The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)

A best-selling author of women's issues and a medical academic find it is to their mutual advantage to falsely claim that they are married.

Director:

Alexander Hall

Writers:

George Seaton (screenplay), Ken Englund (screenplay),

Stars:

Loretta Young, Ray Milland, Reginald Gardiner

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Loretta Young	...	June Cameron
Ray Milland	...	Dr. Timothy Sterling
Reginald Gardiner	...	John R. Pierce
Gail Patrick	...	Marilyn Thomas
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. Lionel Sterling
Frank Sully	...	Louie Slapcovitch
Gordon Jones	...	O'Brien
Georges Metaxa	...	Jean Rovere
Charles Halton	...	Dr. Streeter
Joseph Eggenton	...	Dr. Nielson
Paul McAllister	...	Dean Lawton
Chester Clute	...	Johnson
Hal K. Dawson	...	Charlie
Edward Van Sloan	...	Burkhardt

Storyline

June Cameron has written a best seller about spinsters: women are men's equals and don't need them for fulfillment. Through a series of errors and misunderstandings, the press believes she's married Tim Sterling, a university instructor she's just met. Her publisher wants to let the mistake go uncorrected for a few weeks so she can write a best seller about being married; Tim cooperates because, in hidebound academia, being married may help with a promotion. The flies in the ointment are June and Tim's instant enmity, Tim's stubbornness, and his girlfriend Marilyn, who may not let the charade play out. There's no way everyone can get what they want.

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Plot Keywords:

publisher | best selling author | author | stubbornness | spinster | 

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Taglines:

Here's just what the doctor ordered... To make you laugh yourself healthy!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1941 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Docteur ... marions-nous

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 88 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several people are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members, but they did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Edgar Buchanan (Doorman), Walter Sande (Charlie's Photographer), Frank Darien (Greenwich Editor), William Austin (Hotel Manager), Nell Roy (Telegraph Operator) and Mary Gordon (Scrub Woman).

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Goofs

In the car scenes after Tim and June pull away from the Standish Arms doorman, Tim's left arm is inconsistently atop the driver's door, then inside the car, as they converse.

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Quotes

June Cameron: [to Timothy] Now, listen to me, my microscopic friend, you might be able to give orders to thay barnacle you're engaged to, but the last time a man tries it on me, I was six, and he was seven, and for one solid hour I beat him over the head with my all-day sucker!

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Crazy Credits

Credits are written in chalk on the sidewalk as pedestrians walk over them.

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Soundtracks

"The Wedding March"
(1843) (uncredited)
from "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61"
Written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Sung by an unidentifed singing telegram boy trio with modified lyrics

User Reviews

Underrated Gem

Doctor Takes a Wife, The (1940)

*** (out of 4)

Minor but entertaining screwball-comedy about a feminist writer (Loretta Young) and a doctor (Ray Milland) who meet while on vacation but hate each other from the start. After a mix up the media makes a mistake an announces that they were married so the two must pretend to be so that they can keep their careers. There's nothing overly special about this film but it does contain enough laughs to make it entertaining. It was nice seeing Young play a feminist as she's constantly shouting and holding her head up high while at the same time playing the sweet and loving wife as a joke. Her sweetness mixes perfectly well with Milland's dry humor and he really shines with his comic timing. The only really weak segment of the film comes when Milland is rushing between two apartments while trying to keep his girlfriend from finding out Young is in the other apartment. Reginald Gardiner and Gail Patrick add nice support as the editor and Milland's other girl. Edward Van Sloan has a small, thankless role as well.