YOUNG TOM EDISON
US, 1940, 86 minutes, Black and white.
Mickey Rooney, Fay Bainter, George Bancroft, Virginia Weidler, Eugene Pallette, Bobby Jordan, Lloyd Corrigan, J.M.Kerrigan.
Directed by Norman Taurog.
Young Tom Edison is a very enjoyable biography of the famous inventor. While the film has a very folksy way of telling its story, commentators have pointed out that many of the episodes, seemingly exaggerated for a film story, are in fact true, including the rescue of the little boy from the train line and the oncoming train.
This is middle America in the 1860s, the small town, George Bancroft as Sam Edison, a worker with a good reputation but rather stern towards towards his children, not affirming Tom and his enterprise. Fay Bainter is Tom’s mother (and she had just won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Jezebel). Virginia Weidler is enterprising as Tom’s younger sister.
However, the main interest in the film is seeing Mickey Rooney as the young Tom Edison, at a time when Rooney had been in many supporting roles as a child in a family, but he had become Andy Hardy. He is a touch more subdued in this role, and all the better for the serious approach to the portrait of Edison.
The film shows how he was misunderstood at school, considered addled. He loves doing experiments, is continually curious. After an explosion at school he is refused admission. He also gets up to pranks, using the telegraph to warn surrounding towns that Indians were attacking. However, he is shown as a young man of enterprise, sales on a train, printing news about the war, but actually taking nitro glycerin on the train and causing havoc.
The film shows something of his genius in his using lanterns and mirrors to provide enough nightlight for his mother’s operation and using Morse code for his sister on an oncoming train that a bridge had collapsed.
At the end of the film, Spencer Tracy is seen admiring a picture of Edison – a prelude to the next film with Tracy, Edison the Man.
1. Thomas Edison and his reputation? Memories of him as an inventor, genius? 19th-century figure for the 20th century? Audience knowledge of him?
2. MGM production values, 1940, Mickey Rooney and his status, the cast? The preparation for the sequel with Spencer Tracy?
3. The touches of folksy storytelling? A tribute, accuracy despite the seemingly far-fetched stories? Acknowledging the difficulties in Edison’s childhood, yet his perpetual curiosity?
4. The town, the midwest, the 1860s, homes, the streets, workplaces, stores, school, the railroads? The countryside, the river, the bridge? The technological aspects, the telegraph? The musical score?
5. The Edison family, the strict father, his work, reputation, beating his son, not affirming him? Mother, love, tender, spoiling him, the older brother and his absence? The younger sister, good friends, sharing their experiences?
6. Mickey Rooney as Tom, his age, the experiments in the basement, his curiosity, the hazards, at school, daydreaming, asking questions, the spinster teacher and her severe attitude, calling him addled? The visit to the family and Mrs Edison ousting her? The kids, playing together, bullying Tom and his sister? The explosion at school, the beating, his not being welcome at school? At the station, sending the message on the telegraph about the dangers from Indians? His rescuing the young boy and the father’s gratitude? On the train, selling the candy, the decision to start a business, the range of customers, friendship, Mr Nelson and his role in the train, leniency towards Tom? The printer on board? The military connections, printing the news about the war, Tom’s success? His buying the great range of books?
7. The detail at home, meals, the singing at the piano, his mother’s illness?
8. Taking the nitroglycerin on the train, the military, lowering the explosive into the river?
9. His bad reputation in the town, the storekeeper, his son, the other boys? Giving the boy the powder and his being sick?
10. Tom, deciding to run away, at the train, his mother’s illness, his sister coming to find him, the doctor, the need for an operation, his wariness about the light, the mirror and the lamps, saving Mrs Edison? The shop, returning the mirror, its being smashed, the father coming straight from the train, unaware of what had happened, severe with Tom? The later confrontation, father and son, punching father and son in the store?
11. The episode when the bridge was down, Tom and the idea of Morse Code, people laughing at him, his being allowed on the train, repeating the signal, his sister and brother on the other train, Mr Nelson and his scepticism, the bridge down, stopping the train on time, congratulations and Tom a hero?
12. His leaving his home town, the farewell, into his adult life and achievement – and the glimpse of Spencer Tracy at the end looking at Edison’s portrait?
