After producing, writing and directing one hit film after another, Preston Sturges finally misfired with the biopic The Great Moment. Sturges was always fascinated with the saga of W.T.G. Morton, the 19th century Boston dentist who, after inventing the first truly effective anesthesia, was forced to give up his proprietary interest in the invention and ended up dying in poverty and obscurity. Joel McCrea stars as Morton, a young oral surgeon determined to find a painless method for exracting teeth-which he does, virtually ...
Read More
After producing, writing and directing one hit film after another, Preston Sturges finally misfired with the biopic The Great Moment. Sturges was always fascinated with the saga of W.T.G. Morton, the 19th century Boston dentist who, after inventing the first truly effective anesthesia, was forced to give up his proprietary interest in the invention and ended up dying in poverty and obscurity. Joel McCrea stars as Morton, a young oral surgeon determined to find a painless method for exracting teeth-which he does, virtually by accident. Betty Field costars as Morton's faithful spouse Elizabeth, while Sturges regular William Demarest offers a gem of a performance as Morton's best friend-guinea pig Eben Frost (his persistence upon recalling his first meeting with Morton -- "I was in excru-ci-ating pain"-is one of the film's highlights). Completed in 1942, The Great Moment was taken out of Sturges' hands and heavily re-edited and re-arranged by the Paramount executives: as a result, the story is confusing and downright incomprehensible at times (the film's present ending, for example, originally occured in the middle of the film). The result was varying runtimes for the film of 80, 83, 87, and 90 minutes. An enormous box-office flop in 1944, the film proved to be the beginning of the end for Sturges, who was never able to completely recover from its failure. Hal Erickson, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of The Great Moment to cart. $23.36, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Universal.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Harry Carey, Betty Field, Joel McCrea. New. 1944 Run time: 81. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of The Great Moment to cart. $23.81, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Universal.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Harry Carey, Betty Field, Joel McCrea. New. 1944 Run time: 81. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of The Great Moment (Special Edition) to cart. $31.20, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Kl Studio Classics.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Porter Hall, Franklin Pangborn, William Demarest, Harry Carey, Betty Field, Joel McCrea. New. Run time: 81. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
![The Great Moment [Blu-ray] - Preston Sturges](https://www2.alibris-static.com/the-great-moment-blu-ray/cover/x04032h6gz3_l.jpg)
![The Great Moment [Blu-ray]](https://www2.alibris-static.com/the-great-moment-blu-ray/cover/x04032h6gz3.jpg)
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.