Private Worlds

I suppose in 1935 this was considered a fairly daring movie; a 'serious' look at psychiatry and the goings-on in a mental hospital, clearly designed to educate as much as entertain. Times have changed, however and today "Private Worlds", directed by the redoubtable Gregory LaCava from Phyllis Bottome's novel appears both ridiculously outdated and patronizing as progressive doctor Claudette Colbert, (miscast), and new superintendent psychiatrist Charles Boyer learn not only to work together but to fall in love at the same time.

At least both these actors are sufficiently talented to spark off each other when together though the rest of the cast are very much a mixed bag. As the doctor passed over for promotion in favour of Boyer and his mousy wife Joel McCrea and Joan Bennett are frankly terrible but Helen Vinson as Boyer's pushy sister who seems to be suffering from more than a little dose of nymphomania and the great Esther Dale as the old-fashioned matron are fun to watch. It may not be much of a movie but in its sensationalism, (some scenes could be lifted from Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor"), at least it's entertaining.

"Private Worlds" is a very good film, so when I call it 'soapy psychiatry' it's not really an insult...more an idea what to expect when you watch. It is set at a psychiatric hospital AND there are a lot of soap opera-like elements to the story. And, it's also very well worth seeing.

The story begins with Dr. MacGregor (Joel McCrea) interviewing to be the new administrator at the sanitarium in which he's worked. However, he's passed over for an outsider, Dr. Monet (Charles Boyer)....a man who appears much more old fashioned in his notions about psychiatry. As for Dr. Everest (Claudette Colbert), while she isn't thrilled at the rather sexist notions by Dr. Monet (who believes women do not make good psychiatrists), she is willing to reserve judgment and work with him.

An odd thing happens that I did not expect. Dr. Monet's vicious sister (who would today most likely be diagnosed with a Borderline Personality) begins flirting with Dr. MacGregor and does much to harm his marriage. It ultimately results in his wife nearly dying...and forces Dr. Monet to face up to how evil and manipulative his sister is. What's next? See the film.

While the film is not without problems, overall it's very well acted and presents a compassionate form of mental health treatment...a bit ahead of its time. Occasionally, it seems a bit unrealistic (such as how easily Dr. Everest is able to 'cure' patients with just a few words) and the casting of Helen Vison as Charles Boyer's sister is just dumb, as she has no French accent and his is very thick! Still, I could overlook these things and the film is quite good...so much so that I am surprised it's rarely seen on TV and should be.

Though I was keen to watch this movie because of the terrific cast, I expected to find its presentation of psychiatric medicine dated and naive. While this is at times true (Claudette Colbert's treatment seems to be simply talking to the patients like a kindly elder sister), Private Worlds also makes several observations that are relevant today, including the then-daring one (for the general audience) that we all live in a private world, and that the difference between sanity and insanity may be only a matter of degree. The doctors in the smaller roles are far more plausible than Colbert, Charles Boyer, and Joel McCrea, who simply behave in accordance with their well-established screen personalities. But they are never so movie-starrish as to be unbelievable. The script cleverly uses the harshness of Boyer, the new head of the hospital, to forceful dramatic effect; while most of his diktats make us regard him dubiously or unfavourably, at the climax of the picture he is very harsh in a way that is clearly right, and much more insightful than we had thought. (Female viewers are helped in this favourable opinion by Boyer's looking extremely youthful and absolutely gorgeous.) Two touches show a disregard for credibility that would never pass today. No one is surprised that, in addition to being a psychiatrist, Boyer is qualified to perform major surgery, and is very good at it. And when a dying patient mumbles in Arabic, the staff say what a pity it is that no one there understands him. For heaven's sake, you think, why don't they get a translator? How long has the poor man been there? These are more than compensated for, however, by the outburst from the crabby old matron, who complains--that too many patients are being cured and sent home! How can the hospital keep going, she asks, if it isn't full of sick people?

PRIVATE WORLDS earned Claudette Colbert one of her three Best Actress nominations (she should have been nominated more often!) yet it is one of her most elusive movies although it was an acclaimed film when released. I'm guessing it's so atypical for a Colbert vehicle that it didn't have the appeal for potential ratings like her delightful comedies or romantic dramas. Always a sensitive actress, Colbert is superb and ideally cast as a sympathetic psychologist. She and handsome colleague Joel McCrea are something of a team in their modern treatment of patients although some gossips speculate about their relationship. In fact, Joel is happily married to Joan Bennett and Claudette is a great friend to both of them. Trouble starts though when stranger Charles Boyer is brought in as manager to the hospital in a position McCrea had hoped for. Boyer wants to make big changes, including demoting Colbert as he feels her position is "man's work".

Some of this movie's twists can be spotted a mile away. When Boyer's sister Helen Vinson pops in the picture you know trouble is in store for the McCrea/Bennett marriage. The movie has a harder time teaming Boyer and Colbert as a couple; his sexism is so extreme it's hard to believe she could ever find him attractive, or he desire such a "modern" woman. The acting is fine although Esther Dale is so over the top as the shrewish head matron, the director really needed to put the brakes on her. Vinson isn't subtle, either but then both roles rather encourage their actresses to go overboard. On the other hand, there is an extremely well-played cameo by character actor Guinn Williams as one of the most troubled patients at the institution. Claudette is unfortunately dressed in a somewhat masculine wardrobe, complete with a tie, one of Hollywood's absurd ideas of what a professional woman should wear during the era. At least one is grateful there is no "Rosalind Russell ending" here in the battle between the feminist and the sexist (Roz herself bemoaned that fact about her movies in her autobiography). This is still a nice movie and a quite thoughtful for its era when escapism ruled the box office.

"Private Worlds" is a good 1935 film concerning mental health issues. The film stars Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Charles Boyer, Helen Vinson, and Joan Bennett. I confess I didn't recognize Joan Bennett.

The story concerns hard-working, dedicated psychiatrists McCrea and Colbert who have to deal with a new head of the hospital, a man who believes women have no place in psychiatry. The title comes from a quote by McCrea, that there is no difference between sanity and insanity - everyone lives in their own private world.

There is a subplot - the philandering McCrea, fooling around with Boyer's sister (Vinson), and a growing attraction between Colbert and Boyer.

I don't think I have ever seen Boyer so young, and he reminded me of Alain Delon.

Good movie, recommending a humane approach to the mentally ill.