Edison, the Man

(1940)

107 minutes

Biography

Directed by Clarence Brown

Cast:

Spencer Tracy as Thomas Alva Edison
Rita Johnson as Mary Stillwell
Lynne Overman as James J. 'Bunt' Cavatt
Charles Coburn as General Powell
Gene Lockhart as Mr. Taggart
Henry Travers as Ben Els
Felix Bressart as Michael Simon, Edison's assistant
Peter Godfrey as Bob Ashton
Guy D'Ennery as Lundstrom
Byron Fougler as Edwin Hall
Milton Parsons as 'Acid' Graham

Edison, the Man trailer

In 1940, MGM produced two pictures spanning the life of legendary inventor and thinker Thomas Alva Edison. This sequel to Young Tom Edison (starring Mickey Rooney) is a thought-provoking portrait of the man behind some of the most important inventions of the 20th century . On the 50th anniversary of Edison's greatest invention, the incandescent lightbulb, the elderly man thinks back on his life and his most creative period. He remembers the early setbacks in his career, his undaunting determination, and his happy family life with his wife, Mary Stillwell.