This Oscar-nominated short film tells the story of the discovery of radium and how it is used in medicine.This Oscar-nominated short film tells the story of the discovery of radium and how it is used in medicine.This Oscar-nominated short film tells the story of the discovery of radium and how it is used in medicine.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Photos
Pete Smith
- Narrator
- (voice)
Margaret Bert
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
André Cheron
- Henri Antoine Becquerel
- (uncredited)
James Conaty
- American Scientist
- (uncredited)
Eddie Hart
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan
- Pierre Curie
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
Featured review
Decent Short
Romance of Radium (1937)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Oscar-nominated Pete Smith short takes a look at radium and how it become so important. Dr. Henri Antoine Becquerel (Andre Cheron) discovers that while radium has the power to kill many it also, if used right, has the power to heal. This is a shockenly sober Smith short, which normally isn't the case with his films. Often times he tells sly jokes or wisecracks but that's not the case here as he takes the subject matter very straight. There were other short series out there doing real-life dramas and I can't help but think one of those would have handled the story better. That's not to say this is a bad film because it isn't but it's not good either. Tourneur's direction really doesn't get to add much since a lot of the action is cut up to tell different parts of the story. The best sequence, where the director does get to work some magic, is when an African tribesman is buried after being injured by a tiger. I won't spoil what happens but it's a very nice sequence.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Oscar-nominated Pete Smith short takes a look at radium and how it become so important. Dr. Henri Antoine Becquerel (Andre Cheron) discovers that while radium has the power to kill many it also, if used right, has the power to heal. This is a shockenly sober Smith short, which normally isn't the case with his films. Often times he tells sly jokes or wisecracks but that's not the case here as he takes the subject matter very straight. There were other short series out there doing real-life dramas and I can't help but think one of those would have handled the story better. That's not to say this is a bad film because it isn't but it's not good either. Tourneur's direction really doesn't get to add much since a lot of the action is cut up to tell different parts of the story. The best sequence, where the director does get to work some magic, is when an African tribesman is buried after being injured by a tiger. I won't spoil what happens but it's a very nice sequence.
helpful•21
- Michael_Elliott
- Feb 13, 2009
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Pete Smith Specialties (1936-1937 Season) #18: The Romance of Radium
- Filming locations
- Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center - 1200 N. State Street, Los Angeles, California, USA(brief exterior shot before scene of lead-lined safe storing radium)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime10 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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