The Girl in White

Based on the memoirs of her character Ann Dunning Barringer, June Allyson gets to play a woman doctor at a time when there weren't too many. The time of the turn of the last century is captured very well.

Her own role model is that of Mildred Dunnock also a physician of the female gender who has had to be most discreet in order to earn a living in the medical profession. Allyson is not about discretion.

In fact as Allyson becomes a hero to the nurses in and around 1900 it wasn't that long ago that Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton opened the nursing profession for women. For them Allyson is dreaming the impossible dream.

The men in her life include Arthur Kennedy whom she breaks things off with because he a doctor wants his woman home with supper on the table and her supervisor Gary Merrill who also thinks there are men doctors and women nurses and the twain shall not meet. A man who believes in specific gender roles.

The Girl In White has a fine ensemble cast who give great support to Allyson who must have been grateful to get away from girl next door roles.

Emily Dunning was a determined young woman when she decided to go into the medical field. What attracted her to this area of science was a role model she met during a family crisis involving her mother at their arrival in New York. When the mother collapsed, she goes out trying to get help, but there are no physicians in the neighborhood, except the kind Dr. Yeomans, a woman doctor, who not only treats her mother, but is instrumental in inspiring young Emily to follow in her foot steps.

This story takes place at the end of the XIX century, when women were a rarity in pursuing a medical career. The determined Emily Dunning enters Cornell, where she is the only female in the class. All the male students realize she is in because the love of medicine, but they are not too kind to her. The handsome Ben Barringer is the only one that seems taken by Emily.

When Emily is ready for her internship, she is accepted by a New York hospital. The head of the department makes it clear about his feelings toward a woman in the hospital and gives her the worst assignments. Dr. Dunning accepts what's given to her until she proves herself to be an asset to the institution that has been unkind to her. After an outbreak of typhoid fever, Dr. Yeomans comes to the hospital to help and the two women are reunited. Dr. Barringer confesses his love for Emily as he is leaving for Paris on a research trip.

This biopic was presented recently by TCM. The movie, rarely seen these days, should be seen more often because director John Sturges' inspired take on the life of a woman who overcame all odds against her. June Allyson plays Emily Dunning with her usual spunk, given the subject matter a great reading. Arthur Kennedy also did an excellent job as Ben Barringer. Gary Merrill, Mildred Dunnock are seen in supporting roles.

I loved this movie so much. I watched when I was 21 and now I'm 22 going on to 23 and I think this movie is great. We are in the year 2005 and I can honestly tell you that women will love this movie and not only women but men as well. The male lead in this movie has such dignity and is so respectable that he elevates the status of men, not making them out and men appear these days on film to be after a women only for there looks. He looks just like Kiefer Sutherland, and since I didn't know his name I called him the Kiefer look alike when I described the story to my sister. He is ambitious, smart just like the leading lady who is the wonderful June Allyson. I was bored one day and I turned on TCM and this movie started in black and white, and I don't like black and white films. The story of this film is great. It starts off with June "Emily" and her mother moving to a new town and her mother falls ill or is pregnant and asks her daughter to find a doctor. Emily hunts for a doctor and finds the doctors apartment, upon entering she meets a woman and inquires where the doctor is. The woman declares herself to be the doctor "Dr Marie". Emily is hesitant about sending this woman to heal her mother for she has the same prejudice that a lot had back in those days about women being doctors. Nevertheless Dr Marie attends to her mother and after he mother is better. Emily gains the utmost respect for her and the story continues on to Emily becomes Dr Maries assistant and then goes to Medical school where she is the only woman there. The story is triumphant of how she finds love with another doctor who is probably one of the best male characters I've ever seen, and how she overcomes obstacles to be a great doctor, and on top of that she is a woman doctor. Its great acting and for me who wasn't caught up in the hype of MGM stars and I don't care what happened back then, for me to fall in love with this film and relate to it is great personally. So I recommend you all to watch it. Don't be turned off by the fact that it is black and white like I was initially and let yourself be inspired.

I loved this movie. June A. gives a great performance of the underdog female fighting for her dream despite the obstructive male bastion of turn of the century medicine. I was especially moved by the wonderful actress who played Dr. Yoman. She performed the role with a demure yet powerful presence. She is also one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen on film. It is she who carries the day for June and all her gender. Sadly, I never heard of her before. I hope to find other work she has done through IMDb. What else made this film? No raw sex, no violence, no gruesome scenes, just a great story that makes you feel good in the end.Wasn't a young James Arness fine as the burley tattooed sailor with the dislocated shoulder? Mothers: show this film to your daughters.

The Girl in White might be seen as a feminist drama by some. It concerns a woman at the turn of the century who wants to become a doctor (June Allyson) who faced adversity when the men around her try to squash her dreams. She prevails and wins their respect including that of the man who wants to marry her (Arthur Kennedy). The reason this movie works is that the message isn't pushed upon the audience the way it would be if the film were remade today. It is somewhat inspirational, but mostly it just tells a story.

Allyson is great as always and very sweet. A line from the movie describes her well, "You just make people feel good so that they forget themselves, their own troubles. Sometimes that means more than any medicine." The man who speaks the lines, Kennedy, is excellent in this film. He has mastered the art of showing emotions without verbally referencing them first.