MADAME CURIE
US, 1943, 124 minutes, Black and white.
Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Walker, Dame May Whitty, C. Aubrey Smith, Van Johnson.
Directed by Mervyn Le Roy.
Madame Curie followed Blossoms In The Dust and Mrs Miniver with the casting of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. They were to star in other films including Mrs. Parkington, The Miniver Story, Scandal At Scourie, Julia Misbehaves. This is an attractive romanticised biography of Madame Curie and her husband, Pierre.
The focus is on Greer Garson and she gives a dignified and elevated performance as Madame Curie, perhaps too dignified. Walter Pidgeon is more robust as Pierre. There is an interesting supporting cast with good performances from Henry Travers and Dame May Whitty as Pierre's parents. Robert Walker and Van Johnson appear in early roles as does Margaret O'Brien. The film has all the gloss and the literate biographical presentation of important people. It is in the vein of the Warner Bros. biographies of the thirties but done with more measured pace. Direction is by Mervyn Le Roy who made the move from gangster films and thrillers to this kind of romantic film in the forties - directing Greer Garson in Blossoms In The Dust and Random Harvest.
1. An interesting biography of a celebrated woman? A romantic drama? The presentation of a story elevating the human spirit - especially important during World, War II? How well does it stand now - in comparison with biographies of its time, with later cinema and television treatments?
2. Production values, black and white photography, sets -and decor, atmosphere, romantic score? The teaming of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon and their popularity during the forties?
3. The film as a Greer Garson vehicle? The introduction to Marie and her being highlighted (haloed?) in her lecture? The growth of a Polish migrant skilled in science? Her marriage? Her research? experimentation? Her intuitions and hardiness in pursuing scientific success and acclaim? Greer Garson's style in portraying Madame Curie?
4. How romanticised a biography? How accurate? The portrait of Marie and her Polish background, studies in Paris, poverty, opportunity, success in exams? The courtship of Pierre Curie? Marriage? The happiness of their marriage, family? Insight into radium, the long years of experimentation? Pierre's death? Madame Curie's place in French history, the history of science? The final claim?
5. Greer Garson's portrait of Marie, Marie as a character? Charm, gracious presence, hard-headed enterprise? Her studies and the encounter with the professor who helped her, the party and the encounter with Pierre Curie, research assistance, decision to go back to Poland, the weekend in the country, the acceptance of Pierre's proposal, the wedding, their children? Their researches? The curiosity about radium? Their applications for support? The use of the shed? The hard work, the storms, the heat? Their disappointments? The visit of the English scientist? The discovery and the achievement? The build-up to the evening out, Marie's dress, Pierre's buying the earrings? Her having to cope with his death? Her initial inability? The achievement after so many decades?
6. Walter Pidgeon's performance as Pierre? Caught up in science, anti-woman, his assistant David, the fascination with Marie, his whistling, the weekend, his proposal in the middle of the night, his skill at his work? His supporting his wife? The hard years of the experiments and, his continued support of her? The element? His last day and its happiness? The absentmindedness of his walking, his death?
7. The sketch of Pierre's parents - humorous touch, humane? The weekend in the country? The visit for the meal and the pair rushing to their experiments his mother's death from cancer?
8. The incidental characters and their contribution - the kindly professor and his bringing the English scientist to visit the Curies? David and his admiration for Marie? Van Johnson as the reporter wanting to get an interview with Madame Curie? The scientists, the Curie's children?
9. The dramatic focus of the film with the presuppositions about science, the role of women in science? The establishing of the elements? The breakthrough to the discovery of radium? The repercussions for the Curies' life in terms of time, money, energy, the burns on Marie's hand? The risks to health?
10. The achievement of the Curies in the discovery of radium - its adverse effects, its curative effects? Faith in the contribution of science and the need for pursuit of scientific discovery?
11. The impact of the film during the war - for morale-boosting? Its status now as a classic film biography? As a film showing the popularity of the team of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon?
