The Doctor Takes A Wife (1940) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

A man-hating author and a woman-hating doctor have to pretend they're married.

Cast & Crew

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Alexander Hall

Loretta Young

Ray Milland

Dr. Timothy Sterling

Reginald Gardiner

Gail Patrick

Edmund Gwenn

Dr. Lionel Sterling

Photos & Videos

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Doctor Takes A Wife, The (1940) -- (Movie Clip) The Dean's Fixations

Film Details

Also Known As

As Good As Married

Genre

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

Apr 25, 1940

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 29m

Sound

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

9 reels

Synopsis

Recalled from her vacation in Massachusettes, June Cameron, the liberated author of the book Spinsters Ain't Spinach , discovers that there is no transportation available to New York City until the next day. June then prevails upon medical school instructor Dr. Timothy Sterling, who voices old fashioned ideas about the roles of men and women, to give her a ride back to the city. Along the way, a mix-up occurs when a "just married" sign is attached to their car, and soon the newspapers are trumpeting the story that America's best-known spinster has gotten married. When no one will believe June's frantic denials, her money-minded publisher, John Pierce, suggests that she cash in on her notoriety and write a sequel to her first entitled Marriage Ain't Measels . At first Tim refuses to cooperate with the deception until he learns that his marriage has earned him a promotion. Under the pretense of acting like a gentleman, Tim agrees to move in with June and cooperate with her scheme, but neglects to mention to her how he will benefit from the arrangement. Tim explains to his fiancée, socialite Marilyn Thomas, that his marriage is just a business arrangement, but complications arise when Marilyn pays a surprise visit to her fiancé on the night that his colleagues have come to celebrate his marriage. As June is completing her book, the newlyweds are invited for a weekend in the country by one of Tim's colleagues, but on the drive up they are detoured when Tim is summoned to the emergency delivery of a baby. While working together to help the expectant mother, Tim and June discover a love and respect for each other, and when a reporter threatens to expose their sham marriage, they decide to tie the knot for real.

Director

Alexander Hall

Cast

Loretta Young

Ray Milland

Dr. Timothy Sterling

Reginald Gardiner

Gail Patrick

Edmund Gwenn

Dr. Lionel Sterling

Frank Sully

Georges Metaxa

Gordon Jones

Charles Halton

Joseph Eggenton

Paul Mcallister

Chester Clute

Hal K. Dawson

Edward Van Sloan

John Wray

Edgar Dearing

Gertrude Sutton

Irving Bacon

Gas station attendant

Eddie Laughton

Spencer Charters

Carol Tevis

Edward Gargan

Edgar Buchanan

Harry C. Bradley

Dapper salesman

Don Beddoe

Charles Lane

Walter Sande

Charlie's photographer

Olin Howland

Frank Darien

Greenwich editor

Frank Orth

New York editor

Ann Lee

Dorothy Ann Seese

William Austin

Bobby Larson

Dix Davis

Henry Blair

Ian Maclaren

Jane Goude

Jane Keckley

Erville Alderson

Emma Tansey

Virginia Sale

Helen Ainsworth

Nell Roy

Telegraph operator

Myra Marsh

Mary Gordon

William Newell

Wesley Giraud

Western Union boy

Bill Lally

Renie Riano

Telegraph operator

Claire Du Brey

Edward Earle

Vernon Dent

Charlotte Treadway

Catherine Courtney

Helen Davis

Frances Morris

Dorothy Appleby

Sumner Getchell

Crew

Lionel Banks

Lodge Cunningham

Ken Englund

Sid Hickox

Frederick Hollander

Viola Lawrence

Aleen Leslie

William Mull

Assistant Director

William Perlberg

George Seaton

M. W. Stoloff

Videos

Doctor Takes A Wife, The (1940) -- (Movie Clip) The Dean's Fixations Now posing as a married couple and hosting a party, June (Loretta Young) learns from "father-in-law" (Edmund Gwenn) that her "husband" Tim (Ray Milland) got a promotion out of the deal, in The Doctor Takes A Wife, 1940.

Film Details

Also Known As

As Good As Married

Genre

Comedy

Romance

Release Date

Apr 25, 1940

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Distribution Company

Columbia Pictures Corp.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 29m

Sound

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

9 reels

Articles

The Doctor Takes a Wife

April 17, 2007

Loretta Young and Ray Milland trade jabs in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940), a charming romantic comedy that takes on the eternal battle of the sexes. Young plays June Cameron, a beautiful author whose bestselling book Spinsters Aren't Spinach shuns marriage and champions a life of independence for single career women. Ray Milland plays Dr. Tim Sterling, a medical school professor looking to move up in his profession. When the two meet, a series of wild misunderstandings throws their lives into a tailspin leaving everyone around them believing they are secretly married, which could be disastrous for both of them.

The Doctor Takes a Wife marked Loretta Young's first film at Columbia Pictures since making Man's Castle with Spencer Tracy in 1933. It was also her first and only pairing with Ray Milland.

Familiar character actors Reginald Gardiner, Edmund Gwenn, and Gail Patrick all lend strong support and the film was a typically brisk, light romantic comedy of its era.

Producer: William Perlberg
Director: Alexander Hall
Screenplay: Ken Englund, Aleen Leslie, George Seaton
Cinematography: Sidney Hickox
Film Editing: Viola Lawrence
Art Direction: Lionel Banks
Music: Morris W. Stoloff
Cast: Loretta Young (June Cameron), Ray Milland (Dr. Timothy Sterling), Reginald Gardiner (John R. Pierce), Gail Patrick (Marilyn Thomas), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Lionel Sterling), Frank Sully (Louie Slapcovitch).
BW-88m.

by Andrea Passafiume

The Doctor Takes A Wife

The Doctor Takes a Wife

Loretta Young and Ray Milland trade jabs in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940), a charming romantic comedy that takes on the eternal battle of the sexes. Young plays June Cameron, a beautiful author whose bestselling book Spinsters Aren't Spinach shuns marriage and champions a life of independence for single career women. Ray Milland plays Dr. Tim Sterling, a medical school professor looking to move up in his profession. When the two meet, a series of wild misunderstandings throws their lives into a tailspin leaving everyone around them believing they are secretly married, which could be disastrous for both of them. The Doctor Takes a Wife marked Loretta Young's first film at Columbia Pictures since making Man's Castle with Spencer Tracy in 1933. It was also her first and only pairing with Ray Milland. Familiar character actors Reginald Gardiner, Edmund Gwenn, and Gail Patrick all lend strong support and the film was a typically brisk, light romantic comedy of its era. Producer: William Perlberg Director: Alexander Hall Screenplay: Ken Englund, Aleen Leslie, George Seaton Cinematography: Sidney Hickox Film Editing: Viola Lawrence Art Direction: Lionel Banks Music: Morris W. Stoloff Cast: Loretta Young (June Cameron), Ray Milland (Dr. Timothy Sterling), Reginald Gardiner (John R. Pierce), Gail Patrick (Marilyn Thomas), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Lionel Sterling), Frank Sully (Louie Slapcovitch). BW-88m. by Andrea Passafiume

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this film was As Good As Married. Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce starred in a Lux Radio Theater version of this story on December 8, 1941.

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