Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘Arrowsmith’?

Arrowsmith (1931)

My Rating

Movie Info

One of the more prestigious films of its time, John Ford's film adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has a sleek Art Deco look strangely out of tune with its tale of moral struggle. Ronald Colman stars as Martin Arrowsmith, an idealistic young doctor, who, after graduating from medical school, must forego a research position with Dr. Max Gottlieb (A.E. Anson) due to his marriage to nurse Leora Tozer (Helen Hayes). He returns to her rural hometown and establishes a small

Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.

Drama, Classics

Sidney Howard

Mar 8, 2005

Cast

All Critics (10) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (1) | DVD (4)

Emotionally gratifying, it dramatically only crawls along with so many actionless scenes.

April 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

One of John Ford's in-depth probes of the doctor's role in society, Arrowsmith was based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis who refused the 1926 Pulitzer because of the prize's alleged advocacy of work that endorsed "the wholesome American life."

June 19, 2005 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

...the film's episodic structure ensures that it rarely becomes boring - though the story does lose some momentum towards the end...

March 12, 2005 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

Brilliant, too little seen John Ford film of the Sinclair Lewis novel.

May 23, 2004 Comment
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

One of those prestige pics from decades past that make you wonder exactly what all the fuss was about.

March 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Arrowsmith

Ronald Colman is fine in this antique but the film itself is all over the place.

May 1, 2011
jjnxn
jay nixon

Super Reviewer

A dull and melodramatic look at the life of a doctor.

September 3, 2010
ajv2688

Super Reviewer

Arrowsmith Quotes

No quotes approved yet for Arrowsmith. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Latest News for Arrowsmith

What's Hot On RT

Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus

Journey 2 Not Worth the Trip

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,578 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,486 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,180 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,675 taken
created 15 months ago
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile