Memorable, crazy movie

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A remake of "one man's journey" (1933)," a man to remember" has no big names such as Lionel Barrymore and Joel McCrea (not still the western star he would become) but it has Dalton Trumbo's writing,which is a good asset.The two screenplays roughly follow the same pattern:a doctor devotes his whole life to heal the poor,and helps his son to make a brilliant career when he stays an obscure physician.The film goes full circle:it begins with Abott's funeral and ends with the letter signed by the whole town which falls from his hand ;the scene of the people coming to thank their dear doctor is more moving than the reception of the first version in which a leading light of the medical world praises him to the skies ;the names were changed:Watt became Abott,Letty -adopted since she was born in the two movies- became Jean (who this time marries Dick,the doctor's son).The plot is less melodramatic (Jean's romance is much less "serious" that in Robertson's work and the part of the prodigal father is simplified );it has also more humor ,notably in the scene of the notary and the three vultures ;I would recommend this version ;the other one seems muddled by comparison.

It was about a year ago that I saw most of this movie on AMC. I was very much taken by it. Recently, I have been searching and searching for the title. Using keywords like "epidemic", "polio", "infantile paralysis", and "The Man Who" in my searches were NOT successful. It was a pure fluke that trying to remember the title prompted me to look for "Remember" in the title. Yay! I am not certain just how close to a true story this is because I never bothered to look up the main character's name to check out the real person. But with an old 1938 movie, I am inclined to believe it is a true story because frankly, the world was more honest back then. Like some of the other reviewers, I agree that this movie stays with you for a long time. It reaches into your heart and gives it a tug that will last forever. I am ready to see this film again.

Man to Remember, A (1938) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Remake of One Man's Journey, which I watched a few days ago. This time Edward Ellis plays a country doctor who grows old and poor because of his kind heart, which won't allow him to turn away sick people even if they don't have the money to pay him. Garson Kanin directed the screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and it's pretty faithful to the original movie. The fact that it's too faithful is the only real problem with the picture because if you've seen the original then you know everything that's going to happen here. Other than that I'd say this version is somewhat better as the story is better laid out and there's a new opening and closing, which suits the story very well. Ellis is terrific in his role and brings a lot of class and warmth to his character.

This melodrama creaks with age but the best performance by far was given by one of the oldest actors--Edward Ellis. Many actors who came to movies late in their careers are quite mannered and stagy. Some actors--Charles Middleton comes to mind--turned this stiffness into a virtue but more often, it simply dates the movie. I was very surprised at the subtlety of Ellis' performance as he managed to display a variety of emotions with underplayed touches. It reminded me of the best performances of Marie Dressler, a high compliment.It is a shameless tearjerker about a small town doctor trying to warn his community about a potential polio epidemic which angers town leaders because it will mean canceling the local fair in which they are all invested. A tearjerker but then Marie Dressler jerked a few tears in her day.One funny sight is poor, young Lee Bowman with the waistline of his pants resting closer to his armpits than his waist.Richard Moore