THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (Warner Brothers, 1936), directed by William Dieterle, starring Paul Muni, might have become a box-office failure considering its then theatrical popularity being swashbucklers, screwball comedies, love stories, screen adaptations to literary classics or the musicals. As much as a life story about a 19th century French scientist would only have limited appeal, being more of a history lesson retold on screen rather than history lesson taught in the classroom, the movie itself went into production anyway. Having little or no expectation except for Paul Muni, the sort of actor willing to assume the gamble to a point of not even caring if the movie proved popular or not, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR not only became an unexpected success, paving the way for other biographical stories to follow, but won Paul Muni the Academy Award as Best Actor for his memorable performance.
Rather than starting the story of Louis Pasteur as a child, leading to his scientific profession and courtship with his future wife, the original story and screenplay by Sheridan Gibney and Pierre Collins gets down to basics starting in 1860 with the shooting of Doctor Francois (William Burress) by an irate husband (William B. Davidson) whose wife died under his carelessness by using dirty instruments for treatment. After the husband presents the reasons for his actions to the police with a newspaper clipping by Louis Pasteur stating how microbes cause diseases and death, the scientists of the French Academy label Pasteur as a "menace to science." Louis Pasteur (Paul Muni) is then introduced as a chemist with a young wife, Marie (Josephine Hutchinson), and father to three children, the eldest being a daughter named Annette (Anita Louise). Pasteur expresses his reasoning and anger through the ignorance of doctors who fail to boil their instruments and wash their hands to kill germs before attending to their patients. Disbelieved or ridiculed by the doctors, Pasteur's theories are believed by few, including Doctor Jean Martel (Donald Woods), a young physical and surgeon working under Doctor Charbonnet (Fritz Lieber). Martel leaves Charbonnet's employ to work under Pasteur and Doctor Emile Roux (Henry O'Neill), dedicating themselves pursuing the deadly microbes that cause antrax and hydrophobia and cures, followed by Pasteur's painstaking attempt to find the cure for rabies as found on Philip Meister (Dickie Moore), a little boy left under his care, and testings on the child that could lead to Pasteur's imprisonment if he should fail.
The supporting cast also includes: Porter Hall (Doctor Rosignol); Raymond Brown (Doctor Aradisse); Akim Tamiroff (Doctor Zaranoff); Iphigenie Castiglioni (Empress Eugenie); and Halliwell Hobbes (Doctor Lister from England), among others. The romantic interest between Donald Woods and Anita Louise is limited, while Josephine Hutchinson enacts her character typical fashion of the devoted and caring wife believing in her husband's scientific research. (Whatever became of the two younger Pasteur children seen early in the story before disappearing from view with no explanation?) The plot, in general, offers enough material to provide the story of Louis Pasteur, with extended scenes of investigation of the anthrax disease at the Pouilly Le Fort, dividing 24 vaccinated sheep with 24 non-vaccinated ones to see which ones survive; Pasteur's desperation in having Doctor Charbonnet follow his method of delivering his daughter's baby; but eliminates the use and term of "pasteurization" of milk for which he is most famous.
While there have been earlier biographical stories, many of them being more fiction than fact, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR is no different, offering its blend of both, which really doesn't hurt the concept of the story by any means. At 85 minutes rather than an overblown two hour plus spectacle, Paul Muni, with glasses, beard but minus French accent, is the whole show here. He alone makes it worth viewing. His success would follow with other biographical successes and heavy makeup for THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) and JUAREZ (1939), but it's Muni's Pasteur that's most remembered while Muni, the Actor himself, is virtually forgotten today. Distributed on video cassette in the 1990s, and later DVD, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR can be seen and historically studied for examination term paper in science class on Turner Classic Movies. (***1/2 microscopes)
Rather than starting the story of Louis Pasteur as a child, leading to his scientific profession and courtship with his future wife, the original story and screenplay by Sheridan Gibney and Pierre Collins gets down to basics starting in 1860 with the shooting of Doctor Francois (William Burress) by an irate husband (William B. Davidson) whose wife died under his carelessness by using dirty instruments for treatment. After the husband presents the reasons for his actions to the police with a newspaper clipping by Louis Pasteur stating how microbes cause diseases and death, the scientists of the French Academy label Pasteur as a "menace to science." Louis Pasteur (Paul Muni) is then introduced as a chemist with a young wife, Marie (Josephine Hutchinson), and father to three children, the eldest being a daughter named Annette (Anita Louise). Pasteur expresses his reasoning and anger through the ignorance of doctors who fail to boil their instruments and wash their hands to kill germs before attending to their patients. Disbelieved or ridiculed by the doctors, Pasteur's theories are believed by few, including Doctor Jean Martel (Donald Woods), a young physical and surgeon working under Doctor Charbonnet (Fritz Lieber). Martel leaves Charbonnet's employ to work under Pasteur and Doctor Emile Roux (Henry O'Neill), dedicating themselves pursuing the deadly microbes that cause antrax and hydrophobia and cures, followed by Pasteur's painstaking attempt to find the cure for rabies as found on Philip Meister (Dickie Moore), a little boy left under his care, and testings on the child that could lead to Pasteur's imprisonment if he should fail.
The supporting cast also includes: Porter Hall (Doctor Rosignol); Raymond Brown (Doctor Aradisse); Akim Tamiroff (Doctor Zaranoff); Iphigenie Castiglioni (Empress Eugenie); and Halliwell Hobbes (Doctor Lister from England), among others. The romantic interest between Donald Woods and Anita Louise is limited, while Josephine Hutchinson enacts her character typical fashion of the devoted and caring wife believing in her husband's scientific research. (Whatever became of the two younger Pasteur children seen early in the story before disappearing from view with no explanation?) The plot, in general, offers enough material to provide the story of Louis Pasteur, with extended scenes of investigation of the anthrax disease at the Pouilly Le Fort, dividing 24 vaccinated sheep with 24 non-vaccinated ones to see which ones survive; Pasteur's desperation in having Doctor Charbonnet follow his method of delivering his daughter's baby; but eliminates the use and term of "pasteurization" of milk for which he is most famous.
While there have been earlier biographical stories, many of them being more fiction than fact, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR is no different, offering its blend of both, which really doesn't hurt the concept of the story by any means. At 85 minutes rather than an overblown two hour plus spectacle, Paul Muni, with glasses, beard but minus French accent, is the whole show here. He alone makes it worth viewing. His success would follow with other biographical successes and heavy makeup for THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) and JUAREZ (1939), but it's Muni's Pasteur that's most remembered while Muni, the Actor himself, is virtually forgotten today. Distributed on video cassette in the 1990s, and later DVD, THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR can be seen and historically studied for examination term paper in science class on Turner Classic Movies. (***1/2 microscopes)