Men in White ** (1934, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt) – Classic Movie Review 7456

Director Richard [Ryszard] Boleslawski’s 1934 hospital-set soapy romantic drama Men in White stars Clark Gable as devoted, dedicated young doctor Dr Ferguson, who finds that operating room work under Dr Hochberg (Jean Hersholt) and romance with his social register fianceé, rich lady Laura Hudson (Myrna Loy) do not mix.

The well-paired stars Gable and Loy are fine, giving sensitive, attractive performances, but the faded, over-familiar story comes up as less than sparkling.

Boleslawski’s direction is very static and uncinematic, producing a theatrical museum piece loosely based by screen-writer Waldemar Young on a then recent Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Sidney Kingsley.

But the public of the day loved the film and Gable-Loy team, and MGM paired the duo in a long-running succession of movies. The film earned $890,000 in North America and $565,000 elsewhere, bringing MGM a profit of $784,000.

Men in White also features Elizabeth Allan, Otto Kruger, C Henry Gordon, Wallace Ford, Henry B Walthall, Samuel S Hinds, Frank Puglia, Donald Douglas as Mac, Russell Hopton, Leo Chalzel and Russell Hardie, with Ann Gillis as Flower Girl (uncredited).

Hints of illicit romance and abortion led the film to be cut after the Legion of Decency branded it unfit for public exhibition. It started off on its New York opening at 81 minutes, and then was cut to 74 minutes.

The original Broadway production opened on 26 September 1933 at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for 351 performances, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1934.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7456

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