Madame Curie
Tags: historical

Plot synopsis:
Marie Sklodowska (Greer Garson) is a poor, idealistic student living in Paris and studying at the Sorbonne. She neglects her health and one day faints during class. Her tutor, Prof. Perot (Albert Bassermann) is sympathetic and, finding that she has no friends or family in Paris, invites her to a soirée his wife is throwing for a "few friends" (primarily professors and their wives). Among the many guests is physicist Pierre Curie (Walter Pidgeon), an extremely shy and absentminded man completely devoted to his work. He allows Marie to share his lab and finds that she is a gifted scientist. Appalled that she plans on returning to Poland to teach after graduation, rather than devoting her life to further study, he takes her to visit his family in their country home. Marie and Pierre both tend to concentrate on science to the extent that they don't realize until the last minute they have fallen in love. Even when Pierre asks Marie to be his wife, he does so in terms of reason, logic and chemistry.
Fascinated by a demonstration she saw as an undergraduate, of a pitchblende rock that seems to generate enough energy to take small photographs, Marie decides to make the rock's energy the subject of her doctoral study. The measurements she takes don't seem to add up, and she decides there must be a third radioactive element in the rock in addition to the two she knows are in there. In the midst of discussing this, she discloses offhandedly to Pierre's family that she is pregnant.
The physics department at the Sorbonne refuses to fund their research without more proof of the element's existence, but allows them to use a dilapidated old shed across the courtyard from the physics building. In spite of its disadvantages, they import eight tons of pitchblende ore and cook it down to look for the element they call radium. In spite of inability to separate out pure radium, they know something is definitely there, as Marie's hands are being burned. They hit on a tedious method of crystallization to arrive at pure radium.
Now world-famous, they go on vacation to rest after all the press conferences and the Nobel Prize. They're granted a new laboratory by the university; before its dedication Marie shows off her new dress, inspiring Pierre to go get her a set of earrings to go with it. Walking home in the rain, he absentmindedly crosses the street in front of a delivery wagon and is run down and killed. Marie almost loses her mind, but after the concerned Prof. Perot counsels her, she rallies when she remembers Pierre's words that if one of them is gone, the other must go on working just the same. Finally, Marie gives a speech at the 25th anniversary celebration of the discovery of radium, expressing her belief that science is the path to a better world.

Review: This picture illustrates everything wonderful about the confidence, expertise and narrative power of Hollywood films near the end of the classic period: it is entertaining, intelligent and carefully made in every department.
Often filmed in long-shot on beautifully detailed, cavernous sets, we see Garson and Pigeon sometimes isolated in space, sometimes haltingly moving through crowds, tentatively finding their way to each other.
Though Mervyn Leroy could be a stolid director, here he shows great delicacy and judgment and he perfectly sets a mood of gentle comic romance.The middle third deals with the engrossing scientific mystery that led to the discovery of radium.
There are some striking visuals, including a tracking shot across hundreds of bowls of evaporating chemicals and a haunting image of a glowing dish of radium in a large, dark shed.The last third is the dullest and most conventional portion of the film: fame and celebration for the Curies and a renewal of their love just before Pierre died prematurely in a traffic accident.
This film was reasonably faithful to her real story, though most notably Greer Garson was a tall lady and Ms. Curie was, according to everything I have read, a tiny little woman.
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 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..
"Madame Curie" is the beautiful and intriguing biography of the scientist who discovered radium.
There was a nice balance between Curie's personal life - her falling in love with a fellow scientist and marrying him - and her scientific work.
Greer Garson (as Curie) is such a jewel of an actress and has been all-too-forgotten.What made me so captivated by this film was that the scientific world is quite bereft of female expertise, especially back in those days!
Garson and Pidgeon, A Perfect Fit. For their third MGM collaboration, Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson were cast as Pierre and Marie Curie in this epic biographical drama about the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in science.
The Curies contribution to science was a newly discovered element radium which did nothing less than alter how we think about matter itself.
The film carries the story of Marie Curie's life when she was a young student at the Sorbonne from Poland under her maiden name of Sklodowska.
Her brilliance attracts the attention of young instructor there Pierre Curie, first her mind and then her heart.Pierre and Marie Curie seem such a perfect fit for each other mainly because Pidgeon and Garson worked so well together on screen.
The film itself was nominated for Best Picture but lost to Casablanca.What I like most about Madame Curie is that you don't need a degree in physics to understand what's happening.
The actors, the direction by Mervyn LeRoy and the script all are at their best.Look for up and coming MGM stalwarts like Robert Walker and Van Johnson to play brief roles.
Easy to tell why both became stars.I think Madame Curie and her husband would both have liked the way they were portrayed in this film..
Following their success as a romantic pairing in "Mrs. Miniver", the wartime morale-booster, Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon were twice more placed in romantic vehicles by MGM, this being the more successful of the two.
Infinite patience was required during the four years of toil which culminated in the preparation of radium, and the film conveys a vivid sense of the Curies' dedication.
Telling Marie how much she will like his father, Pierre goes on to add, "And my mother's quite gay - you'll enjoy them both!"  When Pierre leaves the house in pouring rain on some purpose of his own, Marie calls after him, "Don't forget your rubbers!"    Marie's reaction to the news of the accident is well done, but her final speech to the Faculty of Science fails to inspire.
I'm the first to admit I knew little about Marie Curie until watching "Madame Curie" on Turner Movie Classics today.
I knew she was a renowned French scientist long before women were accepted in such fields.Madame Curie--as a historical drama--succeeds in telling her incredible and painstaking contributions to science in the discovery of Radium.
Perhaps more surprising to me was how this movie moved me to tears due to the artful portrayal of Madame Curie by Greer Garson.
She was truly a great actress and the chemistry she shared with Walter Pidgeon (movie after movie) just does not happen on screen often.
Even if Greer Garson does not resemble Marie Curie ,she is very convincing as the scientist ;only a small part of her life was filmed ;the movie stops with Pierre's tragic death :her second Nobel prize ,her role during WW1 ,her daughter Irene who became a great scientist too,all this is passed over in silence.After Pierre 's death,Marie had a love affair with a married man,which did not fit well into the picture of the absolutely perfect woman the screen writers wanted to show to the world.Male chauvinism,which was rampant at the time,did not spare Marie either.This is minor quibble:the movie is good,sometimes excellent,mainly in the scenes depicting the long research in an icy ware-house.People interested in Marie Curie should try and watch "Une Femme Honorable" ,a MTV work starring Marie -Christine Barrault ,a miniseries which covers the whole life of Madame Curie..
The story of Marie Curie who at the beginning of the film is a Polish student at the Sorbonne who is given the opportunity for working with Dr. Pierre Curie on his experiments when the two learn of a fellow professor who has found a rock that seems to give off its own light and energy despite being deep underground for centuries.
Excellent film dealing with the hard work of the Curies and the realization that hard work and commitment will pay off (nice ideal during the war years).
Garson and Pidgeon build on the great chemistry the two had in Mrs. Miniver, and are helped by an excellent supporting cast.
The movie depicts very realistically and very endearingly, the dedication of Pierre and Marie Curie in search of the new element radium.
Flawless acting from Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon.
But the casting of the magical screen team of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon guaranteed its success.
Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon star in "Madame Curie," the story of the famous scientist.Actually what is included in the film is quite accurate but much is left out, which is normal.
The film begins with the Polish Marie meeting Pierre when she is a student in Paris and shares his laboratory.
Both of them are too involved in their science careers to get married, but they fall in love and do marry.When Marie becomes interested in uranium rays, Pierre gives up his research, and the two work together.
The movie shows just how detailed and difficult it was in their makeshift lab.This is a beautiful film about a great woman.
I happen to think Greer Garson is wonderful, as is Walter Pidgeon.
Typical Hollywood aging - either no aging or decrepit.Marie Curie, of course, didn't understand the dangers of radium and used to put isotopes in her pocket and in her drawer, and would comment on the light emitted from the drawer.
Eva chose Greer Garson to star in the film.If you want to look at Marie Curie's papers and books today - they are still radioactive and one has to wear protective clothing.
The only person to win two Nobel Prizes in different science subjects (physics and chemistry.) But for all that this film made me cry a little bit (ruffy tuffy biker ex sea-farers don't cry, although they might leak a bit from the eyes, my excuse and I'm sticking to it.) Showed the long arduous task of scientific exploration and I have to say, Hollywood were at their best when making films like this.
You may know of On Borrowed Time, but his comedy Morning's at Seven literally walks around your head.In the final scene between Madame Curie and Professor Perot try to take your eyes off of Greer Garson.And once again a film prompts me to read more about its subject.
Showcase For Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon.
Overall though, his effort here is very satisfactory.Based upon Eve Curies book, this film follows along pretty factually the Marie Curie story leading to the couples isolating of Radium in their lab after 4 years of work.
The film concentrates on the relationship that forms between Pierre & Marie & the science.
The script actually allows for a nice balance there.Greer Garson is great as Madame Marie Currie.
Walter Pidgeon is excellent as Pierre & it is these 2 leads that make the film a good one.
This is a very good film for it's era, being factually based & really painting a positive portrait of who Marie & Pierre Curie were & why they were important in the history of science.
Madame Curie however is a rarity in that it shows scientific folk as being the dreamy, romantic types that they so often are in real life.Adapted by sci-fi novelist Aldous Huxley and others from the biography by Marie Curie's daughter Eve, the screenplay makes concession to the fact that Hollywood movies are designed for mass consumption.
On the one hand technical talk is skipped over as babble (as in a not-so-discrete dissolve during Marie and Pierre's walk home together when she begins quizzing him over formulae) and, conversely, the protagonists seem implausibly clueless at times (the idea of the Curies dismissing the stain at the bottom of the bowl and taking days to realise it might be radium is laughable).
But nevertheless it's impressive and rewarding the way the writers find ways of making real scientific concepts easily digestible, such as the discovery of radium focused in waiting for the right number to appear on a spectroscope.For the two lead roles MGM decided to re-team its star-couple of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, previously seen as Mrs and Mr Miniver in the previous year's Best Picture winner.
These aren't exceptional performances in their own right, but the rapport between the two of them is clear and effective.Thank goodness director Mervyn Leroy has the sense to direct this movie with steady delicacy, with long takes and measured performances giving the story the dignity and also the humanity it requires.
There's a particularly nice moment where the Curies are by their daughter's bedside, Walter Pidgeon telling a story to little Margaret O'Brien, Garson sat silent and motionless between them, the camera dollying in, then out, upon her face as the emotion of the moment plays across it.Madame Curie is a far from perfect work, and Hollywood will probably never get science quite right.
Greer plays Marie Curie and her frequent costar Walter Pidgeon plays her husband Pierre.
Madame Curie ***1/2 Great Chemistry Between Stars Mingles With the Physics.
Faithful rendition of the tale involving physicists Marie and Pierre Curie.Fresh out of their "Mrs. Miniver" roles, Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson again etched unforgettable characters.
The resurfacing of Garson, Pidgeon, Travers and Witty was like a reunion of the Miniver characters.Garson really pours on the acting as the film develops.
Paris in the early part of the last century is the backdrop for this beautiful love story starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, released in 1943 as World War II raged in Europe.
If you've never seen a Greer Garson film, or haven't seen one lately, she is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses Hollywood ever produced, and totally under- appreciated today.
This one gets off to a fine start as the socially awkward scientist Pidgeon finds himself drawn to Garson, a student with great scientific aptitude.
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.
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.
There's some great performances scattered throughout the film, especially by the two leads, the great Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon.
I found their love story to be charming, emotional, and romantic and I enjoyed both of their characters.I also enjoyed the scientific aspect of the film.
Because this film is based on the true story of Marie Curie, the scientist who, along with her husband, discovered the element radium and won the noble prize for doing so,there's quite a bit of scientific discussion that I found to be pretty fascinating.
It's not often that classic romantic dramas contain a scientific angle.The film is also very well directed by master filmmaker Mervyn LeRoy, and it is overall recommended for fans of classic cinema and science history..
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).
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.
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.
Probably the best of the Garson/Pidgeon films.
In Madame Curie (*** out of ****) Greer Garson & Walter Pidgeon give sincere performances in this sanitized biography of the Curies.
Their courtship and Pierre Curies's tragically premature death in a street accident are covered in perhaps excessively cloying detail, but the middle part of the film, covering in almost documentary-like fashion their discovery of radium, is actually quite interesting.
The problem is movie uses gibberish whenever Madame Curie speaks technical dialog.
Pierre tells us she is is unique and brilliant, but we don't see much evidence.I think the problem is the screenwriters wanted a love story starring Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon to reprieve Mrs. Minniver.
Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon shine in this fictionalized biography.
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.
#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.
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.
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..
Greer Garson is Marie Curie from Poland, a brilliant student of physics at the Sorbonne.
Suffering in silence, despite the comfort offered her by her older mentors and her loving family, Greer Garson finally pulls herself together and goes on to win the Nobel Prize and the film ends with the stalwart gray-haired woman giving a speech in Stockholm.Boy, is she noble.
Walter Pidgeon is hardly more than an ancillary character, in the movie only to provide the heroine with a love interest and a climactic tragedy.
We can certainly believe, for instance, that Marie and Pierre Curie were married and that they had children and that they discovered radium and that she won a Nobel Prize.
The always stiff Walter Pidgeon gets some doozies to recite: "Marie, this new concept...
There might be 1 good mainstream movie a year, compared to 1.5 thoughtful films.
If you like the movie, be sure to view the featurette "the Romance of Radium" which though reductivist and pseudo-scientific is still rather interesting.