Mary Stevens, M.D.

It's interesting that Kay Francis played a physician in two films, Mary Stevens, M.D., and Dr. Monica, just a few years apart in a time when the female physician was a rarity. Also, both films dealt with unplanned pregnancies. (I'm basing that on the IMDb summary of Dr. Monica, as I haven't had the opportunity to see that one yet.) In Mary Stevens, M.D., the protagonist encounters society's prejudice against doctors who happen to be female, but that is not the movie's emphasis. Instead, the main plot is simply a great drama (though, in a different way, the drama does stem from mores of the era), and a sad one. Mary Stevens, M.D., is also an interesting example of a 30s-style dichotomy: while Dr. Stevens is a "modern" woman by virtue of having become a physician, she also patiently accepts an ENORMOUS amount of nonsense from the man she loves.

Kay Francis stars with Lyle Talbot, Thelma Todd, and Glenda Farrell in "Mary Stevens, M. D."

Mary and her dear friend, Don, graduate from medical school and set up practice together. Don, however, is attracted to easy money, so he marries a politician's daughter, Lois (Thelma Todd).

He gets a special job on the medical commission. Apparently they're a bunch of crooks and charge more money for a service than was charged by the hospital. This was some kind of pre-Medicare fraud.

Mary, meanwhile, has been in love with Don all these years, and it's unrequited. She stays busy with her pediatrician practice, but finally her nurse (Farrell) insists she take a vacation. Well, who does she run into - running from an indictment - but Don.

The indictment is quashed thanks to his father-in-law. Don plans on asking Lois for a divorce - both of them want their freedom. So Mary and Don declare their love for one another.

Once back in the thick of things, Mary realizes she's pregnant. When she tries to tell Don, he informs her that Lois is pregnant, and he can't divorce her now. So Mary does what many unwed mothers did back then - she goes away, planning on returning with an adopted child.

Kay Francis as an actress exuded so much warmth and emotion that you're pulling for her all the way. Actually I thought she could do a lot better than Lyle Talbot, who did a good job as Don. Farrell was a riot as the voice of reality.

A year after this film, the Hayes Code kicked in and unwed moms were out.

"Mary Stevens, M. D." is a true melodrama. I was yanked into it, and I found it enjoyable, with some nail-biting along the way.

Mary Stevens (Kay Francis) and her friend Don Andrews (Lyle Talbot) graduate medical school together and open medical offices next to each other. Mary struggles against sexism, but builds a thriving practice. Glenda Carroll (Glenda Farrell) is her nurse. Don starts dating rich socialite Lois Cavanaugh (Thelma Todd) and ignores his work.

Mary Stevens is a compelling character. I'm intrigued by her story. On the other hand, I couldn't care less about Don. I don't see their implied chemistry. They start off more like brother and sister. That's all I see in them. I don't care about his issues. She could be a great character for a TV show. Oh yeah! This was before TV.

Kay Francis and Lyle Talbot end their terms as interns and open an office together. Stevens marries machine politician's daughter Thelma Todd, and goes to work for the city, but things fall apart and he and Miss Francis begin an affair. He can't get a divorce, and she's pregnant.

The performers do their best, and it's a fine old soap opera, but Ray Curtiss edits the film at a bumpy rate that is often uncomfortable as Miss Francis gets whipsawed by Talbot's mistakes. A fine cast helps, including parts by Glenda Farrell, Una O'Connor, Hobart Cavanaugh, and Christian Rub, as does Sidney Hickox's subtly moving camera.

Kay Francis and Glenda Farrell are always fun to watch, and they're no exception here. Francis plays the titular doctor who is more competent and responsible than her male counterpart, played by Lyle Talbot, so that was nice to see. The film is also decidedly pre-Code in that he turns into her married lover, adding some spice to the story, even though I'm not sure I felt the pair's chemistry. Regardless, it's open about their infidelity and Dr. Stevens getting pregnant as a result, and in fact, her being perfectly fine with it, which is a fantastic moment. There are also some nice jabs directed at the medical profession when Talbot's character shows up drunk to a surgery, as well as the corruption in how he gets his money, reflecting the cynicism of the period at the white-collar world. We also see that of her young patients is in a morose state of mind and has ulcers worrying about the Depression.

The film tries to toe the line between Dr. Stevens' personal and professional life just as I suppose people from this period tried to wrap their head around what it meant to be a career woman, but it erred too much in the personal melodrama for my taste. With that said, the scenes of how the cute little babies (of which there are several in the film!) spread the dreaded polio disease were gripping. You could read the fate of the love child as a regressive punishment and not be wrong, but on the other hand, because it was pre-Code, Francis's character is allowed to remain a doctor, not renounce everything she's worked for to be with a man. I wish the plot had taken different turns because Talbot's character is so lacking, but the film has enough going for it to make it worth seeing.