Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case

What's a Dr. Kildare movie without Lew Ayres? A Dr. Gillespie movie, and let's face it, since Dr. Gillespie is Lionel Barrymore, no one's going to be complaining. In Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case, Lionel has to deal with two ambitious assistants, a depressed war veteran, a children's epidemic, and a convicted criminal who'll lose his temper if he finds out his ex-wife Donna Reed is getting re-married. This installment packs quite a punch, so prepare to be entertained.

The supporting cast may have well-known names, but not everyone is given a lot to do. Van Johnson exists to chase around the overly flirtatious Marilyn Maxwell and roll his eyes whenever he's prevented from sealing the deal. Keye Luke exists to simultaneously make the movie seem accepting and racist, since the running joke is that he's learning to speak Chinese at the local college. Donna Reed exists to look pretty and flounce around with bouncing hair and a sweet smile. Nat Pendleton is always a lot of fun, with wisecracks, harmless flirting, and loyal support to his friends and the hospital.

Of course, the star of the show is Lionel Barrymore, a true professional who's incapable of giving a bad performance. In this one, he treats Michael Duane, who's despondent over losing his legs in the war. It's quite sad, not only because this realistic situation was being shown during wartime, but also because a wheelchair-bound Lionel tells Michael how lucky he is that he'll be equipped with artificial legs. "You're luckier than I am. Not even this hospital can make me walk," he says, no doubt creating many lumps in audiences' throats. Lionel also has a touching scene with a group of sick children, including a young Margaret O'Brien, reminding audiences how wonderful he was in On Borrowed Time with Bobs Watson. Just in case you get too teary-eyed, Lionel does get thrown a surprise birthday party, and to prove he's not surprised, he opens his bathrobe to reveal a tuxedo! After all, in a hospital drama, in the middle of WWII, there's got to be a touch of humor to get us through. And Lionel, who can get us through anything.

... of course with the suave Dr. K no longer part of the cast at Blair Hospital. The case is that of Roy Todwell, the man who killed three people in "Calling Dr. Gillespie" from the year before, but remembers none of it when "sane". Now in prison for those crimes, Gillespie is intent on trying to get Roy transferred from the penitentiary to an institution where he might be cured. Of course how he plans to legally do this is never explained, as the legal system has already spoken during his trial and declared him sane, thus his prison sentence. This isn't just Dr. Carew Gillespie is sparring with here, but I digress.

One of the interesting side stories is that of a Honolulu taxi driver, a young man of about 25, who lost both legs below the knee in the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is at Blair to receive surgery that he could not in Hawaii. What is not unusual in such a story is that the young man has given up on living and seems intent on just spending the rest of his life feeling sorry for himself. What is unusual is that he is a civilian rather than a soldier receiving such devastating injuries.

What really breaks up the rhythm of the entire film is a lengthy section inserted in the middle about the outbreak of a potentially deadly infection in the children's ward. This is mainly used as an early opportunity to let child actress Margaret O'Brien overemote in some scenes that are just too saccharine given the noirish continuation of Roy Todwell's story. The good part about it is that the crisis is a chance for Dr. Red Adams (Van Johnson) and Dr. Lee Wong How (Keye Luke) to bond as something other than just competitors for the spot as Dr. Gillespie's assistant.

I would say it is worth sticking around for the exciting conclusion involving Roy's story. As usual the regular cast is terrific,and Henry O'Neill is impressive as the warden.

This entry in the popular Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie series, which was also a radio hit at the time, is somewhat of a sequel to "Calling Dr. Gillespie." The story of "mental case" Roy Todwell is continued and finalized. There are also several subplots from the extremely weak and saccharine children's ward melodrama featuring Margaret O'Brien to the more effective and interesting rivalry between Dr. Adams (Van Johnson) and Dr. Lee Wong How (Keye Luke) to be Dr. Gillespie's new assistant. One subplot, however, appears to be MGM's slap at Lew Ayres (Dr. Kildare) for declaring himself a conscientious objector which caused such an uproar and led to MGM dropping him. A veteran who has lost his legs in the bombing of Pearl Harbor is being fitted for new ones. He is extremely depressed and tells Dr. Gillespie that he never wants to walk again. Dr. Gillespie goes out of his way to help the vet, providing him with the best of everything, though he has little money. Dr. Gillespie gives a patriotic speech against the Japanese, even quoting the Bible. Though no reference is made to Dr. Kildare (Lew Ayres)by name, it is obvious why this subplot was inserted.

There is the usual mix of romance, humor, mystery, and the down-home philosophy of wheelchair-bound Dr. Gillespie (a father figure not unlike our President at the time who was also in a wheelchair) that made the Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie series so successful. But this is one of the weaker entries. Be sure and see "Calling Dr. Gillespie," a much better movie, first. It makes viewing this one more palatable.

Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) continues testing Dr. Lee Wong How (Keye Luke) and Dr. Randall Adams (Van Johnson), both vying to be his new assistant. Meanwhile an epidemic breaks out in the hospital children's ward and psycho killer Roy Todwell breaks out of prison just as Gillespie is arguing to the prison board that Roy belongs in a mental hospital. All this plus a double amputee struggles to come to terms with his disability and a beautiful woman throws herself at Dr. Adams.

The third Gillespie movie follows up on the events of Calling Dr. Gillespie. Donna Reed returns and is even lovelier than before. The character of Roy was recast for some reason. The new actor, John Craven, isn't as creepy as the last one, Phil Brown. Craven is just kind of skeevy. Van Johnson and Keye Luke are both fun. Luke is once again given the wartime comments about Japs, as well as the subplot about a man who lost both his legs at Pearl Harbor. Beautiful Marilyn Maxwell has a sexy part as a wealthy hospital volunteer who comes onto Johnson very strongly. She would appear a couple more times in the series. Margaret O'Brien is cute as one of the sick kids. She was such a precocious little actress who did melodrama very well. It's an enjoyable entry in the series with more subplots than you can shake a stick at. Barrymore is terrific as usual.

Lionel Barrymore is the omniscient Dr. Gillespie in this episodic entry into the popular Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie series.

The overworked doc has two ambitious men working under him, cute Van Johnson and charming Keye Luke, and they both want to be his top man.

Donna Reed is a beautiful young woman who comes to Gillespie for advice as the film begins - she wants to get married, but she's worried about a crazy man, crazy about her, who is now in jail for murder. Gillespie endeavors to get the man institutionalized.

He helps give a young man who lost his legs during the war have the will to continue; he saves four little girls in the children's' ward; wrecks Van Johnson's love life - it's all just business as usual for Dr. Gillespie of Blair General.

The cast is charming but this film is just too sweet for words, and Dr. Gillespie is a real fantasy character even for 1943.

I suppose with the war on, this is what America wanted to see. It's interesting that like our President at the time, Gillespie is also in a wheelchair, in a position of power, and larger than life.