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The Doctor Takes a Wife

  • 19401940
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
956
YOUR RATING
Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
ComedyMusicRomance
A best-selling author of women's issues and a medical academic find it is to their mutual advantage to falsely claim that they are married.A best-selling author of women's issues and a medical academic find it is to their mutual advantage to falsely claim that they are married.A best-selling author of women's issues and a medical academic find it is to their mutual advantage to falsely claim that they are married.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
956
YOUR RATING
    • Alexander Hall
    • George Seaton(screen play)
    • Ken Englund(screen play)
    • Aleen Leslie(story)
  • Stars
    • Loretta Young
    • Ray Milland
    • Reginald Gardiner
    • Alexander Hall
    • George Seaton(screen play)
    • Ken Englund(screen play)
    • Aleen Leslie(story)
  • Stars
    • Loretta Young
    • Ray Milland
    • Reginald Gardiner
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 20User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

    Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Reginald Gardiner in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
    Ray Milland and Loretta Young in The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Loretta Young
    Loretta Young
    • June Cameron
    Ray Milland
    Ray Milland
    • Dr. Timothy Sterling
    Reginald Gardiner
    Reginald Gardiner
    • John Pierce
    Gail Patrick
    Gail Patrick
    • Marilyn Thomas
    Edmund Gwenn
    Edmund Gwenn
    • Dr. Lionel Sterling
    Frank Sully
    Frank Sully
    • Slapcovitch
    Gordon Jones
    Gordon Jones
    • O'Brien
    Georges Metaxa
    Georges Metaxa
    • Jean Rovere
    Charles Halton
    Charles Halton
    • Dr. Streeter
    Joseph Eggenton
    • Dr. Nielson
    Paul McAllister
    • Dean Lawton
    Chester Clute
    Chester Clute
    • Johnson
    Hal K. Dawson
    • Charlie
    Edward Van Sloan
    Edward Van Sloan
    • Burkhardt
    Helen Ainsworth
    Helen Ainsworth
    • Amazon in Book Store
    • (uncredited)
    Erville Alderson
    Erville Alderson
    • Harrison - Printer
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Appleby
    Dorothy Appleby
    • Woman in Book Store
    • (uncredited)
    Gertrude Astor
    Gertrude Astor
    • Extra
    • (uncredited)
      • Alexander Hall
      • George Seaton(screen play)
      • Ken Englund(screen play)
      • Aleen Leslie(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was meant to star Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.
    • Goofs
      When Tim is passed out drunk on June's bed, the hair on his forehead disappears and then reappears between shots.
    • Quotes

      June Cameron: Look, Johnny. I don't know anything about marriage.

      John R. Pierce: Oh, what's that got to do with it? Dante didn't have to go to hell to write his "Inferno."

    • Crazy credits
      Credits are written in chalk on the sidewalk as pedestrians walk over them.
    • Connections
      Referenced in 1941 (1979)
    • Soundtracks
      Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)
      (1850) (uncredited)

      from "Lohengrin"

      Written by Richard Wagner

      Played for a church wedding in Greenwich, Connecticut

      Later sung by an unidentifed singing telegram boy quartet with modified lyrics

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Catching romance
    While not being crazy about the title, and the story didn't sound overly special being not an awful lot different from other comedies at the time there were still enough interest points to make me want to see 'The Doctor Takes a Wife'. Loretta Young was always very well suited to this type of film, Edmund Gwenn was always watchable and it was interesting to see Ray Milland in a comedic role, being more familiar with him in drama (i.e. 'The Lost Weekend', 'Dial M for Murder').

    Fortunately, 'The Doctor Takes a Wife' turned out to be very enjoyable. Nothing original or exceptional, but good fun all the same once you get past a beginning that makes one conflicted whether to switch off or not. Young shows why this type of role suited well and Milland works remarkably well in comedy. Despite things that could have been done better, 'My Doctor Takes a Wife' has a lot to recommend and generally doesn't deserve to be as overlooked as it has been.

    To me, and a few others it seems, 'The Doctor Takes a Wife' doesn't start off particularly promisingly. Found it too busy and noisy, at times too in need of a tightening. And Young's character is not likeable at all and is quite irritating actually to begin with, while she does become much more tolerable as the film progresses it takes time to get there.

    Not unexpectedly, the story is very silly and some situations are unlikely and a bit overdone.

    However, there is so much to like about 'The Doctor Takes a Wife'. A big selling point being the cast. Milland shows a surprising deftness for comedy, with wonderfully varied and amusing expressions that never came over as forced or artificial. Young is very charming and with sparkling comic timing as her character becomes easier to root for, and does her best when the character was problematic. Gwenn is always endearing, while Gail Patrick is cute and amusing and Reginald Gardiner is very funny without going over the top or mugging. Despite having different acting styles, Milland and Young have great chemistry together.

    Alexander Hall directs with a sure, adept hand, showing ease and engagement with the material once getting past the first portion of the film. A lot of the dialogue is both acidly witty and at times surprisingly sophisticated and the slapstick didn't feel over-engineered or repetitive. The pace generally is lively and the production values are slick and elegant.

    Summarising, good fun if nothing outstanding. 7/10
    helpful•2
    1
    • TheLittleSongbird
    • Mar 26, 2020

    FAQ1

    • Why is the PCA certificate number listed as 6039 when onscreen it is clearly 3052?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 18, 1940 (Mexico)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 28 minutes
      • Black and White

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