MartinHafer Like the later installments of the Dr. Kildare series, there is no Kildare nor is he mentioned. This is because the actor who originated this part, Lew Ayres, was a conscientious objector during WWII...and public sentiment was decidedly pro-war. So, he was excised from the films and Dr. Gillespie's role was greater emphasized. Additionally, three interns were featured--Van Johnson, Keye Luke and Philip Dorn (who left the series after "Calling Dr. Gillespie"). In this installment, Dr. Gillespie is supposed to pick a permanent assistant. How and Ames have done wonderfully so far and Dr. Gillespie has decided to give them each a case and then deciding which should have that job as a result of their work on these cases. How is given a case with a little girl who seems to have Juvenile Diabetes and Ames a case of a lady (Ava Gardner) who seems to have been drunk...but had no alcohol in her system. This film, as usual, is very interesting and enjoyable. As a fan of the series, however, I wonder why Mary Blake (the receptionist...and real life sister of Jeanette MacDonald) and Nat Pendelton were missing. Rags Raglan filled in nicely for the Pendelton role. Overall, despite some staffing changes, another typical and entertaining installment of this series.

vincentlynch-moonoi I see this as one of the more interesting in the series of Dr. Kildare films, although Dr. Kildare was long gone by this time. That's not to say that this is a great film, but it may be better than most of the Kildare films.Why do I find it interesting? Well first, Lionel Barrymore is a lion in this film...playing it to the max, and that's just darned fun to watch.Second, this is the point where MGM is trying to build Van Johnson into a star. It's only 2 years into his movie career (setting aside uncredited roles and shorts), and they are trying to make him a bit of a playboy here. He does nicely. It is also one of the earliest films in which Ava Gardner was credited, and while I am sure she later looked on this as a waste of her talent, I rather liked her here (and she is not always one of my favorites).Third, in how many films in that era (or even now) do you find an Asian in a starring role? Well, here Keye Luke is costarring at the same level of Van Johnson, and that's directly under Barrymore.The plot is decent -- 2 young doctors are literally vying to take the place of Dr. Kildare as Dr. Gillespie's assistant (Luke and Johnson). Each gets a case to solve as a test. Luke solves his, and helps Johnson solve his. So who wins? Well, Gillespie sort of arranges a tie. The acting is rather good here, but it's still a B picture...but a good one.So, these attributes make this a more interesting film than you might expect.

Robert Gold This entry in the Dr. Kildare series (without Dr. Kildare) was a pleasant entry. I missed Dr. Kildare, but MGM had to add new characters for its financially successful series to continue.In this entry, neophyte doctors Van Johnson and Keye Luke compete in a friendly and cooperative manner, showing decades earlier that different races need not be afraid of each other, long before we became more politically and socially correct. Both actors turned in believable performances. However, I did find Van's character to be a bit silly trying to steer clear of Marilyn Maxwell's romantic machinations. I know it was the 1940s, but his character acted as if he had never been with a woman on a date before.In this entry, I found Dr. Gillespie to be rather annoying and more puerile in some of his behaviors: throwing away an invitation since he would have to send a gift without even opening the invitation, dumping his waste basket on his desk and then blaming the janitor, not accepting the responsibility that he missed the said affair, despite the fact that he had been told several times of the correct date. I did, however, enjoy his sparring with Nurse Mollie Byrd.I also missed Sally the switchboard lady. Blossom Rock/Marie Blake (from The Addams Family) was always fun to see.And what's up with the title? Why did MGM not include any reference to Dr. Gillespie in its final three entries in the series? Wouldn't that have defeated the purpose of the series? Wouldn't they want fans to know it was part of the Dr. Kildare series?A treat to see was a young and beautiful Ava Gardner. She also turned in a nice performance, allowing me to hear strains of her future Julie from Show Boat.This may not be one of the best entries in the series, but it's worth the time to see it and take a trip back to 1944.

boblipton The post-Lew-Ayres Dr. Kildare series sputters with Keye Luke and Van Johnson still competing to be Lionel Barrymore's assistant -- and each has to solve a medical mystery of his own choice. Meanwhile, various plots continue from earlier entries in the series, mostly comic. The series was winding down and only two more entries would come out, at two-year intervals.This episode is better than a couple of the polished stinkers that immediately preceded it. The comic relief does not overwhelm the movie, the usual character actors are on hand in their series roles for your enjoyment and they also give you a young Ava Gardner, just another of the MGM contract players. Hubba Hubba.But the principal reason to watch these movies is, of course, Lionel Barrymore, always an enormously enjoyable and expert performer for any role. Unfortunately, he suffered badly from rheumatism and so he spent this entire series sitting down in a wheelchair. But standing or sitting, he's always good to watch.