This account of Thomas Alva Edison's boyhood depict him as a brilliant but rambunctious teenager (Mickey Rooney), often distracted by his own ideas and frequently carried toward disaster by his fascination with his experiments, much to the consternation of his parents, neighbors, and teachers. While most of the town of Port Huron, Michigan - including his own father (George Bancroft) - doubt the boy's competency, his younger sister (Virginia Weidler) and, most of all, his mother (Fay Bainter) believe in him and help sustain him until the climactic moment where his abilities and knowledge help avert a tragedy. Most of the major incidents depicted in the movie are true, and verified by the historical record - or were believed to be true (based on Edison's own accounts) at the time of the movie's production - though the time-line has been altered (and compressed) for dramatic purposes, in what is generally an entertaining and surprisingly informative bio-pic. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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In the 1930s and early '40s, fans flocked to biopics. So Hollywood had a great idea: take the stars of Boys Town and reteam them - with a twist - to tell the compelling life story of America's greatest inventor, Thomas Edison. So Mickey Rooney portrayed Young Tom Edison and Spencer Tracy headlined Edison, the Man. The films opened two months apart, and each garnered huge, enthusiastic audiences. In this tale of Edison's youth, Tom's scientific curiosity and experiments gone wrong are subjects of scorn in his hometown...and in his family. Tom shows heroism in the face of great danger, and even invents a device to help the doctor save his mother's life. But will that be enough to win over the folks who call him addled?