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The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

  • 1939
  • Approved
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, and Loretta Young in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
BiographyDramaHistory

The story of how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.The story of how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.The story of how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

  • Director
    • Irving Cummings
  • Writers
    • Ray Harris
    • Lamar Trotti
    • Boris Ingster
  • Stars
    • Don Ameche
    • Loretta Young
    • Henry Fonda
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    1.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Irving Cummings
    • Writers
      • Ray Harris
      • Lamar Trotti
      • Boris Ingster
    • Stars
      • Don Ameche
      • Loretta Young
      • Henry Fonda
    • 22User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Photos43

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    Top Cast51

    Don Ameche
    Don Ameche
    • Alexander Graham Bell
    Loretta Young
    Loretta Young
    • Mrs. Mabel Hubbard Bell
    Henry Fonda
    Henry Fonda
    • Thomas Watson
    Charles Coburn
    Charles Coburn
    • Gardner Hubbard
    Gene Lockhart
    Gene Lockhart
    • Thomas Sanders
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    • Mrs. Hubbard
    Sally Blane
    Sally Blane
    • Gertrude Hubbard
    Polly Ann Young
    Polly Ann Young
    • Grace Hubbard
    Georgiana Young
    Georgiana Young
    • Berta Hubbard
    Bobs Watson
    Bobs Watson
    • George Sanders
    Russell Hicks
    Russell Hicks
    • Mr. Barrows
    Paul Stanton
    Paul Stanton
    • Chauncey Smith
    Jonathan Hale
    Jonathan Hale
    • President of Western Union
    Harry Davenport
    Harry Davenport
    • Judge Rider
    Beryl Mercer
    Beryl Mercer
    • Queen Victoria
    Elizabeth Patterson
    Elizabeth Patterson
    • Mrs. Mac Gregor
    Charles Trowbridge
    Charles Trowbridge
    • George Pollard
    Jan Duggan
    Jan Duggan
    • Mrs. Winthrop
    • Director
      • Irving Cummings
    • Writers
      • Ray Harris
      • Lamar Trotti
      • Boris Ingster
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    6.91.2K
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    Related interests

    Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, and Geraldine James in Gandhi (1982)
    Biography
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      After the film was released, the telephone was commonly called the "Ameche," a slang term referring to actor Don Ameche who played the telephone's inventor. This association is explained in the film Ball of Fire (1941), showing the term was still in use two years after the release of the original film.
    • Goofs
      One of the stories in the movie, that is set in 1873, is that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone "in his youth". But the first telephone was invented by Antonio Meucci in 1860 and Johann Philipp Reis in 1861, who also called his device "telephone", not Bell as it's stated in the movie. Bell didn't invent THE telephone but A telephone, the Bell-telephone.
    • Quotes
      • Mrs. Hubbard: Mr. Watson, please eat something. You must have the appetite of a bird.
      • Thomas Watson: Yes, Ma'am, a vulture.
    • Connections
      Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      The First Noel
      Traditional 17th century hymn

      Sung a cappella by unidentified carollers on Christmas Eve

    Top picks

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    Details

    • Release date
      • April 14, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Alexander Graham Bell
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 2, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cosmopolitan Productions
      • 20th Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $1,500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 38m(98 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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