From Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the new ten-part series GENIUS on National Geographic Channel focuses on Albert Einstein. This is cinema’s most expansive look at Einstein. It begins in the 1890s with Johnny Flynn playing Einstein when he drops out of high school; Geoffrey Rush portrays an older Einstein as Hitler comes to power. In addition to GENIUS, here are five other cinematic depictions of Einstein. Surprisingly, there were not many to choose from.
INSIGNIFICANCE (1985). Directed by Nicolas Roeg. Michael Emil as Einstein. Starstruck by Marilyn Monroe, Einstein spends an evening reenacting relativity and fending off Monroe’s other suitors in a New York hotel room.
I.Q. (1994). Directed by Fred Schepisi. Walter Matthau as Einstein. This Einstein is a bumbling grandfather, and mischievous matchmaker for his brilliant granddaughter.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN (2009). Directed by Shawn Levy. Eugene Levy as Einstein. Three Einstein bobble-heads help the Museum’s ex-night watchman rescue his friends.
YOUNG EINSTEIN (1988). Directed by Yahoo Serious. Yahoo Serious as Einstein. Einstein plays violin in the bath and invents a method to inject bubbles into beer.
I KILLED EINSTEIN, GENTLEMEN (1970). Directed by Oldrich Lipsky. Petr Cepek as Einstein. Einstein is to blame for an atomic bomb detonation which has caused women to grow beards.