The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)

yeah me it's me miss McGregor Joe Elliott well what is it Amy wanted I should come over to tell you she can't do the clothes this week she stove up with cold and she sent you ten miles just to tell me the head you know Amy once she's got something to say she's gonna say it now besides it only took about two hours the way I came good night good night Joe Kelly to take a hot lemonade and sweat it out I will thank you good night that lies to my breasts at one cherishing word that lols is one big Xander dreaming of light and Canberra she's very light oh look he's hiding Dominick's is holy like going to the theater for nothing what do you say folks if we organize the quartet right here mr. calhoune will be the baritone I'll carry the lead Tom will be the tenor all we need is bass how about you went through why he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket perhaps our new boarder mr. Bell might do who the professor our young genius bells all right just different but do you suppose he really believes he can teach that deaf and dumb child he brought here to talk all I can say is if the Lord intended dumb people to talk he'd have taken care of it oh excuse me oh come in mr. bear miss McGregor do you have any any copper wire in the house a big picture wire I'll do copper wire yes I I need about 17 feet for one of my experiments and all the shops are closed at this hour why the idea of expecting to find 17 feet of wire at this time of night well I never heard of such a thing mr. Bale well I'm sorry if I bothered you good night adjustable wood professor don't figure an impertinence and we've just been wondering if it's true you can teach dumb people to talk I hope to someday you see mr. Darcy the reason deaf mutes can't speak is that they have bad ears and not not bad vocal cords never having heard speech they can't imitate it so if we can find a way to to visualize sound for them and there's no reason why they shouldn't speak as well as any one of us is there no I guess not no of course not would you stay and show us some of your tricks mr. Bell tricks yes it would be such fun I've heard you make the piano play by just talking to it oh well I'll be glad to but they're they're not tricks please they're very simple manifestations of the of the nature of sound and of vibrations in the air now first I push down the sustaining pedal then I depress the key doh doh ray me far so Mart's positively spooky oh no no not at all mrs. McGregor sound is nothing but air in motion when I sing the scales I set up certain vibrations which fall on the strings of the piano just as they fall on the membranes of our ears thus producing corresponding vibrations or sounds is that clear No mr. bell the little boy's father's here to see you with another gentleman Mr Sanders thank you excuse me please mr. bell that's a dandy act I bet you could do something with but thank you Miss Darcy I expect to and alali flow mr. Sanders always he just fine I want you to meet my friend and gardener Herbert Alexander Graham Bell mr. Hubbard of course I know you by my reputation your your interest in the Clark School for the Deaf I've been hearing about you too and your work with Sanders boy would you like to go out and see George became Hall please that's the multiple Telegraph Bell is working on if it works and I'm sure my theory is right I ought to be able to send as many as 50 messages at a time over one wire get him interested Alec and your financial worries are over he's the best organizer in Boston he's the man who brought gets to this towns well I'll be delighted to explain it to you sir you see when I press this letter all the time mr. Bell some other time right now I'm more interested in what you're doing for Sanders boy than I am in any newfangled invention oh yes we'll go right in excuse me this way please me may we see George he's asleep but I'm sure he'd want to see his father go ahead sir shall I speak to him I told him to shake hands with you and he understood you you saw what he did now I'm asking you if I should tell you how our glove works we began by teaching him to spell simple words like CIT and then showing him a cat now by touching the letters or or other combination of letters I can talk to him as rapidly as I can to you but I understood you were teaching him to actually speak what's this have you ever succeeded in teaching a child it was born deaf to speak no and as far as I know nobody else has but I have great hopes and they'll still young but he's had some mighty interesting experiences with sound and speech tell about the melody well I crumble family that that has made a professional study on mechanism of speech for two generations before me my grandfather Alexander Bell and my father Alexander Melville Bell were elocutionist who devoted their entire lives to the correction of defects of speech perhaps you've read some of their books on the subject well from earliest childhood I was trying to become a teacher of speech that and the fact that my mother was deaf led me to my present interest in deaf mutes and well mute wires like The Telegraph mr. Bell I have a little girl of my own that I want you to work with she had scarlet fever when she was 4 years old it had left her stone deaf I've had her in Germany learning lip-reading well I'm sorry sir but when I'm not working with George I spend all my time working on my Telegraph come over to supper to Saturday night and we'll talk it over well I hope you like beans Boston baked beans no not much and besides you like the kind my cook prepares come on Sanders it's 2 and a half minutes past 9:00 nevermind Ellie you'll have a fine chance to tell him about your Telegraph instrument Saturday night it's kind of slippery isn't it young lady may I suggest the sidewalk is no place for sleds the sidewalk is very narrow the ice makes one's footing very uncertain you might have ruined the most important piece of electrical equipment the city of Boston oh I can excuse such behavior in children but I but I don't well what did you say I said you are no longer a child and that I think I'm sorry would you mind speaking a little more distinctly young lady I come from a long line of elocution teachers my grandfather my father wrote text books on the subject I think I know what I'm speaking distinctly goodnight I'm sorry but you see I the essential parts of both my transmitter and my receiver are these tune reads made of flattened steel clock Springs one end of which is attached to poles of these electromagnets while the other end is free to vibrate over the other poles like this interesting isn't it dear 626 mother yes dear but I'm sure separate would be aankhon the transmitter has maken breakpoints ah come in my dear come in mr. Bell this is my little girl Gertrude your little oh but but I thought how do you do miss Hubbard very well thank you and these are my three other little girls right Oh Mabel and grace mr. bell good evening my dear how are you papa mr. bell this is the little girl I was telling you about mr. Bell and I have already met I believe what what do you mean met he just got here uh I think I knocked him down and I'm awfully sorry if your whatever it was was ruined oh no not at all mr. Bell makes things dear he was just telling us about his Telegraph when you came in I beg your pardon AMA his Telegraph Telegraph that oh please go on oh yes please we do have to hear about it well I was just saying when a spring sends its electrical tone into the wire theoretically only its mate and receiver should respond and if I set up a number of sets of Springs tuned to different pitches then I could send a similar number of messages over the same wire I'm sorry if I said anything out there to offend you but you didn't of course not and and do go on well that's about all except that it may not work oh but it will work I'm sure they suffered a service of it thank you no uh-uh this is a third successive night suppose been late I'm sorry dear I'll speak to cook gold on girls mr. bell supper mr. bell I hope you like beans of Boston baked beans didn't you think you had a very nice face Oh papa you know very well I didn't mean papa oh then you mean mr. bell yeah so good mr. bell why thought he looked all right for playing man didn't you think your nice nose it was awfully Roman or something oh yes nice eyes to it blaze so when he talks I think you're in love navel oh goody navel survived many Father loves good it was advertising for fog putting money in this telegram imagine Papa green to pay for his experiment mr. bells is the first voice I've ever really wanted to hear oh darling of course he's wonderful he's a mom do you think you like me Gertie I mean even if I can of course he will that'll make him like you ten times as much you won't feel sorry for me it won't be that will it oh no of course not then I go to marry what I'm going to marry him I knew it the first time I saw him I just made up my mind like that look papa Oh what will the posse I don't care what the boss says I'll just close my eyes and then it won't be able to hear him and besides but pom doesn't know yet nobody must know yet only you oh but you know how I am about secrets I'll just die if I can't tell it but you won't tell this Gertie you promise me you won't tell well I won't if you promise to tell me everything he says he does alright alright I promise Shh Gertrude you and Mable stop that foolish cheddar don't you know it's exactly 11 minutes past 10:00 put out the lights and go to bed yes Papa why did you say is that to go to bed you know if you had married him I would Oh girdi don't you love New England in the spring mr. bell sprained yes is very nice we often come out here for picnics mother and father and well all of us you do I'm sorry mr. bell but you'll have to look at mirror I can't see what you're saying oh sorry Oh won't you tell me what's wrong won't yes yes you've hardly spoken a word to me since we started have I said I've done anything to offend you oh no certainly not it's just that well I've been thinking yeah you see it may take years before I get anywhere with the Telegraph and I was just wondering whether or not I ought to go on with it go on with it suppose I don't want to wait suppose are things I want to do now while I'm young things I might do if I gave all my time to a regular position like teaching at Boston University or something what sort of things do you want stupid oh I don't know me a wife whom finish your Telegraph first the wife will wait she will oh yes mr. bell I'm sure she will oh oh thank you but that's all I wanted to know oh but but there's something else I ought to tell you yeah I'm not as interested in the Telegraph as I used to be you're not no ever since I went to Brantford to visit my family last Christmas I'd had a new idea rattling around in my head he did the biggest idea I've ever had in my life all the craziest wouldn't you like to tell me about it well I have an idea but if I could make a kind of electricity vary in intensity exactly as the air varies in density when sound passes through it then then I could transmit sound even speech telegraphic Lee I'm sorry but I don't understand I mean I could talk through a wire talk through a why yes I could send a human voice as far as wires could be strung hah but that doesn't seem possible uh-huh I can't believe it it's talking through a wire I guess it's crazy oh when you going to start work on it mr. bell Monday night Thomas Watson an electrician who makes all my apparatus for me is moving in with me to help me oh then then you were really asking me for my endorsement and not my adviser something like that huh mr. bell if you spend all your time working on this how will you live oh I'll manage somehow but don't think I want to use the money your father lends me for anything but the Telegraph oh no I'm gonna work on this new idea in my spare time oh yes yes I am mr. him but mr. Bell if I were you I wouldn't tell my father about this yeah you see he gets off the upset if people don't finish what they started out to do couldn't this be our secret for a little while anyway perhaps that would be why is he and safer how much safer mr. Bell much mother Oh mother neighbor we're on any you did Oh mother I've just been to the most glorious Drive in the world happen hmm Mabel do you realize what time it is you missed your supper oh please papa don't scold me tonight not tonight we've been worrying about you for hours something might have happened to you child it's all right now garden it was all my fault huh bird I talked so much neither of us noticed the time no and and finally we had to stop under the streetlight so so I could see what he was saying but I'm just slipped by yes mother alla get such wonderful ideas Alec Alec Oh I mean mr. bell well please call me Alec all right mr. bell won't you stay and have something to eat oh no no not now I I must be going but I good night in summer good night good night mr. Hubbard good night good night good night good night everybody come do you must be hungry why couldn't eat a thing not tonight mother good night good night before oh the most exciting thing is just happened come on oh car keeps pining for one kind word call me pet names dearest call me Alec pack pack pack the boys are pack king cheer up farmers they will come haha careful Watson you'll break something good then you'll have to buy more stuff from our boss listen if it hadn't been for your boss overcharging me we wouldn't been turned out of here stop argue you'll get turn out of better places in this before you're through you needn't bother packing your things mr. bell nothing's leaving this house until I get my rent you you mean you're going to hold my things the long gives me that right I certainly shall but mrs. McGregor ah I told you I'd send you your money as soon as I can there's no use to arguing out you go but your things stay here I won't leave them I can't I've got to happen oh no you don't know about things stay right here no not not that not his vocal cords vocal cords yes those belong to a [ __ ] they've got pickled over at Harvard get it out of here get all this junk out of here junk did you say junk yes don't get it out of my house I'm sick and tired of seeing it around you've had this base looking like a pigsty long enough get it out before I throw it out the window or burn it up mrs. MacGregor at this moment I can almost kiss you don't you dare lay a hand on to fake that I have so misjudged you in fact I'll even give you the very shirt off of my back remove uncommon and I'll have you arrested come on before she changes her mind hi Jenny hello mr. Sanders what's going on here I'm leaving leaving guess I'm taking George back to his grandmother's I don't understand Eric you've taken my money you build up my hopes and now you're walking out on my boy or I'm not walking out sir I'm I'm being thrown out but you had money I paid you only last Thursday and how well III use that for some new equipment then why didn't you ask me for an advance or you you don't understand sir I I expect to be working nights and and where I'm going isn't a suitable place for George that's why I'm taking him back to his grandmother's but that's in Salem what about you work with him well I expect to go to Salem every other day that's all I'm sorry Alec I ought to have known you better than that it's all right mrs. Amos al hurry here she comes yeah take this awful thing find you on the entire quarter and leave one all-night party known as Williams Electric Company well we're slow are you gonna take with that I'm ready now we can try it again honest I know penis I'm just a plain ordinary man all right sweep like a human do and I oh I've got a sitter day after day night after night wasting away tapping a little piece of metal I do remember when I used to know pretty girls been in another world mumble maybe on the birth of great discovery long as I can remember we found the bird look here I can only find four new Springs I thought I told you to get hired I'm sure I told you to get five I remember now you had just enough money to pay for the five new Springs of 25 cents each now where is that on the spring I ate it you did what I didn't mean to I was going along and I I saw that food in the window suddenly I got such a craving I couldn't stand it I went by twice I tried not to go in but I couldn't help but I was hungry I can't go on living forever with so you ate one of my Springs you took the last 25 cents we had to fill your miserable little stuff yes I did I told you I'm no genius I'm through starving I'll go out to the Indian territory lived on buff fair steak and you or nobody else's stuff wait all the paint off that you might why money is yours is show me show me what what did you do it - I didn't do anything but you did something I saw it I heard it Moo little spring stopped vibrating I just plucked at that saw but I heard a sound a full musical note with overtones through the wire show me everything you did well this this contact screw grad stack make a pun on contact with the spring yes I just snapped it while the while the circuit remained unbroken I suppose so then that strip a magnetized steel was generating its own current do it again no wait no wait wait a minute wait all right wow it worked it works it works I read it again are you an Indian Jordan Chenal the Six Nations tuck me in well that makes it all right then don't you understand we've accidentally found the undulating current that I've been looking for for the first time in the history of the world we've sent sound through a wire for the first time nothing well this has happened in nearly every electrician what you mean is it's the first time the right man is hurted know what it meant is that true why certainly if you know anything about electricity you hadn't paid any attention to it well anyhow I was there that's the important thing just think we started to work on a telegram and now we're on the trail of the electric telephone telephone instead it's an apparatus for transmitting the voice it means sound from afar gear your whole day where you going well going going to challenge to tell Mabel of course telephone mr. bear where's miss Mable she's upstairs sir I'll tell her you're here oh well would you please put the gas up in the parlour sir well I tell miss Mable you're here ask him hurry please it's awfully important very good sir Alec Maebh hi Mabel I've just discovered them all Mabel now we can get married will you marry me hurry tell me yes you will who goes that Ike oh thank you but I never had any other intention oh no not here Alec don't you gotta tell me you love me oh please I want to hear you say I love you darling it's a dark in here I can't see nothing I love you again I love you don't move don't even breathe I want to remember this moment all alone just as it is oh I forgot what what I came here to tell you my telephone I've got it I've found a way to talk through a wire how did you heaven that's why I asked you to marry me you wait here I've got to tell you fun no no no I like he's he's reading and maybe a better wait what me you tell your mom the girls I'll handle him mr. Hubbard just a moment mr. bell I always allow myself 30 minutes with the classics every evening in the past 40 years I daresay I haven't missed three such evenings except perhaps on my honeymoon habit habit mr. Bell is the important thing setting a regular time for everything and sticking to it yes sir but what lesson there are young people today or in trying to postpone to shift dodge and put on my father always said people were prepared to make any effort the day after tomorrow but when it comes to doing a thing today that's another matter how we say go no no thank you I just want on go and smoke it there's nothing like a good cigar to help settle your stomach now mr. bell you wanted to see me yes sir maple night get married now sit down mr. bell this afternoon I made a very valuable discovery I actually sent sound through a wire without the use of battery so you what before Lorna I'll be able to send speech talk from any distance before how long I don't know but I'm sure I'll make a telephone Sunday telephone huh what about your Telegraph oh I'm gonna give that up this is much bigger and newer as my daughter accepted you yes sir and she loves me too mr. bell when I married the lady you proposed to make your mother-in-law I was owning 4,000 dollars a year in addition I had certain prospects for my father which promised ample security for my wife and children may I ask what prospects you have well I haven't any prospects unless it's the telephone mr. bell I'd like to call your attention to a few peculiarities which I've observed about your character or I know I'm not worthy ever sir in the first place I'd say you are emotionally unstable you jump from one enthusiasm to another with reckless abandon to begin with it was the multiple Telegraph that consumed your time and energies now you tell me you're no longer interested in the telegraph but have gone skipping off in pursuit of some new proposition but mr. Hubbard mr. bell you may waste your own time if you please but the sooner you stop wasting my money the better I won't give this up I can't in that case disabuse your mind of the idea of marrying my daughter but mr. Hubbard we love each other nevertheless you are not to come here again mr. bell or even attempt to see my daughter not so long as you persist in this folly by them all if you propose to give up a possibly profitable venture for an air castle you needn't expect any more support for me I wash my hands of the whole business but mr. Hubbard none 12 after 8 I should have been well past Harvard Square by now would you like to accompany me on my constitutional mr. Bell the night air is very refreshing no thank you well good night now take this little egg i crack it I'd drop it tenderly into the grease that quiver isn't is still result hunger but take this same little egg I leave it to nestled tenderly and lovingly under its mother's breast snug and warm soon it becomes flesh and feathers then it too is dropped tenderly into the grease again it Quivers and is still result a feast listenmi my fine friend so I'm gonna stand over a hot stove night after night you can't expect me to live on half an a God fall apart I'm sick of me I'm sick of the very thought of you hey that's what I think of the hours the months we've wasted on that stupid idea you say you're tired you're hungry or saw my I don't look like other men just as much as you do I want a decent bed to sleep indeed decent food to eat but in love I want to get married and I will and if I ever have a child that that so much as looks at a piece of copper wire or mentions electricity out what about all your work your plans it's all done how much were you getting up there Williams Electric Company three dollars a day why better see if a job is still open Lee I won't be needing you anymore you're quitting yes I'm going back to teaching the Deaf if I ever decide to work on the Telegraph home do it my spare time the telephone uh it was just on air kiss does Mabel know about this no I'm gonna write her now you got any paper where do we get any paper this'll do what's the date June 11 June 11 mother yes dear Heather I've got to see Alan I know dear I know what you've been through this past month no I mean now I've got to go to him come on Mabel to his room have you gone out of your mother I can't help it I must see him now today this minute oh my child what would your father say that my eyes are closed I'm not listening to you oh please you got to go with me I've got to see him but a lead you can't give up your telephone just because father says so that it'd be criminal I know what I want and I've made up my mind to heaven perhaps alec is right dear Oh mother why do you say that you know he's not right but after all you two love each other isn't that enough it is for me well that isn't to me Alec if you give up your telephone I I promise I'll never marry Oh may I mean it Alec child child it's up to Jean Mabel I'll never fail you again never Oh you wake mm-hmm what are you thinking about Mabel so was that I I was thinking now I got to make a telephone I've got to find a receiver some way to get speech I'd all I'll be just as badly off as I was before she came here would it be wonderful if we should invent the telephone had turned out to be the very thing that could make her hear you had any imagination and you anything about sound you know that can't happen how do you know you aren't God I know because in the human ear when vibrations strike against the eardrum they caused tiny bones in the back of the head to oscillate but enables case the nerve current and back of those bones has been permanently injured even if sound waves caused the bones to oscillate cause the bones to oscillate oscillate oscillate Anjali what what what I got it I got ya what's st. vitus day no no the ear what hear this this here we hear it come on come on get up we've got to get an ear a human ear and study it it may give us just what we need for our receiver you're crazy where are you gonna get a human ear I'll sharpen my razor and you go out never mind never mind we'll get in here somehow and maybe maybe this time just think out of Mabel's deafness we make the whole world here ya know but on here a human ear you can't do that well use the same principle as the ear exactly only we use gold beater skin instead of membrane and and a small piece of metal in front of an electromagnet instead of the bones and we'll use more batteries that's what we gotta have more batteries yeah it's gonna take a lot of money gold beater skin batteries acids we'll get them somehow maybe you can get another advance for mr. Sanders no no I gotta figure some of the way I've had three advances from him already for less and less work with George we could both of us go back to work for a little while be nice to eat again fer change too no no that's that's not the way we've got to find a cheaper place to live cheaper than this certainly what I wouldn't stay here even even if they'd let us use the shop that it's too noisy too dangerous there's there too many people about we're not gonna tell anybody what we're doing yet we'll starve maybe you will but me until I've made it telephone charming place such atmosphere boiled cabbage and flat beer I'd say oh it's you well don't forget mister Bell this is for lodgings only you think you got to get any food without paying for it you got another thing coming understand lady we only eat at the Parker house you laugh $0.50 be alright Merry Christmas sir we're Christmas turkeys twelve and a half cents a pound extra fine I may come back for one later on yes right now I'll ever have fond of cheese and two apples very good sir sure you don't want this no if at all I want apples and cheese cheese and app what's the matter I don't know everything went black in front of me I feel so dizzy maybe I'd better lie down for a few minutes were you lied you haven't eaten I don't I don't think I was hungry now you stay on the bed I'm going out and get something to eat to find out back in 15 minutes you know I got caught you see anything with an ear on it bring it back please ah stomachs are funny things I know I should growl like a lion when you neglect him fill him up again they settle down / just like a kitten sure nobody saw you I saw him chasing the cat so I expect I'm saving up yeah how that these cigars were sort of a nice afterthought I had my heart set on a plum pudding when I couldn't find it we should find a well done battery with a supposing all out of it well we can't sit here all day let's get to work on Christmas Eve what's the matter with Christmas Eve well Christmas may not mean anything to you but it does to me I'm not moving I'm gonna sit right here and belch till morning whoa mr. Santa's it's only you come be heard even insulins have every Christmas Danny Christmas my slaves downstairs get your coats on right away you're spending Christmas at my place in Salem Christmas would you that's right we've got a long ride ahead of us so hurry up oh but we can't I planned a lot of work for today and I'm sorry if you forget it it's just what I needed come on let's go if this isn't the devil 365 days in the year and are only two square meals come on that same day Merry Christmas boys Merry Christmas Merry Christmas every boyfriend listen I thought I heard you well there Oh Merry Christmas bye son Merry Christmas a Merry Christmas Alec this is mr. Watson Merry Christmas mr. Watson and now don't bulk young man I'm going to kiss you - sure mrs. sayers I'm sort of a flirt myself mmm Alec I have a surprise for you for me maple Malik you couldn't come to see me so mr. Santa's arrange the poppings we're in church poor dear maybe there is the Santa Clause after come in come in everybody and get warm fine I get some blackberry wine hey my name is Ramiro not happy just before supper I can't wait another minute and this young lady came out here with our arms loaded down with presents for everybody especially you you shouldn't have done there I haven't anything this year for anybody oh it's nothing really that let little fellow looks like George doesn't he can I see George Fernand yes of course he'd be expecting you Christmas Eve Merry Christmas good maybe I'm going to you're going to do what you watch what we've been up to ah-ah-ah mr. Watson won't you have a cookie now don't tell me you have a bird's appetite yes ma'am mm-hmm vultures Lily uh take some cookies outside to the children what Alec you mustn't take him out there not tonight Oh think of his presence the tree in Santa Claus ah huh I don't understand the selling ah and you didn't have a Christmas present for anyone thanks mr. Sanders now we have acids and batteries you want in the other room listen while I do the talking even if it worked you couldn't hear me after Alec talking I'm down ahoy mr. Watson are you there I now have water in the transmitter cup can you hear me can you hear me ahoy mr. Watson can you hear me now this is Alexander Bell speaking to you from five Exeter place on March 10 1876 ahoy ahoy mr. Watson good talk mr. Bell well I heard I heard you're born that hurry I'd learn but I heard you your voice through the wire riders - what you said what a nice eh tell me yeah you said mr. Watson come here I want you that's right Oh huh what did you do I put two drops of sulfuric acid in the water that made the water a conductor for the electric current transmitting the voice oh my leg stop hollering you can't do something about that burn hula I've got to tell Mabel first oh no you don't you sit down take your britches on I get some large but I've got to tell Mabel I might have known so much does it happen leaving a lot of acids around you ladies and gentlemen now that the telephone that is an accomplished fact it gives me great pleasure to to demonstrate its practical use in in the social and business world in a moment my associate mr. Thomas Watson will speak to you from the city of Boston 20 miles away uh for thee for the benefit of the audience additional receivers have been placed at strategic points throughout the hall ahoy mr. Watson this is Alexander Graham Bell speaking to you from Salem can you Evan boy mr. bell ahoy mr. Watson the audience is now applauding you will you continue your demonstration you're next hail Columbia Elin hey heroes heaven-born ban who came to town the other night to hit around see a fighting hero Kyrgyz banjo that so gently for me stealing spider-like meets revealing that I dearly love the star-spangled banner along me Yankee Doodle came to town riding on a pony stuck a feather in his cap and called it sweet now begin obtained by a fallen soul stop it I tangel only mr. Bell I have a special treat for you tonight there is a lady president is going to speak you the first woman's voice ever to be heard publicly over the telephone see something in here quick all I've got to say is this got him what right have you doing is it's wonderful when I own an app because I thought leaders geez he's doubting an ally well he better not be and that that ladies and gentlemen concludes our demonstration scene anyone desiring further information will kindly step up here and and leave his name what makes it talk father it's just a plain hollow wire you talk it with it one end naturally the voice comes out at the other very amusing evening mr. bell imagine putting one of those things in your home and expecting your wife to use it and would you really think there's nothing to it Gardiner in my opinion the telephone will never be anything more than a toy you would put any of your money into it or advise your friends to do so I shall urge all my friends they have nothing to do with it thanks I just wanted mr. bell to have your opinion good night good night good night mrs. Hubbard good night miss have it wasn't it all right Alec well mr. Hubbard is one of my partners will you see that the necessary papers are drawn up for the New England telephone company did I understand you to say partners mr. Bell you and mr. Sanders put up all the money for my experiments it's only fair that you should share in the returns but I have no right in this I never put any money in your telephone the money I gave you was we are telegraph I'm not asking you for any money sir all you've got to do is help me incorporate I've already talked to the Williams company about manufacturing our telephones Watson and I can install them and I suppose the next thing you'll be wanting us to wire every house and public building in the country we might have to do that too eventually mr. bell tomorrow morning Sanders and I are going to have our heads examined just for standing here listening to such nonsense good night come on Sanders in the meanwhile we better start looking over our assets it it looks as if we're in the telephone business now if he doesn't have apoplexy before morning he'll come along if we both don't have a perp Lexy this must be pretty serious your father calling me here I'm afraid it is didn't need any second Oh mr. bell come in sit down thank you sir good evening miss summer Thank You mr. bell I have here an itemized account of the expenses I've incurred in connection with your telephone during the past year to my amazement I find that I'm involved to the extent of seven thousand and seventeen dollars against which has assets I can count only 207 telephone installations at a net rental loss of six hundred and twenty one dollars now what I want to know is what are you going to do about it I have it all figured out sir I'm going to England England yes sir I've had a letter from Sir William Thompson one of the greatest scientists in England you know the man who made the transatlantic cable possible he says he's heard about the telephone that there's a great deal of interest in it over there if I go over there he feels sure he can arrange a demonstration before Queen Victoria Queen Victoria yes darling he says the Queen will install telephones in the palace then the whole world will follow suit just as they copy your hats right Alec that's a splendid idea of course they will may I ask who's going to pay for this pilgrimage well sir I felt that as long as you and mr. Sanders already have so much money involved you be worse devel I used to call you a fool I apologize you're a genius I'm the fool but some man you have a blissful disregard for money that may be an end ruble as set to a genius but not to a business partner would her father I'm sure we could manage somehow did you say we Mabel Oh Mabel yes papa I'm going with him you're what help I can't let you go 3,000 miles away from me Mabel father we've waited long enough if that it goes to England I'm going with him you will take me with you won't you you don't think I'd go without you do you what darling Mabel father my eyes are closed mr. bell will you stop this gardener she's right you kept these young people apart long enough mother oh my goodness Oh what have I said boom tongue Alek hey darling let me do it for you I don't know why I must be so clumsy oh oh you're you're choking me they'll hang it for that this is England they hang you over here even for killing a mere husband dear darling I think that looks alright you know Victoria may be queen of the British Empire an island it anywhere else she chooses but she's also a woman and what's more she's a widow but a rich widow don't forget that uh-huh she has ladies-in-waiting - been waiting for handsome young men like me well Hallie guy I'm just warning you can't even wink at her just once darling I don't care if the Queen kisses you just as long as she puts telephones in her Palace perhaps she will tonight is our night and we can be all of your x-men ladies all the money you owe them and Watson could even self into the count mr. Bell can have all the time he wants to make love to his wife there isn't that much time oh great heavens what what am I thinking about I mustn't keep the Queen waiting okay thank you dear my Alec sir William Thompson tells us that your telephone is a marvelous instrument mr. Bell sir Williams is very kind your majesty is this the device yes ma'am there's a similar instrument Osborn cottage where Sir Thomas bit off is waiting to hear your Majesty's voice you expect me to speak into that if your majesty whistle so gracious I think you had better speak into it after all one does not converse with a wire Beatrice major Phipps come closer listen if you please ma'am we're ready to begin you may proceed Sir Thomas bit off that is the Thomas's voice ask him the time Sir Thomas Her Majesty wishes to know the time I think I will speak into it after all Sir Thomas your watch is two minutes so set it so William you were right this is a marvelous invention general we will have mr. Bell's telephone installed in Buckingham Palace yes your majesty or it will be an honor ma'am the Americans are a very inventive people mr. bill was born in Edinburgh your majesty he went to Canada several years ago and then to America the Scots are very inventive too now have it say something else mr. bell hey maybe she likes it she wants telephones at Buckingham Palace yes tell him I knew she tomorrow the court caliber carry the news on the day after the whole world will know it's faster will to talk to a wire I like wait a minute this just came tonight from father what is it what is this yeah I read it to you your child your mother and I hesitate to cast a cloud on your happiness but no longer can we hide renew the terrible things that are going on here ever since your marriage there's been nothing but trouble a new telephone company known as the American speaking telephone company has been organized with a Western Union company begging and has entered the field against us with their own instrument which they advertise as the product of the original inventors meaning doe bear gray and others they boasted their telephone is infinitely superior to Alex they've got everybody afraid him to deal with us cancellations are pouring in we'd hope to spare you this at least until Alec at seeing the Queen but there isn't but that is no longer possible unless a miracle happens to say this Sanders and I stand to lose all our homes our credit everything you're loving but sparing father what are you going to do do I fight them of course fight them tooth and nail with with everything we've got of course it will oh darling of course superior is it superior to mine hmm we've got home on the first boat will show them maybe we are poor maybe my telephone is still crippled and and lane maybe maybe it is still still in want but it's part of my blood and brains it's mine all mine and they'll never take it away from me it's my child did your other child like well just one thing after another can that speak louder please mrs. Croll like to speak mr. Blackford just a moment please go ahead clears 17 well sorry no more credit from the banks they gave me back the telephone stock I put up for that last loan said they prefers my personal note the Williams company say they can't manufacture another telephone unless they get older some money at the rate cancellations are coming in we won't need him what's worrying me is how are we gonna meet this week's payroll I forgot to tell you we've hired Theodore Vail as our general manager and Francis Blake's working on a transmitter that'll stand up well there's anyway mr. Hubbard thinks Vail is the best man in the country for the job it was really your idea well I must say you've got nerve and another thing tomorrow we'll bring him soon against the American speaking telephone company charging infringement on our patents we're going to fight a 40 million-dollar concern the Western Union we're gonna fight every company in the country infringing on our patents what else can we do but look at the odds against us they've got the best lawyers money can buy if we lose the court costs alone will wipe us out well that's a chance we'll have to take well there's an old saying sell all you have and give to the poor if you think it is any application in this case I still have an old farm up in Maine that I knew I could count on you I was too young for the Civil War but this looks like as good a fight as any to me thanks Tom we'll probably see plenty of action just what are you going to fight with the truth well son has always been a pretty good weapon perhaps more people ought to use it proceed Your Honor it has not been the intention of my clients to burn this court with wordy debates we have endeavored to confine ourselves to the facts first that Alexander Baer was not the first to invent the telephone second that the patents under which the New England Bell Telephone Company have been operating were fraudulently obtained and fair we have defied the plaintiff to show that mr. barely been working on the undulating current feature of the telephone prior to February 14 1876 at which time by strange coincidence both he and mr. gray informed the Patent Office simultaneously of their work on the telephone very well counsel may proceed mr. bell what is your occupation I'm a teacher the death are you an American citizen yes an American citizen by choice I see now mr. Bell have you any proof to give us that you were working on the underlit or a feature of the telephone prior to February 1876 only my word and the word of my friends not a notebook not a little scrap of paper not even a pencil mark on a wall nothing no sir I didn't have time to record my findings it seems to me very convenient you have heard of course that not one but five other men were working along similar lines prior to February 1876 that's what I've been told miss courtroom oh come come mr. barrel are you trying to impeach our witnesses have you any proof that they were not so engaged no sir but I repeat I was working on my system early in 1875 and that I first heard you sound through a wire on June 2nd of that same year and that on March 10th 1876 a human voice mine was heard through a wire for the first time in history mr. bell I have here a certain sheets of paper which you have identified as rough drafts of your patents application please correspond with your final patent applications no see why not I wrote and rewrote those specifications a great many times those sheets are mere fragmentary remains that happen to be accidentally preserved hmm well I don't see any mention of the undulating current in this rough draft as you call it those statements were added as I completed and redraft my application mr. bell could those specifications have been added after you had fire your application certainly not I mean could you have gained illegal access to the patents office and copied into your application certain paragraphs from a paper or a chariot had been filed the same day as your patent application your question is insulting I refuse to hear it answer me sir did you connive to steal the basic principle of your telephone yes or no I have only contempt for such a question Thank You mr. bell hey Laura I protest against the tactics of some of our opponents in the name of decency and fair play I protest against mr. bellos foul and sinew Asian's your honor I'm sorry that my learned colleague is so thin-skinned all we ask of mr. bailey is that he produced one single bit of legal proof one memorandum one scrap of paper proving his contentions of priority but Willy no Kenny no and why not because your honor he hasn't any proof non exists mr. bell this court desires to afford you every opportunity to establish your claims if you have any proof I shall expect you to have it here Monday morning until then this Court stands adjourned court adjourned Kalli are you sure you have no papers no sketches nothing nothing but I know what are you going to do I've done all I can do I'm going home home you can't do that I've heard all of this I want to hear I'm gonna be with maple when our baby is born but elekid may be weeks yet you can't be certain about the first baby I'm sorry I'm going at least let me Telegraph and find out when you'll be needed Alec stay if you leave now I can promise you you'll lose mother and I leaving immediately don't dare leave try is that Alright yes that's fine dear ah Oh would you send this for me please and would you care to add the word love madam that'll make it exactly ten words yes yes make it love Mable Shades of glory is this man to be allowed to control a great public benefaction permitted to foist an inferior article on the public just to gratify his egotism Your Honor I submit that the only invention to which our friend is undeniably entitled is the invention of the story that he was working on the under the torrid current prior to Pemberley he said nice water to God who's Noah take your seats please maybe what are you doing here I couldn't bear the thought of your leaving I had to come at a time like this it's dangerous no darling I'm all right and Alec Alec I thought this it might be the very evidence you're looking for evidence evidence yes do you remember this it's a letter that you wrote to me in June 1875 and now that you say in this letter that you're going to give up your work on a telephone let me see it silence in the court please Lana mrs. Bella just brought us the proof the defense has been asking for documentary evidence and Alexander Bell discovered the undulating current on which his telephone is based prior to June 1875 very well mr. Smith if you have such evidence presented I beg your honors and dozens for just one moment I'd rather that letter weren't presented Alec better something between you and me it's part of our personal lives but Elliot's your proof I'm sure there's nothing in this letter be ashamed of I'd rather not do it I regret to inform your honor mr. Bell declines to submit the new evidence what did he say Alec won't let him present the matter Alec for the first and if I hope the only time in my life I'm going to disobey you it's my letter and I'm going to read it it won't stand by and see you called a liar and a thief fallen Alec my eyes are closed it's dated June the 11th 1875 it was written to me by mr. Bell before our marriage will you read it please I thank you but will you read it please my dearest one I have loved you with a passionate attachment that you cannot understand that is to me new and incomprehensible ever since I held you in my arms and kissed your lips I have known what I want most in life without you I am nothing will you are incomplete because this is so I have decided to give up my telephone this is little enough to do if it means that I will have your arms about me forever I may call you sweetheart why go on mr. bell please don't grieve at my decision the telephone will be born someday somehow so far as I am concerned I do not care one bit who gets the glory so long as the world gets the benefit though my heart I am yours Thank You mr. bell Donna may I suggest that this Court has not interested in the sentiments however tenderly expressed that we've just heard what possible bearing has a love-letter on whether barrel invented the telephone er did not invent it the mere mention of a telephone does not mean that he made it telephone sibel what kind of paper is that letter written on why turn ordinary wrapping paper what is that on the back of it weights drawings if apparatus mr. Bell wanted for his telephone together with a stamped acknowledgment from the Williams Electric Company acknowledging receipt of the order On June 30 1875 what is that writing mr. Wiggins scribbled a note at the bottom the page asking mr. bill to stop in and verify his outline of an apparatus to generate an undulating current it is all you may step down just a moment mrs. Bell will you please tell us why mr. Bell sensual love letter on the back of a sales memoranda why didn't he use note paper as any young man in love would be expected to do mr. Bell was very poor man he had no other paper I wish to write thank you mrs. Bell you may step down I offer this letter in evidence as Exhibit 17 to the plaintiff Your Honor I'm sure we've all been touched by this little excursion into romance but now if we may compose ourselves I'd like to ask why if such a letter existed it wasn't produced days ago and more particularly why my learned colleague hasn't produced the man Williams in court to substantiate his signature unfortunately mr. Williams is no longer available as a witness oh really and why not surely it would be worth your while to bring mr. Williams here let us have a look at mr. Williams is dead oh he's dead how very unfortunate mr. bell now very convenient your honor without my knowledge and against my wishes my wife came into this courtroom at a time like this to read to you a letter intended for her eyes alone have I committed some offense by starving in an attic by spending sleepless nights at my work by being too poor to own a decent scrap of paper on which to tell her of my love I have sat here for days and heard myself called liar thief fraud and cheat I've seen my friends humiliated my invention belittled just as I have seen my business destroyed by methods which must leave every honest man appalled Your Honor we protest against this interruption yes you happen we had enough of this sentimental nonsense I demand that this man be declared in contempt of court mr. barrows we're all here in the interest of truth and I don't think mr. Beldon do that any great injury sit down mr. barrows gentlemen I am no longer fighting the Battle of Alexander Graham Bell inventor of the telephone that man however justice soon does not matter here the issue is bigger bigger than the millions involved and there are millions at stake is your guilty cheeks already tell me Your Honor we must protest protest all you like gentlemen I mean to say what I have to say the time is coming when the telephone will be known in every home in the land in every shop and Factory and Beyond the seeds even to the remotest ends of the earth but that too is not the issue the issue is simply this shall the lonely scientist the man who dreams and out of his dreams benefits the world is he that often half starved lonely little man to be told the world has no need of him the moment his work is done your is he to be told in others less gifted but stronger men with money and power behind them are waiting to take the product of his genius and turn it to their own uses leaving him with liar and thief branded on his brows is only reward do that and you stop the clock of progress you smother the spark of genius that lies have you here and there throughout the world do that and the world stand still Your Honor I demand that this man be cited in Connecticut this case is under advisement hey are you alright colic we must get her out of here quickly get on it get an ambulance quick ambulance isn't one within 20 blocks of here they got a telephone though if you know how to use it telephone holder mother show me where this quiz with Watson come here I want you go get an admins quick ahoy ahoy this is Alexander Graham Bell speaking I want an ambulance hurry Watson this fool thing will never work Oh a heart yes she is jenny has a picture look I think she knows me I'm sure she does dear would you like to hold it who me oh you you know how clumsy I yes I would there you had Alan be careful of her back you know you haven't told me a word about the trial since I came home well I still have it under advisement which probably means we've lost palek would you mind so terribly one can't work and struggle and not care when it all goes for nothing especially when there others involved your father mr. Sanders Watson but you know I've been thinking about something else Alec Mabel your father mr. Sanderson mr. Watson are here and someone else Eddie come in why of course my MA your darling hunting her how's my little girl Alec you know mr. Pollard I'm the president of the Western Union how do you do my wife and my daughter mrs. Bell we must apologize for coming here like this but your father insisted go ahead break it to them well mr. Bell the Western Union is ready to admit that you when you alone invented the telephone what we will retire from the field and turn over to you the 56,000 telephones we now have in operation Alec the fact is we made the mistake of accepting a false report from one of our engineers after your wife read your letter in court we made a further investigation we found that this man braze will not only intended to deny your rights but to injure us as well mr. Bell were not only willing but anxious to pay for that mistake of course if you consider us as partners we could offer our wires rights away improvements and other assets you could lure shall we say one-fifth interest well I don't know what to say I ought to warn you you have probably the most valuable single patent ever issued your stock we're selling in the New York exchange this morning for a thousand dollars a share thousand ah well what do you say Alec well I'll have to ask my wife Alec you know I never interfere with your business gentlemen I accept Thank You mr. bell yeah it's exactly 11 and a half minutes past 11:00 time for this young lady's lunch goodbye my dear come gentlemen it's been a pleasure mrs. Bennett goodbye mrs. Bell goodbye Alec Alec aren't you happy everything you've wanted and worked for and everything the world has to offer you yes darling what I want I wanted to tell you I've been thinking about something else yes the other day I saw seagull flying and there were there was something about about the curve of its wings it just occurred to me that if a bird that's heavier than air can fly a man might fly too what did you say if a bird that's heavier than air can fly a man might fly too a man fly yes why are you going to start work on him mr. bell you

Channel: Frankie Burton

Views: 575,656

Rating: 4.7841549 out of 5

Keywords: 20th Century Fox, 1930s, Leon Shamroy

Id: 9WDyKO7GQ70

Length: 98min 4sec (5884 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 11 2013

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[u/MovieGuide]

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) [USA:Approved, 1 h 38 min]
Biography, Drama, History

Don Ameche, Loretta Young, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn
Director: Irving Cummings; Writers: Ray Harris, Boris Ingster, Milton Sperling, Lamar Trotti

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IMDb user rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7.0/10 (503 votes)

Alexander Graham Bell falls in love with deaf girl Mabel Hubbard while teaching the deaf and trying to invent means for telegraphing the human voice. She urges him to put off thoughts of marriage until his experiments are complete. He invents the telephone, marries and becomes rich and famous, though his happiness is threatened when a rival company sets out to ruin him.

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