The Beginning Or The End (1947)

Prior to WWII, American scientists under the guidance of an Italian scientist (Joseph Calleia) win the race to split the atom. Aided by a letter from Albert Einstein (Ludwig Stossel), a physicist (Tom Drake) and his colleagues convince President Roosevelt (Godfrey Tearle) to authorize the construction of a nuclear weapon. A billion dollar undertaking that will culminate in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Directed by Norman Taurog (GIRL CRAZY). A well intentioned faux docudrama that suffers from contrived and sentimental romantic subplots among other things. After a film like Christopher Nolan's OPPENHEIMER (played here by Hume Cronyn), it seems so ineffective. The highlight of the movie, the bombing of Hiroshima pales next to a similar sequence in ABOVE AND BEYOND (1952) done five years later (and a better movie). While the film strives for historical accuracy, too much of it is obviously "dramatic license" or outright fiction. With Robert Walker, Brian Donlevy, Audrey Totter, Hurd Hatfield, Victor Francen, Beverly Tyler, Barry Nelson, Warner Anderson and Jim Davis.