The Citadel (1938)

Andrew Manson, a young, enthusiastic doctor takes his first job in a Welsh mining town, and begins to wonder at the persistent cough many of the miners have. When his attempts to prove its ... See full summary »

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Ian Dalrymple (screen play), Frank Wead (screen play)

Stars:

Robert Donat, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Richardson

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Donat	...	Andrew Manson
Rosalind Russell	...	Christine Barlow Manson
Ralph Richardson	...	Denny
Rex Harrison	...	Dr. Lawford
Emlyn Williams	...	Owen
Penelope Dudley-Ward	...	Toppy LeRoy (as Penelope Dudley Ward)
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Ben Chenkin (as Francis Sullivan)
Mary Clare	...	Mrs. Orlando
Cecil Parker	...	Charles Every
Nora Swinburne	...	Mrs. Thornton
Edward Chapman	...	Joe Morgan
Athene Seyler	...	Lady Raebank
Felix Aylmer	...	Mr. Boon
Joyce Bland	...	Nurse Sharp
Percy Parsons	...	Mr. Stillman

Storyline

Andrew Manson, a young, enthusiastic doctor takes his first job in a Welsh mining town, and begins to wonder at the persistent cough many of the miners have. When his attempts to prove its cause are thwarted, he moves to London. His new practice does badly. But when a friend shows him how to make a lucrative practice from rich hypochondriacs, it will take a great shock to show him what the truth of being a doctor really is.

---

Plot Keywords:

lunch | slap | hysteria | nursing home | mink stole | 

---

Taglines:

Secrets of a doctor as told by a doctor!

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

La ciudadela

Filming Locations:

Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's initial telecast took place in Seattle Tuesday 5 March 1957 on KING (Channel 5), followed by Philadelphia Sunday 17 March 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6); it first aired in New Haven CT 19 April 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), in Altoona PA 26 April 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), in Chicago 4 May 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2), in Portland OR 11 May 1957 on KGW (Channel 8), in Phoenix 27 June 1957 on KPHO (Channel 5), in Miami 6 July 1957 on WCKT (Channel 7), in Memphis 21 July 1957 on WHBQ (Channel 13), in Hartford CT 12 September 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), in Los Angeles 17 September 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11), in Tampa 23 September 1957 on WFLA (Channel 8), in Honolulu 20 October 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13), in Tucson 4 November 1957 on KVOA (Channel 4), and, finally, in San Francisco 18 May 1958 on KGO (Channel 7), in New York City 3 January 1959 on WCBS (Channel 2) and in Minneapolis 11 November 1959 on KMSP (Channel 9).

---

Goofs

When Andrew examines Christine's throat, he sits in front of a light that is supposedly reflected into Christine's mouth by his eyepiece. We see this from over Andrew's shoulder, and when the light is directed into her mouth, it is clearly coming from behind Andrew, because the back of his eyepiece is illuminated.

---

Quotes

Christine Barlow Manson: Andrew, Do you remember once telling me that a all good research man needed was a notebook, a microscope and a room with a roof over it?

---

Connections

Version of The Citadel (1983)

User Reviews

Perfect - i'm only sad that it hasn't been rediscovered yet...

I wasn't too sure what to think of Vidor after Our Daily Bread. Usually, filmmakers who have a message to get across, and who don't do it all that subtly, rub me the wrong way. But after seeing The Citadel i'm starting to rethink King Vidor. Indeed i thought Our Daily Bread a very fine film, certainly from the standpoint of direction. But what Bread lacked in the two lead performances (which are quite corny and camp), has been perfected in The Citadel, where we are given two marvellous performances from Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell. And i didn't have the same feeling about Vidor's message-making in Citadel that i did in Bread. It is more subtle in Citadel, and also for a better cause (altruism in the medical profession, a very noble thing, as opposed to socialism, the subject preached about in Our Daily Bread). But now i've started thinking this about Vidor:

He was a passionate artist - how much do i prefer this to someone like Rossellini who didn't think much of movies, or someone like Bergman, who often (he can be optimistic) depicts human nature as an empty, valueless abcess. The fact that he expresses such strong messages, and that in fact he has something that he finds of value, is immensely reassuring. I get so used to railing against preachy filmmakers that i seem to equate non-preachiness with cynicism, and even nihilism. Well, one doesn't have to dispise everything to make a wonderful film, which is what Vidor has done here.

Everything works in The Citadel. It draws you very nicely, without pomp or flashiness, but with immense skill, into its environment, and what a lovely environment it is. You so badly want nothing bad to happen to earnest, idealistic young doctor's assistant Dr Andrew Manson. I hesitate to use the word perfection, but there is a real perfection to this movie. And i was more than a little bit moved by it. I really enjoyed it, i just thought it was wonderful. Mr Vidor really was a king.