Movies - The Magic Bullet

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	Movies - The Magic Bullet

The Magic Bullet, also known as Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullets, is a 1940 movie starring Edward G. Robinson, based on a true story.

Paul Ehrlich (Edward G. Robinson) is a physician working in a German hospital who is dismissed for his constant disregard for hospital rules, which are bound by bureaucratic red tape. He assists Dr. Koch (Albert Basserman) in the successful staining of a tuberculosis virus, but is infected with the deadly disease. Ehrlich travels with his wife Hedwig (Ruth Gordon) to Egypt for recovery, but discovers the properties the body has in regard to immunity, which helps Ehrlich and colleague Emil von Behring (Otto Kruger) in fighting a diphtheria epidemic killing off many children in the country. The two doctors are rewarded for their efforts, and Ehrlich works to create his "magic bullets"- chemicals injected into the blood which can fight various diseases. The medical board, headed by Dr. Hans Wolfert (Sig Rumann), believes much off Ehrlich's work is a waste of money and resources and fight for a reduction, just as Ehrlich begins work on a cure for syphilis. Ehrlich is financially backed by a rich widow (Maria Ouspenskaya) and after 606 tries he discovers the remedy for the disease which meets with success. The joy is short lived as 38 patients given the treatment die and Dr. Wolfert takes Ehrlich to trial to stop the use of 606, but Dr. Von Bering (who had earlier told Ehrlich to give up his pipe dreams of cure by chemicals) believes that 606 is responsible for the death of syphilis itself. Ehrlich is exonerated, but the strain and stress from the trial are too much for his ill body and dies shortly thereafter, not before telling his assistants and colleagues about taking risks in regards to medicine.

The film was released by Warner Brothers in 1940, with some controversy considering the subject of syphilis in a major studio release. It has been said that the film was the favorite of its star, Edward G. Robinson. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for its Original Screenplay (by Norman Burnstine, Heinz Herald, and John Huston) but lost to The Great McGinty.

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