Bill Knight column for 1-14, 15 or 16, 2019
Medical
films and TV shows existed long before “Chicago Med” was an idea in creator Dick
Wolf’s mind, before Dr. Richard Kimble was falsely accused in “The Fugitive,”
and before movies like Mel Brooks’ 1977 comedy “High Anxiety” or director Mervyn Leroy’s 1943 biopic “Madame Curie.”
Dr.
Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian, was born this week in
1875, a nice time to recall why Hollywood so frequently uses medicine as a
formula: Doctors, nurses and hospitals let screenwriters tell stories of life
and death.
Youngstown
State University professor Rick Shale decades ago cited five reasons: Healing
is a natural subject for drama and suspense; the doctor character is versatile,
fitting most genres; the medical profession is easily understood; doctors have
status, letting stories easily move through various situations; and
historically, they make money.
Doctors?
How about Dr. Caligari, Dr. Dolittle,
Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Who and Dr. X.
(And don’t forget the Three Stooges’ “Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr.
Howard...”)
There
have been comedies and dramas, biographies and thrillers, medical heroes and
villains: “Men in White” and “Green for Danger”; “The Doctor,” “The Surgeon” and “The Student Nurses”; “Bikini Med School”
and “Candy Stripe Nurses”; “Coma,” “Contagious”
and “Flatliners”; “Extreme Measures”
and “Desperate Measures.”
Dramatized
lives have included Schweitzer, Alfred Blalock, Bennet Omalu and Ben Carson.
Series
focused on Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey and more. Bad-guys docs? “The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse,” Dr. Phibes,
Dr. Cyclops and, of course, Dr. Frankenstein.
Funny?
There’s “Critical Condition”
and “The Disorderly Orderly,” “Doc
Hollywood” and “Dr. Detroit.”
“Crazy”?
Try “Shock Corridor,” “Snake Pit,” “Three
Faces of Eve” and “One Flew
Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.”
TV series
have included “ER,” “Scrubs,” “St. Elsewhere,” “Trapper John M.D.,” “Marcus
Welby, M.D.,” “Emergency” and “Medic.”
The
shows all use many of several medical stereotypes: the country doctor, the
devoted researcher, the God-like healer, the mad scientist, the idealistic
medical student or intern, the quack, the superficial specialist (Beverly Hills
plastic surgeon, Park Avenue therapist, etc.), the bureaucrat, the substance
abuser, the greed-head, the nurse as sex object or doctor as stud (men wrote
most of these scripts).
Other
filmmakers who’ve done medical shows include John Ford (1933’s “Dr. Bull”),
George Stevens (1940’s “Vigil in the
Night”), Stanley Kramer (1955’s “Not
as A Stranger”), and Michael Crichton (1971’s “Andromeda Strain,” among
others).
Here’s
a dozen top medical films available on video, online and on-demand:
“Arrowsmith”
(1931). Director John Ford had an exceptional cast when he filmed Sinclair
Lewis’ novel about a young doctor tempted by money. It stars Ronald Colman and
features Myrna Loy and Helen Hayes.
“Awakenings”
(1990). One of Robin Williams’ early efforts at serious acting, this was
directed by the late Penny Marshall and stars Robert DeNiro and Max von Sydow.
“The Citadel”
(1938). Great acting from Robert Donat, Rex Harrison and Rosalind Russell
highlight this King Vidor film about a Scottish physician who relinquishes his
goals of healing the poor by serving wealthy patients.
“The Hospital”
(1971). Writer Paddy Chayefsky penned a remarkable, Oscar-winning dark comedy
set at a New York medical center. George C. Scott stars, with Diana Rigg.
“The
Interns” (1962). A big-screen soap opera, this foreshadowed shows like 1982’s “Young
Doctors In Love,” etc. It stars Cliff Robertson, Stefanie Powers, Buddy Ebsen
and Telly Savalas.
“Magnificent
Obsession” (1954). Rock Hudson stars as a boozing cad whose reckless driving
causes Jane Wyman to go blind, and whose regret leads him to become a surgeon –
to restore her sight. Agnes Moorehead and Barbara Rush co-star.
“Outbreak”
(1995). A virus threatening California seems to be the same as a military
medical man (Dustin Hoffman) found in Africa. The film features Morgan Freeman,
Rene Russo and Cuba Gooding Jr.
“Panic
in The Streets” (1950). This stars Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas as
investigators trying to find a murderer infected with bubonic plague. Directed
by Elia Kazan, it’s a blend of medical drama and film noir, co-starring Jack Palance and Zero Mostel.
“Patch
Adams” (1998). Based on a real physician with innovative approaches to health
care, this fine Robin Williams vehicle co-stars Philip Seymour Hoffman.
“The
Story of Louis Pasteur” (1936). The great Paul Muni has the title role in this
biography of the 19th century scientist who promoted vaccinations. It features Porter
Hall and Fritz Lieber.
“The
Story of Dr. Wassell” (1944). Gary Cooper portrayed the World War II doctor who
transported wounded soldiers through Japanese-held territory. Directed by Cecil
B. DeMille, it co-stars Larraine Day.
“Whose
Life Is It Anyway?” (1981). John Cassavetes and Christine Lahti portray doctors
in this gripping drama that deals with the “right to die.” Richard Dreyfuss
stars in director John Badham’s drama, featuring Kenneth McMillan and Bob
Balaban.
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