Society Doctor

Very watchable film dealing with the moral and emotional struggles of an inner city intern, Dr. Morgan, effectively played by Chester Morris. Robert Taylor as Dr. Ellis and Virginia Bruce as Nurse Madge complete a love triangle with Morris that serves as the film's centerpiece. The movie is very nicely filmed - I love the look of hospitals in films from the thirties and forties; they seem so very clean and orderly, nothing like the messy Emergency Rooms we are accustomed to seeing on screen nowadays. Though a tad bit slow at times for the modern viewer, this is a solid piece of melodrama; a great film to watch on a rainy afternoon.

Decent mid-1930's MGM drama, but this ain't no Robert Taylor vehicle...this is a Chester Morris film.

Morris' career faltered around the time that Taylor's career was taking off. This is a shame since Chester was a much better actor than Taylor could ever hope to be.

This film has a great supporting cast including Billie Burke, Henry Kolker, and Virginia Bruce does a nice job as the female lead.

I saw this film on TCM and if you see it listed, I suggest you give it a chance.

It's no classic, but a good solid period film.

This is a terrific movie, starring Chester Morris, Robert Taylor, and Virginia Bruce. Also has Billie Burke in supporting role. I want to purchase this video, but don't think it is available. TCM featured it on cable on February 16, l999.

An ambulances rushes a patient to the busy "Metropolitan Hospital" where young doctor Chester Morris (as Bill Morgan) works. He and likewise handsome Robert Taylor (as Tommy Ellis) think likewise young William Henry (as Frank Snowden) needs an immediate appendectomy, but the patient's father wants to wait until his regular doctor arrives. In order to save Mr. Henry's life, Mr. Morris performs the surgery. While grateful, the hospital dismisses Morris for brashly offending his elders. Wealthy hypochondriac Billie Burke (as Mrs. Crane) has Morris reinstated. She also offers him a job as "Society Doctor" for socially prominent older women who suffer from mostly imaginary ailments...

You'll have to watch and see if Morris sticks to saving lives at "Metropolitan" or takes the easy job of tending to lonely rich women. Watching along are best pal Taylor and pretty blonde girlfriend Virginia Bruce (as Madge). Taylor is also in love with Ms. Bruce. Just before the story starts to slow down, something shocking occurs at the hospital. The film moves fast and is appealingly presented. Interestingly, Morris and Taylor strip to their waists to scrub before operating. Their physiques are admirable. There is no lingerie scene for Bruce, but she is nonetheless fetching. And hospitals in the 1930s had no guidelines restricting tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption in the workplace, evidently.

****** Society Doctor (1935-01-25) George B. Seitz ~ Chester Morris, Robert Taylor, Virginia Bruce, Billie Burke

Society Doctor (1935)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Melodrama from MGM has intern Dr. Morgan (Chester Morris) getting fired after he lets his mouth tell another doctor what he feels about his old-fashioned ways. Morgan is eventually brought back but he has an elderly woman (Billie Burke) offer him a position of a society doctor but he also has to deal with a nurse (Virginia Bruce) who loves him and a friend (Robert Taylor) who loves her. This drama is in the same fashion as the studios previous efforts like NIGHT NURSE and MEN IN WHITE, although this one here came after the pre-code era so this here isn't nearly as racy. What the film does have is some very good performances but in the end you can't help but feel the story is incredibly silly. It's funny but I had never heard of Morris until TCM started playing his Boston Blackie movies and today he's one of my favorite actors and I try to catch anything he's done. He once again turns in a very strong performance here as we believe him as this smart doctor who does worry about morals. Morris really delivers the passion of the doctor but also manages to be very charming. Bruce gets a pretty thankless role but she manages to turn in a nice performance as does supporting players like Henry Kolker, Raymond Walburn and Donald Meek. The up-and-coming Taylor also turns in a fine performance even if the screenplay doesn't do him any favors. The first forty-minutes of this thing contains some pretty good drama and the moral lesson about integrity is pretty good but things go pretty bad during the final twenty-seven minutes. The film really goes crazy the final ten as all sorts of side plots enter the picture and how the film ends is pretty silly and hard to believe. I'm really not sure why the screenwriter decided to take a mild drama and then turn it into a crazy, over-thought psycho ward but it doesn't work. The actors stay true to form but the story just doesn't do anyone any favors. Fans of the cast will certainly want to check this out but it's a shame a better conclusion wasn't thought of.