Night Nurse (1931)

A nurse enlists the help of a petty criminal to foil a sinister plot to murder two children.

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Grace Perkins (from the novel by) (as Dora Macy), Oliver H.P. Garrett (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Lora Hart
Ben Lyon	...	Mortie
Joan Blondell	...	Maloney
Clark Gable	...	Nick
Blanche Friderici	...	Mrs. Maxwell (as Blanche Frederici)
Charlotte Merriam	...	Mrs. Ritchey
Charles Winninger	...	Dr. Bell
Edward J. Nugent	...	Eagan (as Edward Nugent)
Vera Lewis	...	Miss Dillon
Ralf Harolde	...	Dr. Milton Ranger
Walter McGrail	...	The Drunk

Storyline

Lora Hart manages to land a job in a hospital as a trainee nurse. Upon completion of her training she goes to work as a night nurse for two small children who seem to be very sick, but something much more sinister is going on.

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Plot Keywords:

ambulance | flapper | pre code film | prohibition era | song | 

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Taglines:

Tells the Naked Truth About Happenings in the Dead of Night! (Print Ad- Schenectady Gazette, ((Schenectady NY)) 24 August 1931)

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an earlier draft of the script, intern Eagan planted the skeleton in a baby carriage, not Lora's bed. The startled Laura dropped the baby she was holding, with tragic results. Eagan admitted to his guilt and was fired from the hospital. However, the sequence was changed to the one which is now appears in the film.

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Goofs

When Max the Drunk motions Lora thru the door, he drops his hand as Lora begins to leave. The next cut, max's hand is back up.

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Quotes

Mrs. Ritchey: Don't stand there staring at me like that! I'm a dipsomaniac and I'm proud of it. You hear? I'm a dipsomaniac and I like it! I like it!

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Connections

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008)

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Soundtracks

Onward, Christian Soldiers
(1871) (uncredited)
Music from "St. Gertrude" by Arthur Sullivan
Played on organ during the nurses' graduation ceremony

User Reviews

It Ain't Young Doctor Kildare

Gritty depression era flick, showing why Warner Bros. was the studio of record. It's tough broads here that get the leads. There's Stanwyck (before her teeth were fixed) and Blondell (gum-popping her way through the Nurse's Oath), both trying to survive grabby interns, unscrupulous doctors, murderous families, and no money. No, this isn't Young Doctor Kildare. Just compare Night Nurse with that sappy 1940's series for insight into what the Production Code did to social realism. Here nurses break the law, doctors violate their oath, and unless you go along, you don't work. Not exactly the professional AMA image. Sure, it's contrived melodrama. But there are elements of the real world here that would disappear from the screen for 35 years, courtesy the PC. Also included are gamey one-liners, mild strip scenes, and a really sardonic look at motherhood, along with a very scary Clark Gable. For a brief period from around 1930-34, Hollywood operated with the lid off, pressed by audiences with no work, no money and no prospects. Movies like NN reflect that reality, which was, of course, too unvarnished to survive. So catch up with this neglected period when you can, especially if the movie's from Warner Bros., like this little gem.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

8 August 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Night Nurse

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$260,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1