Night Nurse (1931) User Reviews (67)

The Milk Bath, the Murphy Drip and Ethics! Ethics! Ethics!

[manuel-pestalozzi · 7/10 · 2 December 2008]

Anyone who thought exploitation movies were invented in the 1960s will know better after having watched Night Nurse. It's a strange mix of comedy, drama and mild sleaze. The story is pretty weak but for fans of Barbara Stanwyck this is an absolute must see. Her performance is very energetic (aggressively shoving her face very close to that of other people, punching big guys, hurtling bottles of champagne around etc.) and she really comes through as a sensuous – albeit tough as nails - nurse. For some time she must wear a tiny band aid on her chin which makes her even more attractive. Joan Blondell is also great as her gum chewing friend, setting the standard for vulgarity. The movie basically deals with the ethics of the medical profession which is treated with amazing cynicism.

The highlight for me was the conversation between the excited Stanwyck character and an older Pappy-type doctor. The nurse suspects foul play in a particular medical case and Pappy tries to calm her down with sensible arguments. The nurse quickly loses her patience and her temper, shouting. „Aw, ethics, ethics, ethics! I'm through with ethics!" It's really a well played scene which brings the character and temperament of the nurse to the fore and reflects the atmosphere of the whole movie. I also liked the unethical doctor with his facial twist and snazzy uniform which must have influenced people who created the wardrobe for Starship Enterprise. His big office has very elegant Art Deco trappings and is in stark contrast to the rather cramped conditions in the ethically operated hospital shown in this movie.

Barbara Stanwyck in pre-code drama

[sdave7596 · 7/10 · 17 January 2010]

"Night Nurse" released in 1931, in the depths of the Great Depression, was the kind of film Warner Brothers cranked out at that time. Barbara Stanwyck plays Lora Hart, a woman down on her luck who applies to become a nurse. She does so, with success. The initial part of the film takes us into the inner workings of a hospital -- circa 1931. Stanwyck is befriended by a fellow nurse, played by Joan Blondell, who provides much comic relief throughout the film. Stanwyck's first assignment is to take care of two sick children of a wealthy mother. Soon she begins to realize there is a sinister plot to starve the children so various people can profit from the children's trust fund. The children's mother is a serious alcoholic and seems to completely ignore her children, leaving them in the care of nurses and a housekeeper. A young Clark Gable has an eerie and threatening presence playing a chauffeur, who apparently is in league with the alcoholic mother and the children's sleazy doctor. Brought into the mix of all these characters is a charming bootlegger (prohibition was still the law of the land) played by Ben Lyon. He falls for Stanwyck after she patches him up from a bullet wound and doesn't report it as required. The film is clearly "pre-code" meaning the code was down in ink but largely ignored by studios until enforcement in 1934. There are some scenes of Blondell and Stanwyck dressing and undressing, and we see them in their undergarments several times! Liquor flows freely, despite prohibition and there are several scenes of various drunken party-goers. One drunken man tries to assault Stanwyck. There is some fairly graphic violence by 1931 movie standards. There is also some funny, snappy dialogue from Stanwyck and Blondell. My favorite line is when Stanwyck, after wrestling with the drunken, neglectful mother, looks down at her passed out on the floor and says "You mother..." I won't give away the ending, as it is a bit bizarre, but this is an entertaining film. See it just for Stanwyck. She gives a spirited and tough performance.

Good Night, Nurse!

[lugonian · 7/10 · 3 May 2002]

"Night Nurse" (Warner Brothers, 1931), directed by William A. Wellman, is not your ordinary hospital drama in the league of late 1930s "Dr. Kildare" series at MGM or the program "Nurse Keate" mysteries at Warners. It's a pre-production code, risqué hospital drama featuring a lone nurse (Barbara Stanwyck) surrounded by those of the medical profession who do more than examine and cure for humanity. But not all doctors and nurses are the villains here. There is even a chauffeur named Nick, who makes James Cagney's 'Public Enemy' character look more like a boy scout in comparison. But at 71 minutes, director Wellman fills this drama with plenty of sound and fury.

The storyline involves Lora Hart (Barbara Stanwyck), a young woman who obtains a nurses position at a hospital where she must follow strict rules and regulations, given an hour off to herself a day and only one night off a week. She rooms with Maloney (Joan Blondell), a sassy blonde who believes that rules are meant to be broken. Later, Lora is hired as a private nurse to care for two fatherless little girls who happen to be the heirs to a large fortune. Their mother, Mrs. Ritchey (Charlotte Merriam) prefers to enjoy herself by smoking cigarettes, being drunk and entertaining herself at all night parties surrounded by low-life people. At the same time, Mrs. Ritchey's chauffeur, Nick (Clark Gable), intends on having those girls starved to death in order to obtain their trust fund after marrying their mother. When Lora learns of this evil plot, she notifies Dr. Ranger (Ralf Harolde) for advise, unaware that he may also part of the plot.

In the opening segment of the video cassette copy of "Night Nurse," which is introduced by movie critic Leonard Maltin, he mentions that no one could have played the role better in "Night Nurse" than Barbara Stanwyck. Agreed! She gives her character an injection of toughness and sincerity. In one of its television presentations on Turner Classic Movies, host Robert Osborne mentioned that the role for Nick, the chauffeur, was originally intended for a young James Cagney, who recently scored big time success with the release of "The Public Enemy" (1931), also directed by Wellman. Although Cagney might have pulled it off, Gable is far better suited for this particular role mainly because of his forceful appearance, strong approach and firm voice. When he introduces himself to Nurse Hart (Stanwyck) in saying, loud and clear, "I'm NICK, the CHAUFFEUR," it shows how threatening his character can be. Cagney wouldn't have done this as well. Yet this is the same Gable, minus his famous mustache and likable personality, shortly before his long reign as MGM's "King of the Movies,", who not only beats up the weaker sex here, but gets to meet his match in Nurse Hart. Aside from Gable's slapping and socking his victims, along with making threats, Stanwyck pulls no punches when she socks an individual drunk in order to confront the mother to attend to her two abused daughters. When she finds that this drunken woman doesn't care, Hart, in anger, looks directly at the drunken floozy on the floor and quips, "YOU MOTHER!"

Also seen in the supporting cast are Ben Lyon, an actor in silent movies with a very well recorded distinctive voice, playing a bootlegger who identifies himself as Mortie near the film's end; Charles Winninger as the kind-hearted Doctor Arthur Bell, who also gets the feel of Nick's fist; Edward Nugent as an immoral intern who quotes this classic line to Stanwyck as she undresses: "Oh, don't be embarrassed. You can't show me a thing. I just came from the delivery room!"; Vera Lewis as Miss Dillon, the no-nonsense head nurse (and she means business); Blanche Frederici (another one of Nick's punching bags); and Marcia Mae Jones and Betty Jane Graham as the Ritchey girls.

After watching "Night Nurse," one wonders how many movies of this sort distributed from other film studios are out there, if any. If "Night Nurse" were made today and released as is, it would present few thrills. But because it was made in 1931, "Night Nurse" is full of surprises, then and now, mainly because of how many scenes got passed the censors. Even the topic of child abuse was a screen rarity during that time.

Rarely shown in recent decades, thanks to Ted Turner and his classic movie channel and video distribution through MGM/UA, "Night Nurse" can be seen, and really seen to be believed. Maybe the movie itself does go overboard, but it's really worth a look mainly because of the cast and tough direction in storytelling. This is vintage Stanwyck at her best, especially when wearing her slightly over-sized nurses uniform. And due to the frankness of director Wellman, he gives the movie the shot in the arm it needs.

And one final word of warning, BEWARE OF NICK THE CHAUFFEUR! (***)

It Ain't Young Doctor Kildare

[dougdoepke · 14 January 2007]

Gritty depression era flick, showing why Warner Bros. was the studio of record. It's tough broads here that get the leads. There's Stanwyck (before her teeth were fixed) and Blondell (gum-popping her way through the Nurse's Oath), both trying to survive grabby interns, unscrupulous doctors, murderous families, and no money. No, this isn't Young Doctor Kildare. Just compare Night Nurse with that sappy 1940's series for insight into what the Production Code did to social realism. Here nurses break the law, doctors violate their oath, and unless you go along, you don't work. Not exactly the professional AMA image. Sure, it's contrived melodrama. But there are elements of the real world here that would disappear from the screen for 35 years, courtesy the PC. Also included are gamey one-liners, mild strip scenes, and a really sardonic look at motherhood, along with a very scary Clark Gable. For a brief period from around 1930-34, Hollywood operated with the lid off, pressed by audiences with no work, no money and no prospects. Movies like NN reflect that reality, which was, of course, too unvarnished to survive. So catch up with this neglected period when you can, especially if the movie's from Warner Bros., like this little gem.

A Strong Stanwyck as a Young Nurse

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 11 June 2014]

"Night Nurse" is representative of pre-code era films--only slightly risqué by today's standards. It is also representative of the times in the sense that Hollywood seemed to be enamored of the medical profession--both doctors and nurses--during the period, with many such scripts being produced. I think it is due to changing views about medical professionals, instigated by medicine being more science-centered. Audiences probably learned a lot about medical procedures and standards that were somewhat new. This makes such films interesting now from a historic standpoint; and they are interesting as comparisons to today's methods. What we most learn is that standards of care which are en vogue almost always look primitive (and ignorant) by standards only fifty years later.

Joan Blondell and Barbara Stanwyck star in this film about the education, training and practicing of nurses. Stanwyck's character trains in a hospital after no medical education. The girls knock heads with the nurse in charge of their training (and their morals). They deal with the orderlies and physicians who, being male, have a sense of entitlement. Eventually, they get jobs in private care, tending to two young girls who seem neglected.

Clark Gable portrays a belligerent chauffeur with suspect intentions, though his part is a minor one. He plays "sinister" very well, perhaps a clue to his later successes portraying men who are somewhat threatening (like John Garfield).

At one point--as Stanwyck tries to unravel the mystery of the young girls' declining health--the film slows. Otherwise, I found it interesting on many levels. It is fun to see Blondell and Stanwyck as such young women. Even then, Stanwyck commanded the screen with her intensity, when necessary.

Medical Ethics

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 31 August 2006]

One of Barbara Stanwyck's best early starring films is Night Nurse which essentially is two separate stories.

The first is young Barbara in training to be a nurse and teaming up with Joan Blondell, another would be nurse, in a typical Joan Blondell role. Stanwyck is a bit more dedicated to the profession, but she learns from Blondell how to take a more realistic attitude.

The second part of the film concerns Stanwyck being assigned as a private night nurse to some kids who are being slowly starved to death. Something is really wrong when you see malnourished kids in a purportedly wealthy home. Stanwyck suspects something amiss and she's quite right. The doctor Ralf Harolde and the chauffeur Clark Gable are in cahoots in a murderous scheme.

Stanwyck puts her own career on the line to bring some justice and compassion to her charges. In doing so she has to step on some medical toes and question the ethics of who she's working for.

Clark Gable was loaned out from MGM to play the murderous chauffeur and if he hadn't been discovered as a new kind of tough leading man, he would have had a grand career as a character actor playing all kinds of thugs who slug. And slug Stanwyck he does, right on the kisser.

Stanwyck gets some help from breezy bootlegger Ben Lyon who would soon be leaving for the UK with his wife Bebe Daniels where he would have his best success. Earlier in the film Stanwyck kind of winks at the rules where Lyon is concerned and she makes a friend who comes in real handy when dealing with Gable and Harolde.

Lyon is fine, but this seemed to be a part James Cagney would have been perfect for. And Cagney going up against Gable would really have made this a classic.

Stanwyck Stands Out in a Pre-Code Murder Plot Melodrama with a Sinister Gable

[EUyeshima · 7/10 · 5 March 2008]

This tense 1931 melodrama stars a very young Barbara Stanwyck in the title role as Lora Hart assigned to take care of the two young daughters in a wealthy family. However, she uncovers a plot hatched by their alcoholic mother to kill the girls in order to steal their trust funds with the assistance of a nasty chauffeur and a corrupt doctor. Directed by William Wellman, the movie features several risqué moments with Stanwyck and pal Joan Blondell dressing and undressing in their uniforms, as well as moments of unexpected violence. Again, Clark Gable shows up in a sinister role as the chauffeur and slaps Stanwyck around with convincing malevolence. While I prefer her work in 1933's "Baby Face" on Volume One, no one shined more than Stanwyck in these pre-code films since her non-nonsense manner was a perfect fit for the era's candor and directness.

Tough Stanwyck Drama

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 9 February 2004]

The young NIGHT NURSE watching two sick little girls finds herself pitted against a gang of heartless criminals.

Barbara Stanwyck is a standout in this taut little film. Independent, resourceful and tough as nails, she pits herself against the bullying authority she encounters in the hospital and the absolute evil she must confront at the bizarre private home where she is sent to work. An intelligent & spirited actress, it was roles such as this which would hasten Stanwyck into becoming one of the biggest film stars of the 1930's.

A fine cast gives Stanwyck ample support. Ben Lyon plays the free spirited bootlegger who takes a shine to Barbara. Brassy Joan Blondell portrays her worldly wise roommate. Charles Winninger brightens his few scenes as a cherubic doctor, as does Edward Nugent as a flirtatious intern. Vera Lewis is properly implacable as the stern head nurse and Blanche Frederici adds a note of strangeness as a distraught housekeeper. Not yet a star, Clark Gable is very effective as a menacing chauffeur.

Movie mavens will recognize Willie Fung as a Chinese patient & Marcia Mae Jones as the sick child who needs the milk bath--both uncredited.

The Pre-Code status of the film is readily apparent. Stanwyck & Blondell are viewed in their lingerie as often as possible and Stanwyck must suffer some mighty rough handling from various villains in the movie. Capping it all off, Barbara exits the film with her new boyfriend, an unrepentant & unpunished crook involved in everything from thievery to murder, a situation certainly not allowed just a few years later.

Naughty Nurses With Hearts of Gold

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 13 May 2013]

...and lingerie's of silk and satin...

Roommates Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Blondell get to show off their fine figures in this pre-code drama of sin discovered in the service world of nursing by a recent graduate of a hospital nursing school. Stanwyck seems to have luck on her side everywhere she goes; Rejected by the hard-nosed head nurse (Vera Lewis) on her way in, she bumps into chief of staff (Charles Winninger) on her way out, and before you know it, she's in training, oiling babies, assisting in surgeries and breaking curfew to have a night out on the town. Then, when she gets on her first case, it's as a private nurse to some mal-nutritioned children, victimized by a sinister chauffeur (a very young Clark Gable) and determined to expose the doctor on the case as a quack who shouldn't only loose his medical license, but end up in jail as well.

Stanwyck's tough persona was established early on in her career, and here, she's nobody to mess with. She slaps down mashers, gets right into Gable's face, and even risks loosing her career by standing up for what she believes is right. This has some delightfully tough dialog, with Stanwyck and Blondell trading some wonderful wisecracks, yet their friendship never suffering even with all the acid dripping. Blondell is a far cry from her matronly character actress days, an absolute delight as the best pal a tough-talking nurse could have, and the two ladies suit each other very well. Gable's character is even more amoral than any of the early roles he played over at MGM, while Charlotte Merriam as the drunken mother of the two exploited children and Blanche Friderici as the seemingly sinister housekeeper offer convincing performances as well. This is topped off by one of the most delightful pay-offs in pre-code, giving Stanwyck's love interest (Ben Lyon) a great exit line.

Stanwyck Takes Care of Business

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 10 October 2008]

A tawdry and downright disturbing pre-code film that stars Barbara Stanwyck giving one hell of a ferocious performance.

Stanwyck plays the titular night nurse, assigned to care for the two small children of a negligent and drunken floozy. The children's' father is dead; the family chauffeur, played by a hateful Clark Gable, is running things, and he wants the children to die so that he can collect the trust money that was intended for them. Therefore, the children are wasting away from starvation while a useless maid dithers around and Stanwyck tries to get the hospital to intervene.

The film would probably be instantly forgettable if not for the fierce performance of Stanwyck, who throws herself (quite literally) into the role of savior, taking punches, getting thrown into a wall, all while dishing out some punches of her own. This is film-making of the sensational Warners variety, featuring lots of suggestive dialogue, shots of Stanwyck and her nurse buddy, the saucy Joan Blondell, in their underwear, and a world in which things like murder are o.k. as long as they're done for the right reason. The movie is certainly no masterpiece, but it does have that energy and sizzle that characterized Warners films from this time period, and it is effective on its own modest terms.

Grade: B+

The Benefits of the Milk Bath

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 5 September 2016]

The aspiring nurse Lora Hart (Barbara Stanwyck) seeks a job as a trainee nurse in a hospital, but the Supervisor of the Nurses Miss Dillon (Vera Lewis) rejects her application. However she stumbles upon Dr. Arthur Bell (Charles Winninget) in the door and he accepts her application. She befriends her roommate Maloney (Joan Blondell) and they work together in the night shift in the emergency room. When the bootlegger Mortie (Ben Lyon) comes to the hospital with a gunshot in the shoulder, Lora treats him and Mortie convinces her to not report to the police. After the graduation, Lora is hired by Dr. Milton Ranger (Ralf Harolde) to work for the alcoholic millionaire Mrs. Ritchey (Charlotte Merriam) nursing her two daughters that are sick. But soon Lora finds that they are starved to death. Further, the brutal chauffeur Nick (Clark Gable) is plotting to kill the girls that have a trust fund from their father so that Mrs. Ritchey will inherit it and then he marries her. What will Lora do?

"Night Nurse" is a Pre-Code drama directed by William A. Wellman. The storyline is a combination of genres, such as comedy of dark humour, drama, crime and romance. The storyline begins like a comedy but after the graduation of Lora and Maloney, there is a twist and becomes darker and darker. Where would have the cinema industry gone if the Pre-Code Hollywood have not been enforced? My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Triunfos de Mulher" ("Triumphs of Woman")

why this is the best film ever (especially if you are a pediatric night nurse)

[mucifer · 10/10 · 8 November 1998]

"Night Nurse" is my favorite film , in a big way sister! This movie contains humor on various levels. Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Blondell are 2 tough broads who can hold their own against the evil Doctor Granger and even "Nick The Chauffeur" played by Clark Gable. It does help to be an actual pediatric night nurse to understand this movie to its full potential. The camp is both intentional and unintentional. The movie has a rebel flair with the nurses mouthing off to authority and even befriending a bootlegger (who is one of the heroes of the film).The movie is pre-code so it's pretty spicy for the 30's . You can even see Barbara and Joan in their skivvies.The medical lingo is very amusing. Barbara Stanwyck's character has "blood type 4h" and they got some very pudgy little kids to play the starving children. I own the video and have passed it along to co-workers who are also pediatric night nurses and it has become a cult favorite amongst my collegues.

Nurses in Lipstick and Lingerie

[movingpicturegal · 7/10 · 13 December 2006]

Soap opera starring Barbara Stanwyck as Lora Hart, nurse in training who rooms and works at a big hospital under a stern head nurse, a real stickler for the rules who punishes nurses who stay out past curfew by putting them on night shift in the emergency ward. Lora's roommate is a wisecracking blonde, played by - who else - Joan Blondell, who advises her friend to stay away from the interns and find herself a patient with dough. Well, Lora meets a handsome, injured bootlegger while working in emergency, who plays in this film later as she gets involved working duty caring for two sick little girls (who actually looked quite healthy to me!) who are dying of starvation in a wealthy household that is occupied by an assemblage of real shady characters including a mean chauffeur in black, an abrasive housekeeper, a bad doctor with a weird eye twitch, and the mother who proudly proclaims she's a "dipsomaniac".

This is a pretty weird movie - it's really comprised of two separate halves. The first half is the reasonably normal, and interesting story of a young nurse learning her trade and dealing with typical hospital stuff - the only slightly odd thing being the constant focus on showing these nurses in their lingerie as they change from street clothes into uniform several different times. The second half of this film is just a real shift in the focus of this story to the very oddball starvation/murder plot. The saving grace of this film is seeing Barbara Stanwyck acting up a storm and Clark Gable, who's fun to watch playing the evil chauffeur. Worth seeing for a bit of campy fun.

Pre-Code naughty flick

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 1 October 2018]

I've always said Barbara Stanwyck was miscast as the sexy femme fatale in Double Indemnity, but she certainly made many similar movies early in her career! I prefer to see her when she's using a range of emotions in her acting, but if you don't mind seeing her in strictly sexy roles, you've got plenty to choose from, including Night Nurse.

In this Pre-Hays Code film starring Barbara, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell, and a very young Clark Gable, the ladies train to become nurses. However, Barbara comes from the wrong side of the tracks and never finished high school, so she isn't treated with much respect by the higher-ups in the staff. Barbara's sassy and funny friend is Joan, and as they both interact with bootleggers and criminals and spend entire scenes in front of the camera dressed in only their lingerie, you'll find yourself amazed at the wildness of Pre-Code Hollywood. And that's all before Clark Gable enters the picture! Rent this one if you're looking for an oldie with a little mystery and a lot of sass.

All that in just over an hour

[1930s_Time_Machine · 6/10 · 14 September 2022]

The presentation and acting is a little 'stagey' but this nevertheless is thoroughly entertaining and engaging. There's no 'First National' moniker on this so it's a proper Warner Brothers A-movie and they pulled out all the stops with this to make it professional and for it to stand the test of time.

The joy with films from this period is being able to compare our lives with those of the 30s and although this doesn't dwell too much of The Depression, it's depiction of a hospital and particularly the maternity ward is both fascinating and terrifying - I am surprised our species managed to survive! Pointedly that scene in the maternity ward deliberately shows how we're all equal, well at least as babies. Black, white and Asian babies are all together, all equal and all give the same care, a nice touch for 1931.

This movie seems to be loved by 'pre-code fans' but I didn't find it exceptional. It's watchable, it's quite exciting and the story will keep you enthralled but it's no classic. The characters are a little black and white being either wonderful, loveable paragons of virtue or in the case of Clarke Gable (sans moustache), almost a pantomime villain. Although Gable only has this very one dimensional role to play with, his talent shines through making his performance very memorable.

Better than average pre-code

[zeebrite-321-220768 · 7/10 · 16 April 2012]

This seems to start out as a thin exploitation (tame now) flick with Stanwyck down to her undies twice in the first fifteen minutes. It then evolves into a decent little thriller that is worth a view for early crime-drama buffs, pre-code buffs and, of course, Stanwyck buffs.

I don't want to get into the plot too much because at just over an hour there isn't that much plot to unravel. Let's just say it's a pretty ugly theme with children involved. As tame as this is nowadays, this one ain't for the kids.

Stanwyck is good enough though not her usual, stellar presence; she comes off a little stiff and unconvincing in parts. Joan Blondel is very good as the roommate but fades into the background in the latter half. Clark Gable is kind of one-note as the creepy chauffeur. So there are no career defining, must see performances. But these are minor quibbles on my part; it's still a solid way to burn an hour-ten.

young stars cut their teeth on this early drama

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 13 December 2007]

Barbara Stanwyck is a "Night Nurse" in this 1931 film also starring Joan Blondell, Ben Lyon and Clark Gable. Stanwyck and Blondell stumble on a murder for trust fund plot, and Stanwyck gets help from a bootlegger she helped when he was shot.

I like what one of the IMDb reviewers said, that this was an "evil of the big city" film for those audiences who didn't live in one. Stanwyck faces down a crooked doctor and an evil chauffeur (Gable) to thwart this plot, though she's warned it's best not to make waves. Stanwyck is very good, showing her tough side with the criminals and her sweet side with the children. Gable, with no mustache, looks very handsome in his chauffeur outfit and acts menacing. He definitely always had a strong presence. Blondell is the wisecracking, streetwise nurse - her part is smaller than Stanwyck's.

The young women do a lot of parading around in their underwear and there's lots of sexual talk between the lines - this is pre-Code. Worth seeing for work of these early stars, and pre-code films are usually interesting.

Tough, quick melodrama

[preppy-3 · 10/10 · 31 May 2003]

Barbara Stanwyck plays a night nurse at a very strange household where some children may be in serious danger.

Strong pre-Code film has (for 1931) strong dialogue, Stanwyck and Joan Blondell in their underwear, alcoholism, nymphomania, attempted rape, child abuse and Clark Gable (without his mustache) slugging Stanwyck unconscious.

The plot is kind of silly but the film moves so quickly (72 minutes) that you sort of disregard it. There are also some nice directorial touches from William Wellman. The whole cast is great: Stanwyck is just superb in the title role--smart, strong and has no fear--she almost manages to stare Gable down in one of their fights. Gable is incredible as the bad guy--violent, brutal and very scary. There's great support from Blondell as Stanwyck's best friend and Ben Lyon as a bootlegger with the hots for her.

A really great film--don't miss this one!

Two of the many great lines: "I'm a nymphomaniac...and I'm proud of it!" "You MOTHER!"

Damea In White

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 11 June 2011]

"The Public Enemy" director William Wellman tackles the issue of medical ethics in this blue-collar melodrama. A young Barbara Stanwyck stars as the crusading nurse heroine who sets out to save the children from the despicable likes of Clark Gable--in a loan-out role--as a slimy small time hood who has no qualms about slugging women. This snappy 72-minute, black & white expose about hospitals and nurses is gripping but often sordid tale. Wellman doesn't appropriate the usual romantic conventions. The romantic scenes between them as they flirt are put on the back burner in favor to the graphic plot about children-in-jeopardy. Barbara Stanwyck's performance seems callow and uncertain at time, nothing like she was later in "Baby Face," but Joan Blondell is her usual jaunty self. It is exciting to catch Clark Gable at this point in his illustrious career before he made good at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He delivers an electrifying performance as a hood that stands out above all else.

"Night Nurse" emerges as a departure from the typical Hollywood production in the wake of the silent picture. Pay attention to all those tracking shots when Wellman moves the camera. Early Hollywood sound pictures were primarily static because producers and directors were fearful of generating sound when they moved their cameras. Moreover, Wellman recorded live audio when he moved his cameras which was something of an innovation. He was one of the first filmmakers to dangle a microphone from a boom. If you have any doubts about the use of boom mikes, look for the tell-tale shadows of the boom mikes. The opening shots lensed through the windshield of an ambulance careening down one street then another to a hospital emergency room is pretty invigorating stuff, enough so Wellman ended "Night Nurse" with this same sequence.

Lora Hart (Barbara Stanwyck)wants to be a nurse. She nearly misses the chance because she lacks a high school diploma. Wellman and his scribes make her sympathetic from the start because her mother's death forced her to drop out of high school. Since she doesn't have the diploma, a stern-minded nurse refuses to accept her. Fortunately for Lora, the man hurriedly entering the hospital's front entrance revolving door catches her as she exits and knocks her handball to the ground. This callous gentleman turns is the influential Dr. Arthur Bell (Charles Winninger of "Nothing Sacred") and he persuades the Superintendent of Nurses, Miss Dillon (Vera Lewis of "Intolerance") to give Lora a chance. "Rules are important," Dillon dictates, and "Night Nurse" is about about breaking rules, not only in the medical field but also in the movies. Dillon assigns another nurse, Maloney (Joan Blondell of "Three on a Match"), to show Lora the ropes, and those ropes are tightropes.

First, Maloney warns Lora not to fall in love with either doctors or interns. Cynically, Maloney recommends patients with dough. Second,the nurses must follow strict rules or lose their jobs. For example, she has one hour to herself and must work until 7 pm. As long as she is in bed with lights out by 10 pm, she has nothing to fear. Moreover, if they are caught out of bed after 10 pm, they face the prospect of additional night shifts. Later, Lora learns that she earns a paltry $56 per week. A cocksure intern, Eagan (Edward J. Nugent of "Prison Shadows"), pulls a practical joke on Lora. Eagan stashes a human skeleton in her bed. Lora screams and he pokes his head in to laugh at them. Meanwhile, the scream has awakened Miss Dillon who storms into their room. Maloney mistakes Dillon for Eagan and flings a slipper at her. Dillon makes Lora take two weeks on the night shift at the emergency clinic. Eventually, Lora graduates from the nursing program and gets a night nurse job with an unscrupulous Dr. Milton A. Ranger (Ralf Harolde of "Killer Shark") who explains that the best nurses is keep her mouth shut.

One evening, Lora patches up a wounded bootlegger, Mortie (Ben Lyon of "Indiscreet"), who persuades her not to report his bullet wound. They become friends, and Mortie saves Lora later when she finds herself in a tight spot. Maloney handles the day shift, while Lora works the night shift,attending to two children, Nanny (Marcia Mae Jones of "The Champ") and Desney (Betty Jane Graham of "Alias the Doctor"), suffering from malnutrition.

One evening, when she tries to help the drunken Mrs. Ritchey (Charlotte Merriam of "Alimony Madness"), Lora is assaulted by the drunken boyfriend and Nick, the Chauffeur (Clark Gable of "Gone with the Wind") intervenes. Lora is about to call the police, but Nick clobbers her on the chin. When Mrs. Maxwell, the Housekeeper (Blanche Friderici of "Thirteen Women") lets slip that Dr. Ranger and Nick, the Chauffeur are in cahoots to kill them for their trust fund money, Lora goes to Dr. Bell. Bell warns her that nobody will believe her hysterical accusations about Ranger. When Lora wants to quit, Bell convinces her to continue to work so she can gather evidence to be used against Ranger and Nick. Lora and Mrs. Maxwell are trying to save Nanny with a milk bath when Nick intervenes. There is a wonderful close-up of the bath tub being emptied out into the silk with the doll that Nanny had that sums up the old saying do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Anyhow, things are touch and go until Mortie shows up with a pistol in his pocket and sends Nick packing.

"Night Nurse" is an interesting and entertaining Pre-Code film where convenient things happen.

Shocking even by today's standard...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 16 April 2023]

... that being the central theme of a conspiracy to starve two wealthy children to death to get control of their trust fund.

More than half of the film, though, isn't about this at all, probably because the people involved are either so unlikeable or weak, exactly what are you going to do with the characters involved? It's not like you are going to want to endow them with any humanity, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do what they are doing. Thus about half of the film is about Lora Hart's (Barbara Stanwyck's) quest to become a nurse.

Her roommate during her training is Maloney (Joan Blondell). Lora's character is sincere where Maloney is like most of Blondell's precode roles - cynical and sassy. They can both dish out the precode one liners though. It's hard to think that just 90 years ago the equivalent of a RN could have just three years of high school and some on the job hospital training, but that is the case with Lora Hart.

Along the way during Lora's training, a bootlegger (Ben Lyon) wanders into the hospital with a bullet wound when she is unaccompanied and convinces her to treat him and not report it to the police, which is required by law. As a result this guy becomes her "pal" and that is useful when she needs some help in the second half when nobody will help her with the starving kids because of "professional ethics" that require that doctors and nurses not speak up about the situations that they see, when such ethics can never have meant to just let two kids starve to death.

Ben Lyon seems just a little too good natured to be a criminal who routinely orders people killed. It's also very odd seeing Clark Gable as the brutal chauffeur. Warner Brothers gave him a couple of parts in 1931 - in this one and in "The Finger Points". WB completely overlooked his talent and MGM reaped the rewards from that oversight.

"There's only one guy in the world that can do a nurse any good and that's a patient with dough."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 6 August 2014]

Tough young nurse Lora (Barbara Stanwyck) is assigned as personal nurse to two children. She comes to believe they are in danger from their alcoholic mother and her brutish chauffeur Nick (Clark Gable) . When she gets no help from her superiors, she turns to Mortie (Ben Lyon), a bootlegger she treated for a gunshot wound. Wonderful Pre-Coder from director William Wellman. Stanwyck is very good in an early role. Clark Gable makes a great heavy. Sassy Joan Blondell is lots of fun. Charles Winninger, Vera Lewis, and Ralf Harolde offer fine support. Ben Lyon, largely forgotten today, does remarkably well here with actors who would go on to become screen legends. Don't miss those scenes of Stanwyck & Blondell undressing. Scenes like that are what Pre-Code film lovers live for.

Effect on Farmers

[barnesgene · 8/10 · 19 July 2007]

Remember that a great part of America was rural when this film came out. When you watch it, try to put yourself in the place of one of those folks who has come in from the farm on a Saturday night to see a moving picture at the Bijou. Whoa, Nelly! Undergarments, sexual innuendo, moral ambiguity galore! An urban environment where only the toughest survive. What must those farmers have thought of faraway New York City? Until the Code kicked in, films like these did a lot to move small-town America out of the sexually repressed dark ages. How you gonna keep them down on the farm after they've seen Paree? A revolution parallel to the release of the first jazz recordings by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. It's all been downhill from there! Oh, and is Barbara Stanwyck not the perfect vehicle for this revolution? A hard-as-nails demeanor that only comes out when it needs to, otherwise she's just an innocent looking charmer.

Barbara Stanwyck to a drunk, decadent wreck: "You...mother."

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 January 2010]

Early talkie fires off at all comers, with enough sassy language (probably very modern for 1931) and exposed shoulders and gams to please both female and male audiences. Barbara Stanwyck chances into job as trainee nurse at a city hospital, soon becoming an R.N. loaned out for private medical duty. Taking care of a sick child, Stanwyck butts heads with the little girl's drunken mother, the mother's brute of a chauffeur, and the shady doctor on the case, all of whom seem not to care about the child's waning condition. Ballsy, cynical pre-Code drama with intentionally funny asides and sharply-pointed vignettes. Director William Wellman doesn't attempt to reach great heights here; he keeps the tone of the piece grounded (it's very earthy) and uses Stanwyck's no-nonsense appeal to bolster the rest. Fourth-billed Clark Gable takes a pop at Barbara, but she's one "sister" who won't go quietly! For her fans, this is a must-see. **1/2 from ****

Fun early nonsense

[Movie_Man 500 · 1 February 2002]

Was anyone as feisty as ole Babs Stanwyck? She sunk her teeth into even her mediocre roles. Who could forget her in Stella Dallas, the ultimate old time weepy. Clark Gable as a hood/chauffeur is the voice of menace here, with Barbara, the only voice of reason. Seems as if the people she works for would rather booze it up and watch kids starve to death than give a hoot about the world. The way Stanwyck scoffs at and berates these people is priceless. If you like William Wellman movies, this one is a gas just to see how it unfolds. (Check out Yellow Sky, too, a sort of existential western, and of course his masterpiece: Public Enemy, where James Cagney gets tough with a grapefruit). A short seldom slow time frame will keep you from being too bored.

Improbable

[boboreilly-27614 · 5/10 · 24 March 2023]

The film starts out realistically as an idealistic Barbara Stanwyck learns the ropes of being a nurse. She is quickly befriended by a somewhat jaded nurse played by Joan Blondell. Ethical considerations become a main theme of the film but they're not always observed in the hospital. Joan and Barbara put in solid performances, and frankly, they do a great of exposing some beautiful flesh in this pre-code production. However, as the film goes on the plot becomes improbable. Nothing seems believable about it. The film is mostly a drama with some absorbing scenes but the specifics of the plot make very little sense.