I've never seen a Dr Kildare movie - this was made after Lew Ayres had been given the boot for conscientiously objecting. So you had Lionel Barrymore interviewing three assistants - you kind of know that it's going to be Van Johnson, who got an early break in these movies, because he's the most regular guy, and he has charm. The other two are foreigners - Richard Quine as an Aussie (the movie's chief point of novelty, IMHO) and Keye Luke as an Asian (though born in Brooklyn).
Barrymore does his Barrymore thing in a wheelchair - kind of progressive to have a handicapped lead actor in a way, along with a prominent Asian actor. To make sure things don't get too commie Luke makes a joke about men being able to hit their wives and the doctors routinely betray female patient confidentiality.
There's a few subplots, a crusty old nurse, an admin guy, some orderly (nat Pendleton) up to no good. It's like a Student Nurses movie only without nudity.
The main plot involves patient Susan Peters - who is lovely - having memory loss, interfering with her marriage to some dude who I thought was going to be gaslighting her but it's benign and the docs figure it out via cobbled psychology.
Quine plays a doctor from Woolloomooloo and murders the Australian accent. I mean, he literally wrestles it to the ground. It's appalling and fascinating. He's studying tropical diseases. Cripes what a shocker of a performance. But you can't stop watching.
As an added bonus Shirley Ann Richards (billed without the "Shirley") pop up as an Aussie nurse. They meet, talk in slang, bond over how Americans can't understand them, which is funny actually, and fall in love straight away. I wish her part had been bigger or she'd played Quine's part. She's gorgeous and fun.
Luke is energetic. The handling of the film is clunky but it's done with MGM polish. Some attractive starlets in the background.
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