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Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)

Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940), directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore.

11/29/1940 BR Drama 1h 15m

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Synopsis

Jimmy Kildare's impending nuptials are jeopardized by a diagnosis of possible epilepsy in his fiancee's brother.

  • John F. SeitzCinematography
  • Harold S. BucquetDirector
  • Gene RuggieroEditing
  • David SnellOriginal music

Dr. Kildare Collection

The franchise in release order. 16 films.

About the film

Dr. Kildare's Crisis is a 1940 American drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore and Laraine Day. Mary Lamont's (Laraine Day) financier brother Douglas Lamont (Robert Young) is subject to seizures, and it seems that he is suffering from hereditary epilepsy.

It is the sixth in the MGM series of nine films starring Ayres as Dr. Kildare, made from 1938 - 1942.

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Dr. Kildare's Crisis is a 1940 American drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore and Laraine Day. Mary Lamont's (Laraine Day) financier brother Douglas Lamont (Robert Young) is subject to seizures, and it seems that he is suffering from hereditary epilepsy.

It is the sixth in the MGM series of nine films starring Ayres as Dr. Kildare, made from 1938 - 1942.

Plot

As young doctor James Kildare and his fiancée, nurse Mary Lamont, make plans for their wedding day, Mary's brother Douglas arrives for a visit. Douglas asks Kildare to arrange a meeting with wealthy Mr. Chandler, whose daughter Kildare saved in Young Doctor Kildare, to solicit an endowment of a foundation to create three subsidized trade schools to train unskilled workers. Kildare is reluctant to impose on Chandler for ethical reasons but is concerned that Doug, who hears nonexistent sounds, may be an undiagnosed epileptic. His apparent interest in Doug only as an "interesting patient" causes a row with Mary that leads him to change his mind.

Soon after, the happy couple's optimism evaporates into despair when Douglas begins experience mysterious mood swings, further pointing to a form of epilepsy, a condition that threatens his marriage to Mary. Kildare arranges for Doug to meet Chandler but refuses to confide in Mary his unconfirmed suspicions. After Dr. Leonard Gillespie, Kildare's crusty mentor, also demurs, Mary reveals her fears that they are hiding from her some hereditary condition she may also have to nurse superintendent Molly Byrd, who reassures Mary and pleads with her to patiently trust them.

Kildare visits Doug with news that Chandler's partners will meet with Doug the next day, which convinces a moody Doug to agree to a diagnostic experiment, in which Dr. Kildare administers coffee, whiskey, steak and salt to Doug and lies to him in order to shock his nervous system. Doug's rapid recovery from his depressed condition suggests that Kildare's assumption is correct. Kildare sadly concurs that treatment means at best a lifetime of mediocrity but without treatment, a complete disintegration of the brain and death.

Doug reveals the situation to Mary. As a result, she and Doug decide to run away, but their flight is interrupted by Kildare, who convinces them to talk again with Gillespie. Gillespie's shrewd questioning of Doug elicits that he suffered a recent untreated head injury he had been concealing that might be responsible for the symptoms. When a further examination reveals a head trauma that is remedied by a brain operation, the future again looks bright for Doug, Mary and her young doctor, who learns the truism that doctors cannot treat their loved ones.

Cast

Lew Ayres as Dr. James Kildare

Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Leonard Gillespie

Laraine Day as Mary Lamont

Robert Young as Douglas Lamont

Nat Pendleton as Joe Wayman

Walter Kingsford as Dr. Walter Carew

Alma Kruger as Molly Byrd

Bobs Watson as Tommy

Nell Craig as Nurse "Nosey" Parker

George H. Reed as Conover

Frank Orth as Mike Ryan

Marie Blake as Sally

Horace MacMahon as Foghorn Murphy

Film series

Young Dr. Kildare (1938), which introduced Lew Ayres as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie

Calling Dr. Kildare (1939)

The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939)

Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (1940)

Dr. Kildare Goes Home (1940)

Dr. Kildare's Crisis (1940)

The People vs. Dr. Kildare (1941) – the last film made with the collaboration of series creator Frederick Schiller Faust (Max Brand)

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941)

Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942)

References

External links

Dr. Kildare's Crisis at IMDb

Dr. Kildare's Crisis at the TCM Movie Database (archived)

Dr. Kildare's Crisis at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

Text from Dr. Kildare's Crisis on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Kildare's_Crisis

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  • New York City

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Questions about this film

What is Dr. Kildare's Crisis about?

Dr. Kildare's Crisis: Jimmy Kildare's impending nuptials are jeopardized by a diagnosis of possible epilepsy in his fiancee's brother.

Who directed Dr. Kildare's Crisis?

Dr. Kildare's Crisis was directed by Harold S. Bucquet in 1940.

Who stars in Dr. Kildare's Crisis?

The cast of Dr. Kildare's Crisis includes Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day, Robert Young and Nat Pendleton.

How long is Dr. Kildare's Crisis?

Dr. Kildare's Crisis runs for 75 minutes, or 1h15.

What is the correct order of the Dr. Kildare Collection films?

The Dr. Kildare Collection franchise has 16 films in the catalogue. In release order: Escravos do Dever; O Jovem Dr. Kildare; Chamem o Dr. Kildare; O Segredo do Dr. Kildare; O Estranho Caso do Dr. Kildare; Dr. Kildare Goes Home; A Vitória do Dr. Kildare; The People Vs. Dr. Kildare.

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Page updated on 09/14/2026.

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Scene from Dr. Kildare's Crisis