The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939)

The third film in MGM's long-running Doctor Kildare series actually isn't half bad. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's endearing, and it's also utterly ridiculous, but that goes for the entire 15-film series when you think about it. As usual, the credibility of the plot takes a back seat to the antics of the good cast, particularly Lew Ayers and Lionel Barrymore, who made the perfect acting team. Don't try to take it seriously at all, but just sit back and enjoy it. I guarantee you at least a couple good laughs. I can't help but wonder though...even in Dr. Gillespie's case, is a hypo really a suitable substitute for a plain old nap?

Would I recommend? Yes, mainly to already established fans of the series or the actors. Not my number one choice for an introduction to the series, but could still work.

Lionel Barrymore ("Dr. Gillespie") and Lew Ayres ("Dr. Kildare") are teacher and pupil in this competent medical drama. The former is working himself too hard trying to get to the root causes - and therefore to develop a treatment for - pneumonia. The latter is working with the daughter of one of America's wealthiest men (Lionel Atwill) who seems to be suffering from a sort of psychological illness derived from some incident from her past. Barrymore is great as the curmudgeonly, wheelchair-bound physician and he has some fun set-piece skirmishes with head nurse "Molly" (Alma Kruger); otherwise it is only really remarkable as an obvious precursor to not only the "Dr. Kildare" television series' but to episodic medical programming in general.