- Night Nurse (1931 film)
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Night Nurse 
Theatrical posterDirected by William A. Wellman Written by Grace Perkins (novel)
Oliver H.P Garrett
(screenplay)
Charles Kenyon
(add'l dialogue)Starring Barbara Stanwyck
Ben Lyon
Joan Blondell
Clark GableCinematography Barney McGill Editing by Edward M. McDermott Distributed by Warner Brothers Release date(s) July 16, 1931 (U.S) Running time 72 minutes Country United States Language English Night Nurse is a 1931 Pre-Code, Prohibition-era, Warner Bros. crime drama and mystery film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell and Clark Gable. The film was considered risqué at the time of its release, particularly the scene where Stanwyck and Blondell are seen in their lingerie.[citation needed] Gable portrays a vicious chauffeur gradually starving two little girls to death after having run over and killed their sister with his car.
Contents
Plot
Lora Hart (Barbara Stanwyck) applies for a job as a trainee nurse in a hospital, but is rejected by Miss Dillon (Vera Lewis) for not having graduated from high school. Fortunately, a chance encounter with the hospital's chief of staff, Dr. Arthur Bell (Charles Winninger), in an uncooperative revolving door gets that requirement waived. Lora's roommate and fellow nurse, Miss Maloney (Joan Blondell), becomes her best friend.
One day, Lora treats bootlegger Mortie (Ben Lyon) for a gunshot wound and earns his gratitude by letting herself be persuaded not to report it to the police as required by law. He also admires the pretty young nurse.
After she passes her training, Lora is hired for private duty, looking after two sick children, Desney and Nanny Ritchie (Betty Jane Graham and Marcia Mae Jones) at the mansion of their alcoholic socialite mother (Charlotte Merriam), where there is always a party going on. When a drunk guest tries to molest her, Nick the brutish chauffeur (Clark Gable) knocks him out. Then, when she turns down his demand that she pump out the stomach of a very drunk Mrs. Ritchie, he knocks Lora out and removes her to her room.
Lora becomes alarmed by the treatment prescribed by Dr. Milton Ranger (Ralf Harolde) for the children, because she sees that they are being slowly starved to death, but she is unable to get anybody to take her seriously. She quits and takes her suspicions to Dr. Bell. He is initially reluctant to interfere with another doctor's patients, but eventually advises her to return to her job so she can gather evidence. She manages to persuade Dr. Ranger to take her back.
Finally, Nanny Ritchie becomes so weak, Lora fears for her life and tries unsuccessfully get Mrs. Ritchie to show any concern. By chance, Mortie is making a delivery of booze to the perpetual party at the mansion. Desperate, Lora sends Mortie for milk for a bath for the child, a folk remedy recommended by the frightened housekeeper, Mrs. Maxwell (Blanche Friderici). Maxwell gets drunk and confides to Lora her suspicion that Nick and Dr. Ranger are working to murder the children in order to get at their trust fund. Mrs. Ritchie is in love with Nick, and he plans to marry her. After being threatened by Mortie, Dr. Bell shows up and examines the little girl. However, when Bell tries to get the child to the hospital, Nick punches him. Mortie stops Nick from interfering further, and the child's life is saved by an emergency blood transfusion provided by Lora.
The next day, Mortie gives Lora a lift in his car. To allay her worries, he informs her that he told some of his friends that he didn't like Nick. Elsewhere, an ambulance brings a body dressed in a chauffeur's uniform to the hospital's morgue.
Production
According to Robert Osborne, on Turner Classic Movies, the part of "Nick the Chauffeur" was originally intended for James Cagney, but his success in The Public Enemy prevented that, paving the way for Gable.
Cast (in credits order)
- Barbara Stanwyck as Lora Hart
- Ben Lyon as Mortie
- Joan Blondell as B. Maloney
- Clark Gable as Nick, the Chauffeur
- Blanche Friderici as Mrs Maxwell, the Housekeeper
- Charlotte Merriam as Mrs Ritchey
- Charles Winninger as Dr Arthur Bell
- Edward J. Nugent as Eagan
- Vera Lewis as Miss Dillon, Superintendent of Nurses
- Ralf Harolde as Dr Milton A. Ranger
- Walter McGrail as Mack, the Drunk
Reception
Time Magazine highly praised the film and mentioned that it was well photographed, directed and acted and that the quality of the filmed story surpassed that in the original novel.[1]
References
External links
- Night Nurse at the Internet Movie Database
- Night Nurse at the TCM Movie Database
- Night Nurse at AllRovi
Films directed by William A. Wellman 1920s Second Hand Love • The Man Who Won • Big Dan • Cupid's Fireman • Not a Drum Was Heard • The Vagabond Trail • The Circus Cowboy • When Husbands Flirt • The Boob • You Never Know Women • The Cat's Pajamas • Wings • The Legion of the Condemned • Ladies of the Mob • Beggars of Life • Chinatown Nights • The Man I Love • Woman Trap1930s Dangerous Paradise • Young Eagles • Maybe It's Love • Other Men's Women • The Public Enemy • Night Nurse • The Star Witness • Safe in Hell • The Hatchet Man • So Big! • Love Is a Racket • The Purchase Price • The Conquerors • Frisco Jenny • Central Airport • Lilly Turner • Heroes for Sale • Midnight Mary • Wild Boys of the Road • Female • College Coach • Looking for Trouble • Stingaree • The President Vanishes • The Call of the Wild • The Robin Hood of El Dorado • Small Town Girl • A Star Is Born • Nothing Sacred • Men With Wings • Beau Geste • The Light that Failed1940s Reaching for the Sun • Roxie Hart • The Great Man's Lady • Thunder Birds • Lady of Burlesque • The Ox-Bow Incident • Buffalo Bill • This Man's Navy • The Story of G.I. Joe • Gallant Journey • Magic Town • The Iron Curtain • Yellow Sky • Battleground1950s The Next Voice You Hear... • The Happy Years • Across the Wide Missouri • It's a Big Country • Westward the Women • My Man and I • Island in the Sky • The High and the Mighty • Track of the Cat • Blood Alley • Good-bye, My Lady • Darby's Rangers • Lafayette EscadrilleTelevision Light's Diamond Jubilee (with Alan Handley, Christian Nyby, Roy Rowland, Norman Taurog, King Vidor and Bud Yorkin) (1954)Categories:- American films
- English-language films
- 1931 films
- 1930s crime films
- 1930s drama films
- Black-and-white films
- Films directed by William A. Wellman
- Films made before the MPAA Production Code
- Medical-themed films
- Warner Bros. films
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