You Belong to Me (1941) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

A playboy marries a woman doctor then grows jealous of her male patients.

Cast & Crew

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Wesley Ruggles

Barbara Stanwyck

[Dr.] Helen Hunt

Henry Fonda

Edgar Buchanan

Roger Clark

["Van"] Vandemer

Ruth Donnelly

Photos & Videos

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Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- You Belong To Me (1941)

You Belong To Me (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Are You A Relative?

Film Details

Also Known As

The Doctor's Husband

Genre

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

Oct 30, 1941

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 34m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8,603ft

Synopsis

While skiing the California slopes, wealthy playboy Peter Kirk crashes at the feet of Dr. Helen Hunt after trying to impress her with his athletic prowess. After summoning a stretcher team to transport the injured Peter back to the hotel, Helen takes charge of his recovery. When Peter's attorney, Barrows, challenges her competence, however, she angrily resigns from the case and leaves the slopes for her practice in Los Angeles. Claiming that he is suffering a relapse, the smitten Peter sends the hotel clerk after her. Helen hurries back, but upon discovering that his relapse is a ruse, chides Peter for his irresponsibility. In reply, Peter declares he is in love with her and proclaims that they are destined to marry. Although Helen warns Peter that her career is more important than her domestic life, he proposes and they are married. After the wedding, the newlyweds take up residence at Peter's mansion. As the servants romanticize about their employers' wedding night, Helen is called away on an emergency, and by the time she returns home, Peter is sound asleep. When "Van" Vandemer, one of Helen's male patients, phones, Peter becomes jealous and implies his wife's male patients are more interested in her good looks than her medical abilities. After Helen leaves for work the next morning, her jealous husband follows her to her office. While peeking through a keyhole in the examining room door, Peter sees Helen examining a man stripped to the waist and bursts into the room. Recognizing Helen's patient as Robert Andrews, an old acquaintance, Peter accuses him of exhibitionism and the two men begin to argue. Later, Peter apologizes to Helen for his impulsiveness, and after she leaves for work the next morning, he heads for the golf course, where a gossipy golfer informs him that Vandemer is romantically interested in Helen. When Peter questions Helen about her relationship with Vandemer that night, she admits that she rejected his marriage proposal. Later that evening, the newlyweds encounter Vandemer at a nightclub, and after he monopolizes the conversation with Helen, Peter trips him on the dance floor. Before leaving for the office the next morning, Helen asks Billings, the gardener, to keep Peter occupied by interesting him in gardening. As Billings preaches about the wonders of nature, Peter, obsessed by the knowledge that his wife has a two o'clock appointment with Vandemer, stares at his watch. Eventually, however, Peter is calmed by Billings' chatter and overcomes his jealousy. When Helen returns home, Peter proclaims his victory over his jealous impulses, and then Helen calmly informs him that Vandemer phoned to cancel his appointment because he was too sick to leave the house and has asked her to pay a house call that evening. After Helen leaves for Vandemer's house, Moody, the butler, informs him that Vandemer is in perfect health, sending Peter scurrying after his wife. At Vandemer's house, Helen discovers she is the guest of honor at a surprise congratulations party, after which a robust Vandemer instructs his butler to telephone Peter and invite him to the party. He is too late, however, because Peter is lurking in the bushes and peering through the windows. Believing that he has been betrayed, Peter bursts into the house, slugs Vandemer, insults the guests and drags Helen out of the room. Furious, Helen chastises Peter for his lack of ambition. The next morning, Helen awakens to find that Peter has gone. Receiving a message to meet John Jenkins at the local department store, Helen goes there and discovers that Peter has assumed the alias Jenkins and is working as a tie salesman. Delighted by Peter's newly found self-reliance and enthusiasm, Helen decides to retire and become a housewife. The staff recognizes Peter, however, and complains that he is stealing a job from the needy. After the store manager reluctantly fires Peter to please his staff, Billings suggests that he use his wealth to create jobs. Acting on Billings' advice, Peter leaves home to find his "place in the world." One day, as Helen anxiously awaits his return, she receives a phone call from a hospital. Thinking that her husband is ill, Helen rushes there and discovers that Peter has bought the hospital, rescuing it from the verge of bankruptcy. When Peter declares that he intends to funnel his income into the hospital and plans to make Helen its chief of staff, Helen joyously embraces him.

Director

Wesley Ruggles

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck

[Dr.] Helen Hunt

Henry Fonda

Edgar Buchanan

Roger Clark

["Van"] Vandemer

Ruth Donnelly

Melville Cooper

Ralph Peters

Maude Eburne

Renie Riano

Ellen Lowe

Mary Treen

Gordon Jones

Fritz Feld

Paul Harvey

Harold Waldrige

Stanley Brown

Member of ski patrol

Lloyd Bridges

Member of ski patrol

George Meader

Charles Smith

Byron Foulger

Sarah Edwards

Arthur Loft

Lester Dorr

William Newell

Parking attendant

Roger Gray

Eloise Hardt

Sidney Bracey

Georgia Backus

Jack Norton

Sam Mcdaniel

Howard Hickman

Patsy Moran

Jeff Corey

Larry Parks

Grady Sutton

Georgia Caine

Mira Mckinney

George Lessey

Barbara Brown

Crew

Lionel Banks

Claude Binyon

Norman Deming

Assistant Director

Edith Head

Frederick Hollander

Millard Kaufman

Based on the story by

Viola Lawrence

Wesley Ruggles

M. W. Stoloff

Joseph Walker

Director of Photography

Videos

You Belong To Me (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Are You A Relative? Doctor Helen (Barbara Stanwyck) rescues wealthy Peter (Henry Fonda) from the slopes, where he hurt himself showing off for her, returns to the lodge where the doctor (George Meader) and clerk (Fritz Feld) foolishly challenge her, early in Wesley Ruggles' You Belong To Me, 1941.

Intro Aired: Jul 2018

Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- You Belong To Me (1941) Ben Mankiewicz introduces You Belong To Me, 1941.

Film Details

Also Known As

The Doctor's Husband

Genre

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

Oct 30, 1941

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 34m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

8,603ft

Articles

You Belong to Me

August 6, 2007

You Belong to Me (1941) marked the third and final screen pairing of Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, following The Mad Miss Manton (1938) and The Lady Eve (1941). In fact, it was the huge success of The Lady Eve that prompted Columbia Pictures to team them again so quickly - a scant three months after The Lady Eve opened in theaters, You Belong to Me started production. (In between the two films, Stanwyck made Meet John Doe [1941], a Frank Capra classic, and Fonda made Wild Geese Calling [1941], now an obscurity.) You Belong to Me didn't fare as well with the public or critics, but then few movies are as good as The Lady Eve. Nonetheless, the picture was more or less saved by the two stars' undeniable chemistry and appealing screen personas.

In a story written by Dalton Trumbo and adapted into a screenplay by Claude Binyon, Fonda is a rich playboy who falls for and marries Stanwyck, a doctor. She continues with her medicine practice, leading Fonda to develop jealousy of her many house calls to male patients. Critics stressed the performances. "Fonda proves again that he is endowed with a high flair for comedy," said Variety. "He is equally surefire in the romantic scenes." The New York Times declared, "The best thing about it is its principals. They are a right team for this sort of dalliance."

Producing and directing was the veteran Wesley Ruggles. Ruggles had directed scores of movies since 1917, including the first movie version of The Age of Innocence (1924), Cimarron (1931), for which he was Oscar®-nominated, No Man of Her Own (1932), I'm No Angel (1933) and The Gilded Lily (1935). He retired in 1946 and lived for another 25 years.

You Belong to Me was remade in 1950 as Emergency Wedding, starring Larry Parks and Barbara Hale.

Barbara Stanwyck later said of Henry Fonda, "He was delicious to work with. I was sorry when each of the three pictures we did was over. I wish we had done more movies together. I loved Hank."

Producer: Wesley Ruggles
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Screenplay: Claude Binyon, Dalton Trumbo
Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Film Editing: Viola Lawrence
Art Direction: Lionel Banks
Music: Frederick Hollander
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck (Dr. Helen Hunt), Henry Fonda (Peter Kirk), Edgar Buchanan (Billings), Roger Clark (Frederick Vandemer), Ruth Donnelly (Emma), Melville Cooper (Moody).
BW-94m.

by Jeremy Arnold

You Belong To Me

You Belong to Me

You Belong to Me (1941) marked the third and final screen pairing of Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, following The Mad Miss Manton (1938) and The Lady Eve (1941). In fact, it was the huge success of The Lady Eve that prompted Columbia Pictures to team them again so quickly - a scant three months after The Lady Eve opened in theaters, You Belong to Me started production. (In between the two films, Stanwyck made Meet John Doe [1941], a Frank Capra classic, and Fonda made Wild Geese Calling [1941], now an obscurity.) You Belong to Me didn't fare as well with the public or critics, but then few movies are as good as The Lady Eve. Nonetheless, the picture was more or less saved by the two stars' undeniable chemistry and appealing screen personas. In a story written by Dalton Trumbo and adapted into a screenplay by Claude Binyon, Fonda is a rich playboy who falls for and marries Stanwyck, a doctor. She continues with her medicine practice, leading Fonda to develop jealousy of her many house calls to male patients. Critics stressed the performances. "Fonda proves again that he is endowed with a high flair for comedy," said Variety. "He is equally surefire in the romantic scenes." The New York Times declared, "The best thing about it is its principals. They are a right team for this sort of dalliance." Producing and directing was the veteran Wesley Ruggles. Ruggles had directed scores of movies since 1917, including the first movie version of The Age of Innocence (1924), Cimarron (1931), for which he was Oscar®-nominated, No Man of Her Own (1932), I'm No Angel (1933) and The Gilded Lily (1935). He retired in 1946 and lived for another 25 years. You Belong to Me was remade in 1950 as Emergency Wedding, starring Larry Parks and Barbara Hale. Barbara Stanwyck later said of Henry Fonda, "He was delicious to work with. I was sorry when each of the three pictures we did was over. I wish we had done more movies together. I loved Hank." Producer: Wesley Ruggles Director: Wesley Ruggles Screenplay: Claude Binyon, Dalton Trumbo Cinematography: Joseph Walker Film Editing: Viola Lawrence Art Direction: Lionel Banks Music: Frederick Hollander Cast: Barbara Stanwyck (Dr. Helen Hunt), Henry Fonda (Peter Kirk), Edgar Buchanan (Billings), Roger Clark (Frederick Vandemer), Ruth Donnelly (Emma), Melville Cooper (Moody). BW-94m. by Jeremy Arnold

Quotes

Are there many lady doctors?
- Peter Kirk

A few.
- Helen Hunt

As beautiful as you?
- Peter Kirk

No doubt.
- Helen Hunt

The time I've wasted being well.
- Peter Kirk

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this film was The Doctor's Husband. According to pre-production news items in Hollywood Reporter, director Wesley Ruggles unsuccesfully sought Norma Shearer, Helen Hayes, Katharine Cornell and Valerie Hobson to star in this picture. Madeleine Carroll, June Havoc, Virginia Greenwood, Claire Niesen and Australian comedianne Zaide Laselmo were also considered for roles in the film. According to a August 13, 1941 Hollywood Reporter news item, additional scenes of Fritz Feld as the comic hotel clerk were shot after the completion of principal photography. You Belong to Me was Ruggles' last production for Columbia. On June 15, 1942, the Lux Radio Theatre broadcast a version of this story starring Merle Oberon. In 1950, Columbia produced another version of the film, titled Emergency Wedding.

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