Dark Delusion

This is mainly the story of a doctor in his efforts to help his patient, Cynthia.The reasons why he do this are unclear, and this is what the movie is all about. Also, the telephone scene with Mr. Selkirk and Dr. Lee is just hilarious. The story is important, too, because it points out how a serious illness can be misdiagnosed -although things have changed a lot since 1947, it could still happen.

The final film of the gang at Blair General Hospital takes place with Dr. Gillespie having a new protégé in James Craig who is a brilliant guy, but who already has the bedside manner of Lionel Barrymore in Dutch Uncle mode. Craig's stepped on the toes of a few patients and Barrymore's solution is to send him on an 8 week vacation to the country where he can take over Dr. Art Baker's practice temporarily.

It doesn't take long for Craig to get in hot water in the country. The daughter of the town's wealthiest citizen Lester Matthews has been behaving erratically. Matthews wants to have her committed and he has his own physician Henry Stephenson ready, but it takes two doctors to commit and Craig does not think that Lucille Bremer belongs in an asylum.

Craig takes a very big chance with this case, enough to get him tossed out of the profession it he's wrong. He's got another crisis as well this one involving young married couple Warner Anderson and Jayne Meadows adopting a baby. Apparently the law requires a physical examination on the grounds of an adopted baby should have two healthy parents officially confirmed that way. Anderson is under the belief he has a heart condition for reasons never told by the film and he won't get a checkup. That one gets farmed out to Keye Luke.

The Blair General Hospital group may have ended its cinematic run on the big screen. But in the early 60s it was revived on television most memorably with Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey playing Gillespie without a wheelchair.

One comment I do have to say. Some kind of purple heart should go out to Nell Craig who played Nurse Parker who was Gillespie's personal nurse. The abuse that woman took from that man. She must have held him in great personal and professional esteem. I would have walked off that job in a New York minute.

The Kildare/Gillespie films were products of MGM's B picture unit. But even with that they had a certain MGM class to them. Dark Delusion was a fine one for the series to end with.

A doctor searches the causes of a young woman's mental illness to avoid her father's wish to intern her. This mystery is competently played by James Craig and Lucille Bremer, with Craig's delicate attention in discovering her problems. But there are unfortunately many comic scenes that ruin the rhythm. A very modest B movie, I don't know any title of the director Willis Goldbeck, who is better known as a screenwriter for "Freaks", "the Man who shot Liberty Valance" and lot of Dr Kildare.

"Dark Delusion" was the final film in the Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie series. Most likely it was because it lost a LOT of money and the studio realized it was time to call the series quits. Amazingly enough, it's actually a good film...a worthy installment in the series. So why was it a failure? I assume folks just got tired of the films and even with a good film, the series had just petered out.

Dr. Tommy Coalt (James Craig) is a very competent doctor, though his manner is a bit abrasive. So, Dr. Gillespie thinks the young doctor could benefit from a change of pace...something to help improve his people skills. So, Dr. Coalt is sent to fill in for a general practicioner in another town...and, not surprisingly, there end up being some serious problems. In particular, a rich man is trying to have his daughter institutionalized because she's assume to be insane...but Dr. Coalt won't sign off on this commitment. Another problem, and a much more minor one involves a man needing a medical certificate in order to adopt a baby...but, oddly, the man keeps putting off getting a physical!

This certainly is NOT a dull film. While some of the psychological aspects of the story are out of date, the notion of a doctor NOT wanting to just institutionalize someone is a good thing as back in the day such commitments were overused. Overall, a decent installment in the series...and one unfairly hated when it was released.

The Dr. Kildare series, which morphed into the Dr. Gillespie series, has its last episode with "Dark Delusions."

Filmed in 1947, it also stars James Craig as Dr. Coalt. Coalt is a brilliant doctor but a little too aggressive for a doctor starting out -- translation: he's in trouble with the upper crust.

Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) sends Coalt to replace Dr. Art Baker in the country temporarily. There, his strong-mindedness and little regard for big monied people gets him embroiled in another tough case.

The father of a young woman, Lester Matthews, wants to have his daughter (Lucille Bremer) committed, but Dr. Coalt won't sign the papers. He believes that her problem can be cured and sets out to gain the young woman's confidence and help her, despite opposition.

A secondary plot concerns parents (Jayne Meadows and Warner Anderson) of a baby about to be adopted by them. In order to finalize the adoption, both parents have to pass a physical.

The mother has her physical, but her husband keeps finding excuses not to have one. It's up to Keye Luke to get to the bottom of the problem.

Good episode, but of the Ayres replacements, Craig was probably the most boring. The combo of Van Johnson and Keye Luke was the liveliest. I've never been a big fan of Van Johnson's, but he certainly brought lightness and charm to the proceedings.

Good, glossy series in the MGM tradition.