This is the second film in the long Dr. Kildare series and it is a mixed bag. I must say that it's awfully entertaining and has a great sense of continuity from the first film, but it also has a plot that frankly makes very little sense.
As the story begins, it looks like the film picks up exactly where the last one ended. The same characters and supporting characters all have returned and they didn't leave any dangling plot elements from the first film. For a B-movie, this is amazing--even one with all the polish MGM gave their Kildare series.
Unfortunately, the film goes off the deep end very quickly when Kildare behaves like he's had a traumatic brain injury!! When he treats a man with a gunshot wound, he tells the patient rightly that this must be reported to the police by law--otherwise the doctor could lose his license AND go to jail! However, when the patient's sister (Lana Turner) bats her eyes at Kildare, he decides to risk all this to keep the gunshot secret!! Talk about a 'DUH' moment!! Can any doctor be that dumb?! Plus, it isn't like she offered him a bribe or a peek at her naked or anything--she just said 'please' and he was willing to throw away everything!!! It's also rather comical that every time someone comes to a poignant moment in the film, you hear newsboys in the background yelling things like "extra, extra...killer still at large"!! Talk about subtle!!! And, as you'd expect in such a film, it all magically works out in the end--after Kildare does some sleuthing on his own (I'm sure every doctor does this).
So, you have good acting, a consistent cast, nice production values and a sub-par script that really derails the film. Watchable and entertaining but highly illogical.
As the story begins, it looks like the film picks up exactly where the last one ended. The same characters and supporting characters all have returned and they didn't leave any dangling plot elements from the first film. For a B-movie, this is amazing--even one with all the polish MGM gave their Kildare series.
Unfortunately, the film goes off the deep end very quickly when Kildare behaves like he's had a traumatic brain injury!! When he treats a man with a gunshot wound, he tells the patient rightly that this must be reported to the police by law--otherwise the doctor could lose his license AND go to jail! However, when the patient's sister (Lana Turner) bats her eyes at Kildare, he decides to risk all this to keep the gunshot secret!! Talk about a 'DUH' moment!! Can any doctor be that dumb?! Plus, it isn't like she offered him a bribe or a peek at her naked or anything--she just said 'please' and he was willing to throw away everything!!! It's also rather comical that every time someone comes to a poignant moment in the film, you hear newsboys in the background yelling things like "extra, extra...killer still at large"!! Talk about subtle!!! And, as you'd expect in such a film, it all magically works out in the end--after Kildare does some sleuthing on his own (I'm sure every doctor does this).
So, you have good acting, a consistent cast, nice production values and a sub-par script that really derails the film. Watchable and entertaining but highly illogical.