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Post by Larry's 66 Diner on Apr 10, 2008 22:07:33 GMT -6
Just finished watching this tonight. It stars Lew Ayres as young Dr Jimmy Kildare and the ever-fabulous Lionel Barrymore as Dr Leonard Gillespie. As always, Lionel Barrymore never gives a bad performance and he is at his ultimate best in this film too! Kildare must help another young doctor, Gregory Lane (played by Shepperd Strudwick) whose career is on the line, after several unsuccessful surgeries. Dr Lane's surgery appeared to leave a patient mentally insane, so Dr Kildare sets out to prove whether the patient was already insane before the surgery. Gillespie is Kildare's cratchity old mentor. In the mean time, Dr Lane has the fancy for young Nurse Mary Lamont (played by Laraine Day), who has her sights set on Kildare. Also in the cast is Nat Pendleton and a young Marie Blake, whose later claim to fame in the 1960s was playing the role of Grandmama Addams on the TV series The Addams Family (billed as Blossom Rock. A little extra trivia here is that she is also the sister of famous screen actress Jeanette MacDonald!). A great film for everyone to see — primarily a drama with some slight humor!
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Post by kelly on Apr 11, 2008 11:07:35 GMT -6
I don't know I could get into Lew Aryes ever since I found out Lew Ayres broke up President Reagan marriage to Jane Wyman
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Post by Midge on Apr 11, 2008 14:27:54 GMT -6
That's interesting, Kelly. I had never heard that before. The Reagan biography I read said that Reagan's increasing involvement in politics drove the couple apart. Also, Wyman was becoming a big star while Reagan's acting career was going nowhere, so there was friction in the marriage because of that.
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Post by tclion on Apr 11, 2008 18:00:48 GMT -6
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Post by kelly on Apr 11, 2008 20:12:14 GMT -6
Well Lew Ayres was okay actor they mention in LA Times obitary on Jane Wyman for two weeks I hearing OMG Janie drop Ronnie for wimp in All Quiet on Western front LOL!
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Post by Midge on Apr 11, 2008 22:25:22 GMT -6
Kelly, I wouldn't call Lew Ayres a "wimp." He was widely criticized as a conscientious objector in Word War II, but few people know that he volunteered as a medic in the combat zone. Later he turned down the role of Dr. Kildare on television because it was sponsored by a cigarette company. I would say that he was a man of principle, not a coward.
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Post by tclion on Apr 12, 2008 13:36:04 GMT -6
Wow Midge I guess he was a man of great principles.... Why don't we have more of those roll models today.
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Post by diane on Apr 21, 2008 23:03:59 GMT -6
I don't know much about him either but I have heard what Midge wrote about him and that from his earliest times in Hollywood he was a thinker and a star and planet gazer. I actually liked this Dr. Kildare film quite a lot - and like you Larry I just adore Lionel Barrymore. I wonder how he would fare in today's hospital system, with all the political correctness about. Ijust found a good article about him on the web. Classic Images Lew Ayres - The Unpretentious Star. It said that for his courage under fire he was awarded 3 battle stars. So he definately wasn't a wimp.
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