Angels in White
Cast & Crew
Karl Brown
Tala Birell
Ian Keith
Ferdinand Gottschalk
Teru Shimada
Ferdinand Munier
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1905, during the building of the Panama Canal, an international group of doctors and scientists gathers to find a cure for yellow fever, called "Yellow Jack." While the medical experts work under quarantine in a deserted French outpost, native soldiers spray oil over miles of swamps so the virulent mosquito cannot breed. The team comes into conflict with the natives when Nogi, a Japanese scientist, abducts an infected child to save her life, and her father deems Nogi the Devil. After Nogi is whipped in order to restore the natives' faith in their Christian priest, he contributes greatly to a cessation of the disease, and receives a monkey as a gift from the father. The monkey gets into the laboratory and releases the deadly mosquitoes, and the elderly Dr. Fontaine dies after having spent a lifetime trying to prove no person can catch yellow fever twice. Fontaine's death causes Dr. Murray to realize the disease can reside in a host for years without the person knowing he is a carrier. By infecting himself with the blood of Gloria, Senator Blank's daughter, who arrived at the outpost with her father when he became ill, Murray discovers that she is a carrier. In a state of manic fever, Murray implants Fontaine's infected tissue into Gloria, hoping it will create antibodies, and is arrested for attempting to murder her. The inoculation is successful, however, and Gloria lives, while Murray himself is saved by a transfusion from his female admirer and colleague, Dr. Sterne, whom he calls an "angel in white." Having discovered a vaccine, the doctors are free to return home, and Gloria, smitten with Murray, arranges an appointment for him in Washington, D.C. Sterne convinces him, however, to use his talents fighting the black death with her in Ecuador. As their boat sails, the doctors receive a gun salute.
Director
Karl Brown
Cast
Tala Birell
Ian Keith
Ferdinand Gottschalk
Teru Shimada
Ferdinand Munier
Suzanne Kaaren
Lionel Pape
Rollo Lloyd
Nigel De Brulier
Robert Warwick
Warner Richmond
Harry Allen
Don Barclay
Snub Pollard
Nina Campana
Edward Peil Sr.
Crew
Edward L. Alperson
Karl Brown
Harry Jackson
Harold Lewis
Duncan Mansfield
Abe Meyer
Paul Palmentola
Hugo Riesenfeld
B. F. Zeidman
Bennie F. Zeidman
Karl Zindt
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although the dramatic portion of the film seemed complete, the viewed print contained no credits. The title card on the viewed print bore the title The White Legend, although this is probably an erroneous reference to The White Legion, under which title the film was also released in 1936. The film was copyrighted under the title White Legion. The 1938 M-G-M film Yellow Jack, directed by George B. Seitz and starring Robert Montgomery, also dealt with the treatment of yellow fever (see below).
