Tonight's Movie: Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

DR. KILDARE'S WEDDING DAY (1941) is the eighth of the nine films which are part of the Warner Archive's Dr. Kildare Movie Collection.

The title wedding, of course, is the long-postponed marriage of Dr. Jimmy Kildare (Lew Ayres) with sweet Nurse Mary Lamont (Laraine Day). At last, they're finally going to tie the knot!

This film has a somewhat infamous reputation as a big "weeper" in the series, and it does live up to that. Although the movie is okay for the most part, just knowing it was going to be sad interfered with my enjoyment, and a series fan can't help ultimately being disappointed.

While Dr. Kildare's love life is front and center, Dr. Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) is diagnosing a conductor (Nils Asther) with a hearing problem. Meanwhile Gillespie's own health issues become more serious, prompting him to spent some time resting in a sanitarium while Dr. Lockberg (Miles Mander) furthur studies his case.

Regular cast members who appear in this film include Alma Kruger, Samuel S. Hinds, Emma Dunn, Red Skelton, Walter Kingsford, Nell Craig, Frank Orth, Marie Blake, George Reed, Gladys Blake, Pierre Watkin, Gus Schilling, and Eddie Acuff. I suspect the KILDARE films had more recurring cast members than any other movie series!

The supporting cast also includes Fay McKenzie, Connie Gilchrist, Halliwell Hobbes, Ann Doran, and Robert Emmett Keane.

The movie was directed by the series' longstanding director, Harold S. Bucquet, and it was filmed by George Folsey.

Previously reviewed films also available in the Warner Archive's Dr. Kildare Movie Collection: YOUNG DR. KILDARE (1938), 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), and THE PEOPLE VS. DR. KILDARE (1941).

There's just one Dr. Kildare film left for both Lew Ayres and this set, and then it will be time to turn our attention to the six-film Dr. Gillespie Movie Collection!

DR. KILDARE'S WEDDING DAY, like the other films in the set, is a good print. The disc includes the trailer.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD collection. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection at the WBShop. Please note that the initial sets of this series sold at the WB Shop site are traditionally replicated (pressed) rather than burned on demand.