The Secret of Nikola Tesla

The film follows Nikola Tesla's life from his crossing from Europe to America: the years working for Edison, the fight between direct and alternating current, the partnership with Westinghouse, and then his dealings with J. P. Morgan, the man holding the money. It is about inventions ending up under other people's names, and about patents and credit changing hands. Krsto Papić directed this Yugoslav production for Zagreb Film, with Petar Božović as Tesla, Orson Welles as Morgan, Strother Martin as Westinghouse and Dennis Patrick as Edison. Oja Kodar, who plays Katharine, had by then been Welles's companion for close to twenty years. The film stands openly on Tesla's side; who exactly the inventions belonged to and how the credit should be divided remains a contested area in the historical writing.