Bebe Daniels was a very interesting Hollywood star. In her early days, during the 1910s and into the 1920s, she was frequently employed in comedy shorts...most often with Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard. These were light but enjoyable films. However, in the later 20s and into the sound era, suddenly she reinvented herself and became a starring lady in a variety of dramas, such as "Registered Nurse".
When the story begins, Sylvia and her husband are having an argument. Unexpectedly, he then deliberately drives their car into a tree...nearly killing her.
The film then jumps ahead and Sylvia is going back to work as a nurse at a hospital. Of all the nurses, she is the best...nearly perfect and beloved by the patients and staff. In fact, a couple doctors are very interested in her and eventually she has to tell them the truth...that she's still married and her husband is in an asylum for the mentally ill! However, late in the story, it looks like one of her admirers might be able to operate on the husband and make him normal once again....and then the unexpected happens.
The film came out just a few months before the new Production Code came into effect. Because of this, much of the plot simply would not have been allowed in a film released after July, 1934. For example, the film has a character named 'Sonnevich' (yes, it sounds almost exactly like you think), the film seems to advocate suicide and there are a lot of VERY colorful moments that simply never would have been in a post-Code movie.
So is it any good? Yes. And, it offers a most unusual combination of comedy AND drama! While the movie isn't perfect and is a tad predictable, it is exciting and Sidney Toler's part in the film is simply unbelievable! See it...and see what I mean.
