The Secret of Dr. Kildare
The Secret of Dr. Kildare

The Secret of Dr. Kildare

1939Movie84 minEnglish

Intern Kildare heals a millionaire's daughter and tricks Dr. Gillespie into taking a vacation.

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Insights

IMDb7.0/10
Director: Harold S. BucquetGenres: Drama, Mystery, Romance

Plot Summary

Young Dr. James Kildare is framed for a hospital accident by a jealous colleague, Dr. Cole, who wants to prevent Kildare from succeeding. Kildare must find a way to clear his name while also dealing with a mysterious patient and his own burgeoning feelings for Nurse Mary Lamont. The film delves into the professional rivalries and ethical dilemmas faced by doctors in a hospital setting.

Critical Reception

The film was generally well-received by critics and audiences, praised for its engaging plot, strong performances, particularly from Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore, and its earnest portrayal of medical drama. It was a successful entry in the popular Dr. Kildare series.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its compelling medical drama and character development.
  • Lew Ayres' performance as the dedicated Dr. Kildare was a highlight.
  • The film effectively balances mystery, romance, and professional conflict.

Google audience: Audience reception data for this film is not readily available through aggregated Google user reviews.

Awards & Accolades

None notable.

Fun Fact

The Dr. Kildare series, which began with "Young Dr. Kildare" in 1938 and continued with "The Secret of Dr. Kildare" in 1939, was MGM's most successful film series of the era, launching Lew Ayres to stardom.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Lionel Barrymore ("Dr. Gillespie") and Lew Ayres ("Dr. Kildare") are teacher and pupil in this competent medical drama. The former is working himself too hard trying to get to the root causes - and therefore to develop a treatment for - pne...
barrymost

barrymost

The third film in MGM's long-running Doctor Kildare series actually isn't half bad. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's endearing, and it's also utterly ridiculous, but that goes for the entire 15-film series when you think about it. As u...