Dr. Monica

This women's movie about a selfless doctor (Kay Francis) who can't have children and her philandering husband (Warren William) was originally a brisk 65 minutes. After the censors were through with it, it was trimmed to 53 minutes.

The problem was that the husband fathers a child with an unmarried woman (Jean Muir) but remains blissfully unaware of it. Muir goes off to a country clinic to have the kid, so no one is the wiser except for Francis and her icy friend (Verree Teasdale).

Muir doesn't want the baby if she can't have the husband, but he's through with her and doesn't know about the baby anyway. He keeps going to and coming from Europe while all this plays out. Francis is about to have an operation so she can have children but is told it's futile.

Ultimately, Muir takes matters into her own hands to resolve the problem.

Francis, Muir, and Teasdale are all quite good but Warren doesn't have much to do since he's not involved in the main plot. Emma Dunn is the nurse, Phillip Reed shows up for a second, and Ann Shoemaker has one scene at a party.

It would be interesting to see what ended up on the cutting room floor.

Dr. Monica (1934)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Decent but somewhat dimwitted melodrama from Warner about a good hearted doctor (Kay Francis) who can't have children of her own but soon learns that her husband (Warren William) has been sleeping with her best friend (Jean Muir) and has also gotten her pregnant. Quite a story for a film from 1934 but sadly this thing only runs 53-minutes and apparently it had around fifteen-minutes cut out of it either before or during its original release. I'm not certain if the uncut version will ever show up but I was surprised to see how much was left intact from the cheating husband, a non-married pregnant woman and there's even a quick mention about an abortion. I have a hard time really judging this film since so much of it was cut out and perhaps some of the issues I had with it were better served in the uncut version. With that said, the biggest problem I had was how stupid the characters were. I'm not going to give away any of the major plot points but I will say that I found the two female characters to be incredibly silly. This is especially true of the "friend" as I found her so annoying that I couldn't connect with her story. The wife/doctor was so forgiving that I had a hard time caring for her either. The film does feature three good performances from the leads as all of them fit their roles nicely. The performances certainly help the weak material overcome some of its issues but DR. MONICA doesn't quite reach the level it should. Still, fans of pre-code films should want to check this one out even in its cut form.

If approached with a certain attitude about Kay Francis soaps, this can be great fun--who, in the year 2024, could possibly take this film seriously? Instead, enjoy the ways Kay and Warren attempt to skirt around the real issue of the film, i.e. A philandering husband and a pregnancy presenting itself from someone other than his wife! No one in films can suffer quite as easily and nobly as Our Kay, and when she gets that certain look, you know she accepts her fate with perfect equanimity. And if you don't like the plot, count the number of outrageously stylish outfits Our Star Parades with perfect assurance and her distinctive brand of Warner's charm.

Dr. Monica (Kay Francis) is a successful Obstetrician and is really, really wrapped up in her job--so much so that when her husband, John (Warren William), goes off to Europe on business for several months, Monica stays home. It's obvious that there are problems in this relationship but Monica doesn't know how deep they are, as John has been having an affair with Mary (Jean Muir)! When Mary ends up pregnant, Monica treats her friend wonderfully...not realizing that Mary is a back-stabbing tramp. But, when Monica finally learns the truth, Mary is in labor and Monica is forced to deliver the baby. However, although Monica is hurt and angry, she's also saint-like and eventually plans to let John go so that he can wed Mary. However, Mary and her friends realize that John really does love Monica and her plan cannot be allowed to occur. So what will they do instead? Yep, leave the baby with Monica, kill yourself so you won't be the one to break up the marriage AND have Monica NEVER tell John the baby is biologically his!!!

This was one of the last Pre-Code films released by Hollywood. It debuted in June, 1934 and the new, tougher code went into effect the following month. As a result, the film was soon pulled from circulation and not re-shown for some time due to its plot. Adultery was NOT to be allowed in films unless it was severely punished and Monica and John's 'modern' sense of morality was definitely NOT allowed Post-Code. For me, however, it's not the morality of the film that's a major issue but the utter ridiculous way that Monica behaves. She is just too understanding, too nice and too unreal. I would have loved to have seen her enraged or downright hostile...instead she's too good and sweet to be real. And, the ending, while satisfying in a Hollywood way, is also completely ridiculous. A real disappointment.

Don't faint, but I actually liked Kay Francis in Dr. Monica. Usually I'm her biggest critic, but she did a good job in this entertaining drama. I found her much more believable as a career woman than as a mother, her usual role. She always seemed very self-absorbed to me, a quality that lends itself much more to a high rung on the ladder than a seat in the nursery. In this movie, she's a dedicated obstetrician with a supportive husband, Warren William, who also has his own career. They seem to have a perfect marriage and all their friends envy them.

All except one, Jean Muir. Jean is having an affair with Warren behind Kay's back. If you look the movie up online, you'll get major spoiler alerts as to the rest of the plot. I wouldn't recommend it; just watch the movie and let it unfold naturally. It's a very interesting story with a timeless struggle between the characters. And don't be surprised if you get a lump in your throat at the end. You'll also see Ann Shoemaker and Verree Teasdale in the supporting cast, and Louise Beavers in a small role as Jean's maid.