A medical researcher is sent to a plague outbreak, where he has to decide priorities for the use of a vaccine.A medical researcher is sent to a plague outbreak, where he has to decide priorities for the use of a vaccine.A medical researcher is sent to a plague outbreak, where he has to decide priorities for the use of a vaccine.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 4 nominations total
Alec B. Francis
- Twyford
- (as Alec Francis)
Erville Alderson
- Pioneer
- (uncredited)
Beulah Bondi
- Mrs. Tozer
- (uncredited)
Florence Britton
- Miss Twyford
- (uncredited)
Josephine Brown
- West Indies Village Bride
- (uncredited)
Nora Cecil
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCensorship at the time meant that the subplot of Arrowsmith's liaison with another woman while still married meant that most of Myrna Loy's scenes were drastically cut. Although every attempt was made to restore the present version to its original length, there are still about 10 minutes missing.
- GoofsIn the night scene outside the research building when Dr. Arrowsmith's wife catches up to him, the snow becomes very scant and then a whole clump of snow falls, which looks like a stage hand got behind on their snowfall duties and then panicked.
- Quotes
Dr. Martin Arrowsmith: God give me clear eyes and freedom from haste. God give me anger against all pretense. God keep me looking for my own mistakes. God keep me at it till my results are proven. God give me strength not to trust to God.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: The story of a man who dedicated his life to service and his heart to the love of one woman.
- Alternate versionsMyrna Loy's role was substantially reduced when the film was reissued because the Production Code had taken effect. The missing scenes have been restored on the DVD.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Citizen Kane (1941)
- SoundtracksWilliam Tell Overture
(1829) (uncredited)
Written by Gioachino Rossini
Played on piano from a recording
Featured review
Tepid Version of Sinclair Lewis Classic
Pretty draggy screen version of Sinclair Lewis's sensational novel about a small-town doctor who must navigate the murky place between contributing to scientific truth and helping people get better.
Ronald Colman plays Arrowsmith as well as he can, though his dandified diction and general European air were at odds with my image of the character. The film feels truncated and half baked, not surprising since it condenses a meaty novel into about 100 minutes.
"Arrowsmith" was nominated for four Oscars in the 1931-32 award year, and actually tied with "The Champ" for the most nominated film of the year (can you believe there was a time when the most nominated film would only have 4 nominations?). But it lost all of them, and honestly it didn't really deserve to win any of them. The only one I might be able to argue for is Richard Day's art direction, which takes the story from small midwestern farm houses to the tropics of the West Indies. Its other three nominations included Best Picture (in a year that saw eight nominees in this category), Best Writing (Adaptation), and Best Cinematography.
John Ford, who directed, shows none of the style and stateliness he would bring to his later career.
Grade: B-
Ronald Colman plays Arrowsmith as well as he can, though his dandified diction and general European air were at odds with my image of the character. The film feels truncated and half baked, not surprising since it condenses a meaty novel into about 100 minutes.
"Arrowsmith" was nominated for four Oscars in the 1931-32 award year, and actually tied with "The Champ" for the most nominated film of the year (can you believe there was a time when the most nominated film would only have 4 nominations?). But it lost all of them, and honestly it didn't really deserve to win any of them. The only one I might be able to argue for is Richard Day's art direction, which takes the story from small midwestern farm houses to the tropics of the West Indies. Its other three nominations included Best Picture (in a year that saw eight nominees in this category), Best Writing (Adaptation), and Best Cinematography.
John Ford, who directed, shows none of the style and stateliness he would bring to his later career.
Grade: B-
helpful•81
- evanston_dad
- Jan 23, 2018
- How long is Arrowsmith?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- El doctor Arrowsmith
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1
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