

A true story about Louis Pasteur, who revolutionized medicine by proving that much disease is caused by microbes, that sanitation is paramount and that at least some diseases can be cured by vaccinations.
Acting
Paul Muni's volcanic commitment—he won Oscar for this.
Production
Lavish 19th-century sets that scream 'we spent money on this.'
Writing
Snappy dialogue treating germ theory like a heist movie.

Director
William Dieterle
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Muni researched for months and insisted on aging makeup so accurate that actual scientists praised it. Method before method acting existed.
This was Warner Bros.' answer to MGM's 'The Great Ziegfeld'—studio prestige wars disguised as educational cinema. It worked: Muni beat William Powell for Best Actor.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters