El extraño caso del Dr. Kildare

For this fourth entry of the fifteen feature films in the much admired Dr. Kildare series, the regular assemblage of talented M-G-M supporting players enlivens a somewhat rambling plot, with acting honours shared by Lionel Barrymore as young Kildare's overseer, curmudgeonly Dr. Gillespie, and Laraine Day, cast as nurse Mary Lamont who has an eye upon James Kildare (Lew Ayres) as spousal material. James, diagnostic intern at "Blair General Hospital" finds he has a rival for Mary's affections in brain surgeon Gregory Lane (Shepperd Strudwick), whose losing streak of dying surgical subjects brings out the compassionate best from the eponymous hero who, clandestinely with Mary's aid, applies the sticky method of insulin shock (accepted at the time of filming as valid) to a Lane patient in order to correct his condition of dementia, possibly caused by Lane's procedure, while at the same time hoping to save the surgeon's waning reputation. The film was successful upon its release due to audience perception that a graphic depiction of the sanctum within a major hospital is being revealed; it benefits from splendid cinematography of John Seitz, and also the familiar sterling cast of the series including those mentioned as well as Frank Orth, Nat Pendleton and Samuel Hinds as the senior Kildare, in addition to a raft of other performing stalwarts.

Dr. James Kildare (Lew Ayres) works at Blair General Hospital with his nurse girlfriend Mary Lamont (Laraine Day) and his wheelchair-bound mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) who is battling cancer. He is concerned that Gillespie is not fighting hard enough. He rejects a high paying job to stay with Gillespie which frustrates Mary. Dr. Gregory Lane (Shepperd Strudwick) is a struggling brain surgeon. When Lane's patient seems to turn insane from sugery, Kildare takes on the strange case.

This is the fifth Dr. Kildare film. The various dramas of the main cast is fine. I do wonder about the strange case. I'm guessing that psychology is still undeveloped during this time. This is definitely a case for a psychiatrist or a brain specialist. Apparently, he just needed a sugary snack and a meeting with his wife. I'm no doctor, but this case is a little too strange.

This entry into the Dr. Kildare series was enjoyable but not as compelling for this reviewer as other installments were.

As usual, Dr. Gillespie allows Dr. Jimmy Kildare to think that Jimmy is making his own decisions, all the while being controlled by the octogenarian.

Nurse Mary Lamont has not yet landed the good doctor, and here is dating Dr. Lane the brain surgeon and our beloved Dr. Kildare.

Once again, Dr. Kildare's parents make an appearance, and Ma Kildare once again gives her son her willing shoulder to lean upon. The series always showed a close parent-child relationship, especially between Jimmy and his mother.

Dr. Kildare must make a decision in this entry which could derail his entire career at Blair General Hospital. This type of plot line would be handled in a much more serious manner today, but it was interesting to see how it was handled back in 1940.

In the previous film in the series, THE SECRET OF DR. KILDARE, the good doctor is practicing well outside his area of expertise. Despite being a diagnostician, he performed like a trained psychiatrist and since it was a Hollywood movie, everything worked out in the end! Well, once again, Kildare behaves as if he's a well-trained psychiatrist AND he does very risky and dangerous work using insulin therapy--a type of therapy with dubious effectiveness.

Now the logic of this film is completely absent--but the film is still quite watchable due to the excellent acting and characters. In fact, this was a trademark of the Kildare series--excellent cast but occasionally goofy stories.

Did anyone else see a mouse run across an upper molding in the hospital scene after surgery.