By Violet LeVoit
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
Brief Synopsis
A young doctor gives up big-city success to help his father set up a small-town clinic.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Harold S. Bucquet
Director
Lew Ayres
Dr. James Kildare
Lionel Barrymore
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Laraine Day
Mary Lamont
Samuel S. Hinds
Dr. Stephen Kildare
Gene Lockhart
George Winslow
Film Details
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Sep
6,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Max Brand.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Synopsis
Following the completion of his internship and his appointment to staff physician under his mentor, the eminent physician Dr. Leonard Gillespie, young doctor James Kildare returns home to Parkersville for a visit. There he discovers that his father Stephen, a smalltown physician, is in failing health due to the strain of attending to more patients than he can handle. Torn between pursuing his own career and saving his father's life by becoming his assistant, Dr. Kildare conceives of the idea of establishing a community clinic where, at a cost of ten-cents-per-week, patients can avail themselves of medical services offered by three young doctors who have agreed to join him in the project. Though Gillespie is reluctant to let go of his best pupil, he helps Dr. Kildare by procuring some basic medical supplies from his hospital and donating them to the Parkersville clinic. After leaving behind both his promising big-city career and his sweetheart, Mary Lamont, Dr. Kildare starts the clinic. He soon finds his plan jeapordized, however, by the ignorance and prejudice of the townspeople, who oppose the clinic system of medicine. At odds with the entire community, the clinic faces closure, but just as the townspeople are about to vote on the future of Dr. Kildare's enterprise, it is learned that local resident George Winslow has contracted meningitis from a nearby lake. Certain that the people of Parkersville will vote the clinic out, Dr. Kildare elopes with Mary, but does not get very far before he is called back to attend to George, who has become gravely ill. Using his expertise, Dr. Kildare saves George and wins over the townspeople, who come to realize the value of a clinic and unanimously agree to keep it running. With the clinic firmly established in the community, Stephen is able to take a long, deserved rest, while his son returns to New York to be with Mary and take his post with Dr. Gillespie.
Director
Harold S. Bucquet
Director
Cast
Lew Ayres
Dr. James Kildare
Lionel Barrymore
Dr. Leonard Gillespie
Laraine Day
Mary Lamont
Samuel S. Hinds
Dr. Stephen Kildare
Gene Lockhart
George Winslow
John Shelton
Dr. Davidson
Nat Pendleton
[Joe] Wayman
Emma Dunn
Mrs. Martha Kildare
Alma Kruger
Molly Byrd
Walter Kingsford
Dr. Walter Carew
Nell Craig
Nurse Parker
Cliff Danielson
Dr. Jordan
Henry Wadsworth
Collins
Tom Collins
Joiner
George H. Reed
Conover
Donald Briggs
Mr. Brownlee
Leona Maricle
Mrs. Brownlee
Archie Twitchell
Bates
Marie Blake
Sally
Charles Trowbridge
Atkinson
Erville Alderson
Boylston
Ken Christy
Dickinson
Horace Macmahon
Foghorn Murphy
Frank Orth
Mike Ryan
Jack Carr
Dr. Mason
Barbara Bedford
Secretary
Jane Drummond
Probationer
Kay Vallon
Nurse Shaw
Arthur O'connell
Interne
Mary Cecil
Mrs. Deering
Arthur Aylsworth
Mr. Cobb
Eddie Acuff
Orderly
George Chandler
Counterman
Ralph Dunn
Cop
Milton Parsons
Crazyman
Ferris Taylor
Dr. Coldridge
Bob Ingersoll
Carpenter
Claire Mcdowell
Nurse
Mary Maclaren
Crying woman
Ruth Robinson
Mother of baby
Crew
Max Brand
Original Story
Jerry Bresler
Unit Manager
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
Willis Goldbeck
Original Story
Willis Goldbeck
Screenwriter
Eddie Imazu
Art Director Associate
Howard O'neill
Film Editor
Harold Rosson
Photography
Sandy Roth
Assistant Director
Harry Ruskin
Screenwriter
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
David Snell
Music Score
Walter Strohm
Assistant Director
Dolly Tree
Wardrobe
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Film Details
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Sep
6,
1940
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on characters created by Max Brand.
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Articles
Dr. Kildare Goes Home -
In this, the 5th Dr. Kildare movie, the young doctor (played by Lew Ayres) has finally completed his tutelage under his curmudgeonly mentor Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) and decides to mark his accomplishment with a visit to his hometown of Parkersville. But when his homecoming reverie is jolted by the discovery that his physician father (Samuel S. Hinds) can no longer continue his practice due to failing health, Dr. Kildare must brainstorm ways his community can get the health care they need, while still allowing him to follow his own destiny. This presciently progressive movie, with themes of universal health coverage, environmental concerns, and cooperative businesses, is more believable because of casting. Ayres was deeply religious and idealistic, to the point that his career would be rocked by his refusal of active combat duty in WWII. (While accused of being a conscientious objector, Ayres actually served as a military medic and chaplain.) That noble-hearted quality shone through his roles and made Dr. Kildare an enduring series character for MGM.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
Dr. Kildare Goes Home -
In this, the 5th Dr. Kildare movie, the young doctor (played by Lew Ayres) has finally completed his tutelage under his curmudgeonly mentor Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) and decides to mark his accomplishment with a visit to his hometown of Parkersville. But when his homecoming reverie is jolted by the discovery that his physician father (Samuel S. Hinds) can no longer continue his practice due to failing health, Dr. Kildare must brainstorm ways his community can get the health care they need, while still allowing him to follow his own destiny. This presciently progressive movie, with themes of universal health coverage, environmental concerns, and cooperative businesses, is more believable because of casting. Ayres was deeply religious and idealistic, to the point that his career would be rocked by his refusal of active combat duty in WWII. (While accused of being a conscientious objector, Ayres actually served as a military medic and chaplain.) That noble-hearted quality shone through his roles and made Dr. Kildare an enduring series character for MGM.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film was the fourth in M-G-M's Dr. Kildare series. For more information on the Dr. Kildare series see entry for Young Dr. Kildare below.
