Young Dr. Kildare (1938)

Fresh out of medical school, young Dr. James Kildare decides to leave his father's country practice and take up a position at a large New York hospital. There he meets the famous Dr. ... See full summary »

Director:

Harold S. Bucquet

Writers:

Max Brand (story), Harry Ruskin,

Stars:

Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres, Lynne Carver

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lionel Barrymore	...	Dr. Gillespie
Lew Ayres	...	Dr. James Kildare
Lynne Carver	...	Alice Raymond
Nat Pendleton	...	Joe Wayman
Jo Ann Sayers	...	Barbara Chanler
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Dr. Stephen Kildare
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Martha Kildare
Walter Kingsford	...	Dr. P. Walter Carew
Truman Bradley	...	Jack Hamilton
Monty Woolley	...	Dr. Lane-Porteus
Pierre Watkin	...	Mr. Robert Chanler
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Chanler
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jessie Arnold	...	Crazy Girl (scenes deleted)
Drew Demorest	...	Reporter (scenes deleted) (as Drew Demarest)
Grace Hayle	...	Stout Lady (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Fresh out of medical school, young Dr. James Kildare decides to leave his father's country practice and take up a position at a large New York hospital. There he meets the famous Dr. Leonard Gillespie who becomes his mentor. Kildare finds himself in serious trouble when he saves a suicidal woman who turns out to be an heiress with a powerful family.

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Plot Keywords:

medical | hospital | politician | millionaire | city country contrast | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asszonyok a rendelőben

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)

User Reviews

Blair General's New Intern

Although Max Brand's character of Dr. James Kildare first appeared over at Paramount's Interns Can't Take Money with Joel McCrea, the first of the classic Dr. Kildare movies was Young Dr. Kildare with Lew Ayres as the idealistic young intern. The series was done over at MGM and that most expensive of all studios gave a polished touch to even a series of B pictures.

Young Dr. Kildare sets the series up with Lew Ayres newly graduated from medical school deciding to intern at Blair General Hospital in New York instead of starting practice over in the small Connecticut town with his parents Samuel S. Hinds and Emma Dunn. While there he comes to the attention of renowned doctor Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Leonard Gillespie who spends the whole film putting him through some paces as he decides whether this young man can cut it as his new assistant.

Although Ayres's main challenge with purportedly mentally ill rich girl Jo Ann Sayers is not terribly convincing in its simplistic approach to her psychiatric problems which resulted in a suicide attempt the sincere playing of Ayres, Barrymore, and the rest cover a multitude of script holes. Walter Kingsford also makes his debut in the series as the officious hospital president Dr. Carew. Although a pattern is set with the Carew character here who realizes he's just a bureaucrat with an MD and he defers to Barrymore on medical questions.

The Kildare series got a decent if not outstanding debut with Young Dr. Kildare.