The Interns *** (1962, Michael Callan, Cliff Robertson, James MacArthur, Nick Adams, Suzy Parker, Haya Harareet, Telly Savalas, Stefanie Powers, Buddy Ebsen) – Classic Movie Review 11,303

Director David Swift’s 1962 black and white medical drama The Interns stars Cliff Robertson, Michael Callan, James MacArthur, Nick Adams, Suzy Parker, Haya Harareet, Telly Savalas, Stefanie Powers and Buddy Ebsen.

Dr John Otis (Robertson) endangers his career by trying to arrange an abortion for model girl Lisa Cardigan (Parker), while Dr Lew Worship (MacArthur) falls for Nurse Gloria Mead (Powers) and decides to rat on Robertson.

The sterling, populist script, based on Richard Frede’s bestselling novel, provides a thorough working over for the old gossipy formula about the life and love problems of a hospital’s new intake of doctors.

The interesting actors and the good production are the pluses in a film drama that may be low on real quality but it is perfect for TV because it plays like a TV soap. And it was understandably popular in its day: a 1964 sequel (The New Interns) and a TV series followed.

Also in the cast are Connie Gilchrist, John Banner, Katharine Bard, Ira Barmak, Peter Brocco, Angela Clarke, Ellen Davalos, Maryesther Denver, William Douglas, Don Edmonds, Michael Fox, Bill Gunn, Carroll Harrison, Anne Helm, Harru Hines, Brian G Hutton, Mark Kantor, Bobo Lewis, Baruch Lumet, Mari Lynn, Gregory Morton, Mavis Neal Palmer, Charles Robinson, Brent Sargent, Kaye Stevens, Jackie Stoloff, Jud Taylor, Jessyln Fax, and Harry Holcombe.

Kaye Stevens, in her film debut as Nurse Didi Loomis, was Golden Globe nominated as Best Supporting Actress, and the film was Golden Globe nominated as Best Film Promoting International Understanding. Stevens played Nurse Didi Loomis again in The New Interns.

Haya Harareet plays Dr Madolyn Bruckner. She said in 1961: ‘I finished my contract with MGM on November 11 and this picture (The Interns) came up immediately. That is a good sign.’ However, she made only eight features. The Israeli actress, who starred as Esther in Ben-Hur (1959), died on 3 February 2021, aged 89. She was married to British film director Jack Clayton until he died in 1995.

Production company: Robert Cohn Productions.

Distributor: Columbia Pictures (1962).

Running time: 120 minutes.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,303

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