The Citadel (1938)

Adaptation of the 1937 A. J. Cronin novel of the same name that had an influence on the establishment of Britain's National Health Service. The film stars Robert Donat (a year before achieving cinematic immortality in the title role of Goodbye Mr. Chips) as Dr. Andrew Manson, a Scottish born recent med school graduate taking his first position in a small Welsh coal mining town. While there he brings a still born baby back to life (that part didn't work for me), befriends an alcoholic pharmacy assistant (Ralph Richardson) with whom he blows up a contaminated sewer, and falls in love with the local school teacher (Rosland Russell). The movie follows Dr. Manson's career as he and his new wife leave the small town to work in a medical co-op for a miners, then to a struggling London practice, and then to get success caring for London's rich and powerful. Along the way the earnest, idealistic young doctor finds himself worn to a soft cynicism by early middle age, and it will take tragedy to bring him back to his crusading idealistic ways. The cast here is strong, including Rex Harrison in a small role as one of Manson's med school colleagues. This is a film I'd wanted to see for some time and I found it satisfied my fairly high expectations. Donat is really good at this kind of sympathetic role and I found Russell to be very good in a sympathetic role as well, and of course Richardson can really chew the scenery. Directed by King Vidor. ***1/2