Dr. Monica

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.

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.

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.

I'm in agreement with the reviewer who said that The Code probably ruined this film. As it is it's the kind of hgh gloss soap opera that used to be referred to as women's pictures.

Kay Francis is in the title role and she's a most successful doctor, an obstetrician who delivers the world's babies but has none of her own. Not that her husband Warren William isn't generous. In fact he's impregnated Amelia Earhart like aviatrix Jean Muir. and it's Francis who gets to deliver the child and learn at the same time who the father is.

The presence of the infant girl makes the whole thing an impossible situation. One of them is going to have to realize that her duty is clear.

Verree Teasdale who is friend to all is keeper of the secrets. Her's is the only other role of consequence in Dr. Monica.

The four principles are fine although William's part is somewhat submerged with the trio of actresses. I wonder if Dr. Monica were made today with the Code gone how the drama would resolve itself.

Some strong similarities between Dr. Monica and the Katharine Hepburn classic done at RKO, Christopher Strong.

...by pressuring Warner Brothers to cut this film so badly. He referred to the three main female characters as "a lesbian, a nymphomaniac, and a prostitute". I find this very confusing. None of the women in this film are wearing trousers (I'm not casting stereotypes here - see The Office Wife for reference), nor are any of the women committed to more than one man - in fact two of them love the same man, and none of them seem to be doing "the deed" for money. I can only imagine that whenever he was confronted with images on film of an unconventional nature, that the top of old Joe's head came off and he started spouting nonsense. But I digress.

At a short 53 minutes this is a film about Dr. Monica Braden (Kay Francis), a woman who delivers babies for a living but is physically unable to have her own and desperately wants to, her husband John (Warren William) who has a short affair with an acquaintance (Jean Muir) but ends it when he realizes he really loves Monica, with a healthy dose of friendship thrown in for Monica in the person of Teasdale's character. Dr. Monica becomes the physician of the girl having her husband's baby not knowing the situation. Complications ensue.

The cutting on this film is so stark that you can actually see where the abortion would have been discussed. Jean Muir's character has just learned her condition, starts to say something - never does, and then the film cuts to Dr. Monica telling her sternly "don't even think that! Ever!". Plus, Warren William is practically neutered in this film. If you're familiar with his work, you know Warren William usually was the fast-talking cad in a multitude of Warner precodes who was second fiddle to none. Unfortunately, here he is barely fourth fiddle.

If I seem like I'm being hard on this film it's mainly the screenplay to which I object. Both Muir and Francis are natural, strong, and vulnerable in their roles depending upon what is needed in any given scene. Teasdale doesn't get to do much, but she adds a level head to a situation that desperately needs one. As with all of Kay's WB films this one boasts a lovely score and has a few wonderful seemingly untouched scenes, such as the one where Dr. Braden and her husband are enjoying a sunset together at the end of their vacation - she understands the significance of the occasion (a last time together, as she wants to step aside so John can be a father to his child), he does not (He doesn't even know he's a father).

Recommended for hard core fans of Francis, but do be prepared to feel like you've been rushed through an incomplete story, because you have been.