Really Surprised!

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Mervyn LeRoy was a major director for a couple of decades during Hollywood's golden years, and he was certainly prolific, but there is just no denying that he was hopelessly dull. He was like the Ron Howard of the 1940s, making safe, middle brow entertainments for people who don't want to be remotely challenged by having to have a thought of their own while watching a movie."Marie Curie" stars Greer Garson and Walter PIdgeon as the duo whose scientific explorations resulted in the discovery of radium. The film tries awfully hard to make this exciting, but while I'm sure radium is really important and all, it's just not quite the stuff of edge of your seat film making, at least not as delivered here. This is one of about a billion movies made over the years that is only notable now because it was nominated for a bunch of Oscars in its day, but is nothing special when watched all these years later.Garson and Pidgeon both received Oscar nominations a year after they achieved the same feat for "Mrs. Miniver" (Garson won for that film, and deservedly so). "Madame Curie" was also nominated for Best Picture, Best B&W Art Direction (the lab sets do create a very strong sense of time and place), Best B&W Cinematography, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score, and Best Sound Recording.Grade: B

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, with a screenplay by Paul Osborn and Paul Rameau that was based on Madame Ove Curie's book, this above average biographical (if fictionalized) drama features Greer Garson in the title role, with Walter Pidgeon as her husband and co-discoverer.It relates the first years of the woman scientist's educated life, from her early years as Polish student, Maria come Marie Sklodowska (Garson), of Professor Jean Perot's (Albert Bassermann) at the Sorbonne in Paris in the late 19th Century, to her working in Pierre Curie's (Pidgeon) laboratory, their marriage and then research which led to the discovery of radium (and the Nobel Prize in 1903).The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, while Garson and Pidgeon received lead actor nominations; its B&W Art Direction- Interior Decoration and Cinematography, as well as its Sound and Score were also nominated. The cast also includes Robert Walker, C. Aubrey Smith, Dame May Witty, Reginald Owen, Van Johnson who appears as a reporter near the end, and Margaret O'Brien (though most of these appear only briefly). James Hilton narrates. #97 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.Marie was a student who earned the highest honors in her class of physics at the Sorbonne while she worked her last 6 months of school working in Pierre Curie's laboratory, something which had been arranged by her professor, Perot. She had impressed Curie who had previously thought, and communicated with his assistant David Le Gros (Walker), that women had no place in science. After her graduation, Pierre invites Marie to his parents' house in the country, where he plays croquet with his father Eugene (Travers, who like Pidgeon has to sport a ridiculous French mustache and beard) while his mother (Whitty) sizes up Marie.To keep Marie from returning to Warsaw to become a mere teacher, Pierre proposes to Marie in one of the most awkward, funny, and thoroughly delightful (for its professional nature) ways. During their honeymoon, they discuss her doctorate and she expresses an interest in exploring the special rocks that Dr. Becquerel (Owen, recognizable only by his unmistakable voice) had shown her.Upon their return, the Curies begin what was a multi-year series of experiments and research which eventually led to their discovery and then the successful isolation (which included crystallization) of a new element, radium, from the others found in ore. Lord Kelvin (Smith) and Perot visited them shortly before their moment of truth, which occurred in the shack that the university president (Victor Francen) had allowed them to use. During these years, the Curies had a child Irene (O'Brien), who was watched after by his father Eugene, who'd moved in with them after his mother had died of cancer. Gigi Perreau (uncredited) appears later, briefly, as their second child, Eve.Pierre is killed in a street accident and the last 25 years of Madame Curie's research without him isn't shown nor discussed, but merely honored at a speech she gives before an assembly at the film's end.

Polish science student Greer Garson (as Marie Sklodowska) goes to study in Paris and is accepted as an intern by reserved physicist Walter Pidgeon (as Pierre Curie). Ms. Garson's amazing beauty immediately causes Mr. Pidgeon and young assistant Robert Walker (as David Le Gros) to become distracted in the laboratory, but they grow accustomed to her attractiveness. When Garson graduates, she plans on returning to Poland, but Pidgeon proposes she stay and become "Madame Curie". Garson has noticed an irregularity which leads the couple to discover the element radium...This was a prestige project from MGM, which they secured for Greta Garbo. She telegrammed, "Wonderful plans," but requested a complete manuscript. After some scrambling, there was no complete script. At the time, Garbo felt the roles the MGM offered to her were too repetitive. In hindsight, "Madame Curie" doesn't appear all that different from other Garbo roles, so it may have ended well. Garson and "Two-Faced Woman" (1941) photographer Joseph Ruttenberg certainly showed he would good with Garbo, if she was interested in hiving him another shot. The MGM team shows their usual skill throughout, although the resulting film was less than indicated by seven "Academy Award" nominations.****** Madame Curie (12/15/43) Mervyn LeRoy ~ Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Albert Bassermann, Robert Walker

Here we have Greer Garson in the kind of role that would later inspire that wonderful sequence from 'Ziegfeld Follies' (the 'Madame Crematon' impersonation by Judy Garland, a rip-off of Greer in her great lady roles). But, surprisingly or not, Garson and Pidgeon are teamed in a very eloquent and moving biography, one of the more tasteful and dignified bios of the 1940s considering it deals with subject matter not conducive to popular taste. Their long work in the laboratories finally leads to the discovery of radium--and this is the fascinating story of how they met and married and indulged in their lifelong pursuit of discovery. A young and rather miscast Robert Walker plays a fellow lab worker. Van Johnson has a few brief moments toward the end, as does Margaret O'Brien. But the focus is on Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon and they both deliver Oscar nominated performances.This is one of the better screen biographies and one that has been sorely neglected over the years. Watch for my career article on GREER GARSON to appear in an upcoming issue of FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE.