Review of The Patient in Room 18

This movie has two directors: Bobby Connolly started the film but when he was needed to go on location in Canada for the Technicolor short, "Romance Road", Crane Wilbur took his place. Fortunately, both directors had much the same style and both entrusted actually blocking their scenes, i.e. lining up the players in attractive compositions, to their cameraman – in this case, the very competent James Van Trees. So, it's utterly impossible to tell who directed what. Not that it matters in the slightest. The movie moves reasonably fast, the players are well-versed in their customary roles – nice to see Ann Sheridan, a little more animated than usual, walking down the hospital corridors, bright and breezy as the patient's nurse, plus Cliff Clark as the inspector, Charles Trowbridge as Doctor Bahman. In fact the whole cast is not only competent, but convincing. Even Patric Knowles, more animated than usual as our bed-bound patient, delivers a pleasing performance. True, the movie has a short running time (only 58 minutes), but there are just enough thrills and mystery to keep the viewer's sharp attention – even while Miss Sheridan is not on the screen. (Available on an excellent Warner Archive DVD).