ... | (photography) |
Editing by
| Walter Thompson | ||
Art Direction by
| Richard Day | ||
| Mark-Lee Kirk | ||
Set Decoration by
| Thomas Little | ||
Costume Design by
| Royer | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Ad Schaumer | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Roger Heman Sr. | ... | sound (as Roger Heman) |
| Arthur von Kirbach | ... | sound |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Sam Benson | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Louis Silvers | ... | musical director |
Additional Crew
| Harry Lloyd Morris | ... | technical advisor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1939) (United States) (theatrical) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
- Twentieth Century Fox (1939) (France) (theatrical)
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (1956) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Fox Video (1996) (United States) (VHS)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (United States) (DVD) (20th Century Fox Cinema Archives)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
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.
Written by Ed Stephan |
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| Taglines | Darryl F. Zanuck's Entertainment gem will take its place in the Hall of Fame ! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | After the film was released, the telephone was commonly called the "Ameche," a slang term referring to actor Don Ameche who played the telephone's inventor. This association is explained in the film Ball of Fire (1941), showing the term was still in use two years after the release of the original film. See more » |
| Goofs | One of the stories in the movie, that is set in 1873, is that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone "in his youth". But the first telephone was invented by Antonio Meucci in 1860 and Johann Philipp Reis in 1861, who also called his device "telephone", not Bell as it's stated in the movie. Bell didn't invent THE telephone but A telephone, the Bell-telephone. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978). See more » |
| Soundtracks | The First Noel See more » |
| Quotes |
Mrs. Hubbard:
Mr. Watson, please eat something. You must have the appetite of a bird. Thomas Watson: Yes, Ma'am, a vulture. See more » |