The Doctor Takes a Wife

I agree with the other positive reviews here, with one reservation. The film is a very funny, well written and performed screwball comedy. I especially enjoyed the sequence where Miland has to scramble between two adjoining apartments, a situation I've seen lots of times in comedy films; it's delightful here because of Miland's perfect performance and the spot on comic pacing. It's great fun seeing the cutsy-pie, air head performance of Gail Patrick; in her other "other woman" roles ("My Favorite Wife", etc.) she plays it stern and bland, here she's very funny and likable. OK, my one reservation--Loretta Young is miscast; she is off-putting in the first half of the film, seeming a total bitch. Later in the film, as her character softens she becomes a sympathetic character and right for the part. Hers is a role that seems to have been written for Roziland Russel or Jean Arthur; as I watched the film it was very easy to imagine those actresses fitting the part and the dialog to perfection. Occasionally Young seems to be handling her lines as Russel would, including her vocal inflections.

Ray Milland plays a doctor who meets Young at a little vacation lodge one afternoon. Young is trying to get back to her home in the city, but unfortunately is forced to ride with Milland after learning that the lodge's only train has already left for the night. Milland and Young immediately hit it off (I'm kidding, they hate each other's guts) and only descend deeper into dissension after Milland unknowingly insults the books Young writes. Any guesses as to what kind of books Young writes? If you said "I don't know, anything to do with anti-marriage/female empowerment," ding ding ding! We have a winner (not that there's anything wrong with female empowerment, mind you).

Young and Miland make a brief stop while a wedding is going on. Unfortunately, a little boy, on a mission from God mistakes the wedding vehicle and puts a "Just Married" banner on the back of Milland's car, unbeknownst to either Young or Milland. The press ends up following the two back to Young's apartment and put 2 and 2 together. Unfortunately, they put 2 and 2 together and ended up with 5. Assuming that this prominent anti-marriage authoress has gotten married, they then proceed to print the news all over town, not realizing that this is a case of jumping to conclusions, or "ignorant slander," if you will.

Young's boyfriend Johnny has the idea that the 2 should pretend like they actually ARE married in order to help Young's upcoming book sell very well (the upcoming book has to do with the joys of marriage, etc). Boy, didn't see this coming (wink, wink). After some strong protest from Milland, Young finally gets her way and the two proceed to live together somewhat peacefully until Milland's girlfriend Marilyn (Gail Patrick) shows up and begins to wreak havoc (Gail surprised me in this, she doesn't play her borderline venomous, straight-shooter kind of role in this; she's more of a young Ann Miller-type?)

All in all, things get all wrapped up with a nice red bow at the ending, which I wasn't really expecting (wink, wink). I'd give this one a 7/10, as I've seen funnier (case in point, Bringing up Baby, Merrily We Live with Constance Bennett, or My Man Godfrey with Powell/Lombard). But Loretta Young is quite funny in this.

Loretta Young and Ray Milland star in "The Doctor Takes a Wife," a 1940 comedy that also features Edmund Gwenn, Gail Patrick, and Reginald Gardner. Young plays June Cameron, a 1940 version of a feminist who writes on the joys of being a bachelorette. When her editor/boyfriend (Reginald Gardner) summons her back to New York from her vacation, she hitches a ride with Dr. Timothy Sterling (Milland). Through a series of unfortunate events, the press reports that they're married, which will ruin June's current the status of her current best seller, Spinsters Aren't Spinach. Her publisher wants to keep the mistake going because June can now write about being married; and Dr. Sterling's newly married status wins him a big promotion. The fly in the ointment is Sterling's fiancée (Gail Patrick).

Completely predictable, of course, and dated, but still fun because of the terrific cast and good direction by Alexander Hall. Both the stars are very good. Young is beautiful in her tailored suits and gives her material the needed light touch. Milland always had a flair for comedy and does a good job as the stubborn doctor. Amusing, and a look back at the old days when this kind of film was popular.

Loretta Young (Kismet, zillions of romantic stories on love & marriage) is successful author June Cameron, who gets tangled up with Dr. Sterling (Ray Milland - Lost Weekend, the Major and the Minor). He agrees to help her out of a jam, but of course, their "resolution" causes problems in his own life, and later, problems in her life. Supporting roles by Reginald Gardiner and also Gail Patrick. Many similarities here to the 1945 film "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck, but they credit different authors. Also similar to "Third Finger Left Hand".. (Lionel Houser wrote Christmas in CT.. and Third Finger..) Loretta Young always reminds me of Ann Marie from the TV show "That Girl" -- thru a series of misunderstandings she herself has caused, she drags everyone around her into this huge ball of confusion, and has to straighten everything out at the last minute. Silly but fun. This flick could have been an episode of "Three's Company".

While not being crazy about the title, and the story didn't sound overly special being not an awful lot different from other comedies at the time there were still enough interest points to make me want to see 'The Doctor Takes a Wife'. Loretta Young was always very well suited to this type of film, Edmund Gwenn was always watchable and it was interesting to see Ray Milland in a comedic role, being more familiar with him in drama (i.e. 'The Lost Weekend', 'Dial M for Murder').

Fortunately, 'The Doctor Takes a Wife' turned out to be very enjoyable. Nothing original or exceptional, but good fun all the same once you get past a beginning that makes one conflicted whether to switch off or not. Young shows why this type of role suited well and Milland works remarkably well in comedy. Despite things that could have been done better, 'My Doctor Takes a Wife' has a lot to recommend and generally doesn't deserve to be as overlooked as it has been.

To me, and a few others it seems, 'The Doctor Takes a Wife' doesn't start off particularly promisingly. Found it too busy and noisy, at times too in need of a tightening. And Young's character is not likeable at all and is quite irritating actually to begin with, while she does become much more tolerable as the film progresses it takes time to get there.

Not unexpectedly, the story is very silly and some situations are unlikely and a bit overdone.

However, there is so much to like about 'The Doctor Takes a Wife'. A big selling point being the cast. Milland shows a surprising deftness for comedy, with wonderfully varied and amusing expressions that never came over as forced or artificial. Young is very charming and with sparkling comic timing as her character becomes easier to root for, and does her best when the character was problematic. Gwenn is always endearing, while Gail Patrick is cute and amusing and Reginald Gardiner is very funny without going over the top or mugging. Despite having different acting styles, Milland and Young have great chemistry together.

Alexander Hall directs with a sure, adept hand, showing ease and engagement with the material once getting past the first portion of the film. A lot of the dialogue is both acidly witty and at times surprisingly sophisticated and the slapstick didn't feel over-engineered or repetitive. The pace generally is lively and the production values are slick and elegant.

Summarising, good fun if nothing outstanding. 7/10