Four Girls in White

In that golden year of 1939, the same year that she played Careen, Scarlett O'Hara's youngest sister in GWTW Ann Rutherford also appeared in this earnest programmer. She's one of the title girls although not the most heavily featured, that would be the forgotten Florence Rice, but she's pert and strictly secondary which would explain how she could appear in EIGHT! films that year.

As for the rest of the film it's second feature, bottom of the bill stuff all the way. The lives and challenges of young nurses has been examined many times and nothing new is added here. Everyone performs professionally but without distinction, the unique Una Merkel livens things up whenever she pops in but she is also mostly on the sidelines. Everybody gets to prove their mettle by the end no matter how far they've strayed during the overheated melodramatics.

It's amazing that even when MGM made programmers they never spared the Metro gloss for photography, sets, etc., even when there were no stars on the bill but up and coming young players. For this one, it looks as though MGM used their Blair Hospital sets from Dr. Kildare.

ANN RUTHERFORD and top-billed FLORENCE RICE are sisters who go through an extensive nursing program where the staff includes smartly dressed male interns like PHILIP TERRY and TOM NEAL with ALAN MARSHALL as a surgeon. And for comic relief there's BUDDY EBSEN, JESSIE RALPH and UNA MERKEL.

The story charts an amusing course for four girls in white as they become nurses after some rigorous training. Sparks between Rice and Marshall are evident from their first meeting and we know a romance is in the works. Rice is spunkier than usual for someone usually cast in demure roles and Marshall makes an attractive leading man--you have to wonder why MGM never groomed him for big time stardom. As for Rice, she looks like a young Madeleine Carroll in her close-ups.

It's a lighter look at nurses on and off duty with occasional romantic interludes. Rice's romance with spoiled rich man KENT TAYLOR takes place aboard his fancy yacht. The plot at this point turns to romantic rivalry between sisters over a man and continues to accent trivial fluff despite a dramatic incident at the hospital involving a violent patient.

You can almost predict a happy ending in sight, but not before a very dramatic train wreck amid a bridge collapse complete with floods that engulf the interior of a train. For this sequence alone, with Rice redeeming herself in Marshall's eyes after a stormy argument, the film emerges as a better than average programmer after a heavy dose of syrupy material.

Summing up: Trivial B-film fluff given the glossy treatment by MGM. All the pretty nurses look as though they just came from the MGM beauty parlor but the final emergency call involving the bridge collapse is handled with gripping realism.

And I do emphasize cheese! In spite of that, I would not say to stay away.

At any rate, the "four girls in white" who sign up for nursing school are Norma Page (Florence Rice), her kid sister Pat (Ann Rutherford), single mom Mary Forbes (Mary Howard), and Gertie (Una Merkel) - Una always provides the comic relief, and she is a bright spot in the picture.

Although the title talks about four girls, this is primarily Norma's journey, as she enters nursing school to land a doctor for a husband. It isn't long until she sets her sights on brilliant physician Stephen Melford (Alan Marshall). However, her constantly nagging him about going into private practice where he could make a mint drives a wedge between them. Then she turns to rich playboy Bob Maitland , who is a patient in the hospital. Complications ensue as Norma slowly learns the value of self sacrifice and the folly of selfishness, which in her case, has at least one tragic consequence.

The bad? Nursing in 1939 looks remarkably like housekeeping - doing laundry, feeding patients, washing dishes, taking temperatures...oh, and if something interesting happens, call a doctor, who is ALWAYS a MAN. And the pay is appropriately low because in 1939 all nurses (at least in this movie) are women. Being a RN today looks nothing like this, as RNs are tasked with work far more complex. To give the film credit, this probably IS what nursing looked like in 1939, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!

The ugly? Before Louis B. Mayer finally ruined Buddy Ebsen's career, he gave him several B- roles at MGM, in this case that of disorderly orderly "Express". He is just not funny and why does poor Una Merkel have to always fall for the career runt of the litter? She's so cute and perky! Also, one of Norma's first unselfish deeds on her road to righting her moral compass is to... fix her naive inexperienced baby sister up with that wolf Maitland she was trying to matrimonially nab?!?? Yikes! How long before baby sister is a sadder but wiser girl, wedding ring or not? Finally, this film is obviously trying to tap the successful Kildare series of the same era, but Alan Marshall as part Errol Flynn and part Kildare just doesn't cut it, and I guess Miss Tobias as the head nurse who is battle axe on the outside, heart of gold on the inside, is supposed to be filling Lionel Barrymore's shoes, but she just doesn't do it for me either.

The good? The film does have some poignant melodrama and an irreversible tragic turn I just was not expecting from an MGM B of the era. Plus there is a dynamite action filled finale. I'd say on the whole it is a take it or leave it proposition.

The title to this film is a misnomer. While it's called "Four Girls in White", the film really focuses mostly on one of them, Norma Page (Florence Rice). It shows her entrance into a nursing training program as well as their progress...as well as the high attrition rate. However, partway through the film Page Page gets herself into trouble and her completion of the program seems in doubt. Can she possibly show everyone that she's a selfless team player or is she destined to be a washout?

This is a very nice film starring many of MGM's lesser-known actors and actresses. However, it looks nicer than the typical B and is entertaining. What also is a surprise is the big climax scene--the dam break scene is incredibly well done and looks far nicer than a B should look. Worth seeing.

Somewhat over-wrought melodrama about the trials and tribulations of working in a big-city hospital in the late 1930's. There is a great deal of emphasis on the selflessness of these caregivers, including a doctor who is tempted by the big money of private private practice but stays true to his mission. The hospital is amazingly orderly, quiet, and clean. Would have been good for recruitment.

The title refers to Norma (Florence Rice), her sister Pat (Ann Rutherford), the super dedicated Mary (Mary Howard), and the irreverent Gertie (Una Merkel). Merkel and Buddy Ebson provide much needed comic relief. Rutherford is quite good as the wholesome and perky little sister but Merkel is the reason to see this film. Her talent for comedy is amazing and after seeing her in "Four Girls in White" you will be on the lookout for more of her films.

The climatic train wreck-dam bursting sequence provides a glimpse into the staging of a low budget disaster back in the old days. The camera stays tight on the action, making very little seem like a really big deal.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.