You'd need degrees in disciplines other than mine to figure out why a natural and gifted surgeon would yearn to throw away his scalpel and spend his days sitting behind a mule and a plough just as he himself could use a degree in Common Sense which may have prevented him making some of the choices he did make. Consider the plot: Karl (Richard Barthelmess) and Stephan (Norman Foster) Brenner enter medical school together. Though they have the same name Karl has been adopted by Martha Brenner (Lucille La Verne) and raised with Stephan and his sister Lotti (Marian Marsh). Karl wants nothing more than to remain on the farm and marry Lotti but enrols in med school anyway. He is clearly a 'born' doctor and a diligent student whereas Stephan prefers a more playboy lifestyle. Shortly before graduation Stephan appears in Karl's rooms and confesses he has operated illegally on a girlfriend who became ill. He begs Karl to sort out the mess. Karl (see what I mean about Common Sense) agrees, does what he can but is too late to save the girl. When a real doctor turns up Karl takes the rap for Stephan, sticks to his story in court, doesn't get to graduate and serves four years hard time in the slammer. Four years pass; Stephan has his shingle on the door of the old homestead but his patients are dropping like flies due to his incompetence and alcoholism. He drinks himself to death shortly before Karl gets out of the slammer. Karl has been back all of five minutes when an automobile wraps itself around a tree in the yard. A young girl is badly injured. Her father sees the shingle and assumes that Karl is Stephan i.e. a licensed physician. Martha and Lotti prevail on Karl to operate against his better judgment (Common Sense anyone). He does so and the girl recovers. The father has meanwhile sent for his own physician, a big cheese in Vienna. The guy arrives, examines the patient, also assumes Karl is Stephan, congratulates him and asks where and with what equipment he operated. Why, right here, replies Karl, I didn't have much in the way of tools but I did have a Swiss Army Knife with a thing for taking stones out of horse's hooves. You're the Man, say the kosher doctor, come with me to Vienna and I'll make you a star. Here we may like to consider that it's only four years since Karl's picture was all over the National Press and soon it is again, this time as Stephan Brenner, when he performs miracle after miracle. Finally he calls time, proposes to Lotti and says he's coming back to the plough; Martha blows the whistle in a letter to the medical Board, changes her mind, is unable to retrieve it and has a stroke. As he is about to operate the Board cancel the surgery. Ya gotta let me save my ma, he cries passionately. They relent, he does, and the last shot is of one happy bunny ploughing the ass out of that bottom land. This was an early talkie and everyone acts accordingly, hamming it up in a way that would put even Jolie to shame. On the other hand it's an early example of Michael Curtiz' work (with uncredited help from Lloyd Bacon) behind the camera and has definite curio value.
9 Reviews
The Plow and the Scalpel
wes-connors30 November 2014
He's happiest while manning the plow on his Austrian farm, but brilliant student Richard Barthelmess (as Karl Brenner) goes to medical school in Munich. A naturally gifted surgeon, Mr. Barthelmess is named valedictorian of his graduating class. Unfortunately, a tragedy occurs just before Barthelmess graduates. He takes the rap for his irresponsible foster brother Norman Foster (as Stephan Brenner) after the latter gets drunk and botches an operation on a female companion. Barthelmess is later mistaken for his brother and takes his place as country doctor, after a freaky accident threatens the life of a young boy. Upon saving the kid's life, Barthelmess is offered a big job in the city. However, he must pretend to be his foster brother, which is not legal...
The long shots introducing Barthelmess' character, by director Michael Curtiz (or, possibly, Lloyd Bacon) and photographer Lee Garmes get this off to an artful start. Later, set work by Anton Grot keeps it looking good. In college, Barthelmess and foster brother Foster are amusing, with the latter successfully impersonating a perpetually partying student. We do wonder, however, how Foster was able to obtain a medical license. Raised like they were brother and sister, Barthelmess and foster sister Marian Marsh (as Lotti) are ill-suited young lovers. Veteran Lucille La Verne makes the most of the mother role. And, Nigel de Brulier is mystifying but terrific as a silent, menacing autopsy surgeon. Alas, as a story, "Alias the Doctor" is not very convincing.
***** Alias the Doctor (2/25/32) Michael Curtiz ~ Richard Barthelmess, Marian Marsh, Norman Foster, Lucille La Verne
The long shots introducing Barthelmess' character, by director Michael Curtiz (or, possibly, Lloyd Bacon) and photographer Lee Garmes get this off to an artful start. Later, set work by Anton Grot keeps it looking good. In college, Barthelmess and foster brother Foster are amusing, with the latter successfully impersonating a perpetually partying student. We do wonder, however, how Foster was able to obtain a medical license. Raised like they were brother and sister, Barthelmess and foster sister Marian Marsh (as Lotti) are ill-suited young lovers. Veteran Lucille La Verne makes the most of the mother role. And, Nigel de Brulier is mystifying but terrific as a silent, menacing autopsy surgeon. Alas, as a story, "Alias the Doctor" is not very convincing.
***** Alias the Doctor (2/25/32) Michael Curtiz ~ Richard Barthelmess, Marian Marsh, Norman Foster, Lucille La Verne
Tough to believe....but very well made.
planktonrules26 June 2022
The plot to "Alias the Doctor" is incredibly hard to believe...so it's important you try to suspend your sense of disbelief and just watch the film. If you do so, you'll probably enjoy the movie very much.
Karl (Richard Barthelmess) was adopted by a nice family long ago. But there is someone in the family who is a jerk--Karl's step-brother, Stephan...though Karl inexplicably loves him. The pair go off to medical school and while Karl is at the head of his class, Stephan is more interested in drinking, partying and chasing women...though he somehow manages to pass enough courses to be able to graduate along with Karl.
Ultimately, Stephan's extracurricular behavior leads to disaster. One night, just before graduation, he comes to tell Karl that he was drunk and attacked his girlfriend....injuring her badly. But instead of taking her to the hospital, he operates on her in her apartment!! Now, not surprisingly, she's getting worse and with a bad fever....and Karl goes to try to help.
The girl dies and here is where the film gets a bit stupid. Instead of letting Stephen take his medicine and go to jail, Karl says HE was the one who operated on her and he's sent to prison!! Now I understand Karl has a strong sense of family and obligation to his adopted folks, but this is ridiculous...especially since Stephen ends up drinking himself to death soon after Karl is sent to prison.
Some time passes. Karl returns home and there is an accident outside their home. A child is dying and Karl cannot help but operate on the boy...and saves the boy's life through his great skills. A famous and important doctor arrives later to check on the boy and he's so impressed by Karl's skill, he invites him to work with him...not realizing Karl is not really a doctor. Karl's mother instructs him NOT to tell...and use Stephan's identity to practice medicine.
More years pass.... Karl/Stephen is a brilliant and world famous surgeon. It's odd no one has recognized he's an imposter, isn't it?! He also has a problem with his step-sister. It seems she's fallen for Karl and wants to marry him but since Stephan and Lotti are biological siblings, marry the fake Stephen is out of the question! What's next? See the film. Rest assured...it's quite the soap opera...and things get crazier!!!
While the acting is very good and the story very interesting, it certainly does push the boundaries of common sense! Again...you CAN'T think too much about the plot...just accept it as it is. And, if you can do that, it's a very good and interesting film.
I think the film might have been better had they done two different things. First, Stephen SHOULD have operated on his girlfriend while trying to do an abortion...it would have made more sense. But apparently, even though it is a pre-code film, the studio was reticent to go there. Second, Stephen should have insisted to the police that Karl did it...instead of Karl taking the credit for the botched operation. Then Karl would go to prison after being set up by the brother. It just was tough to believe otherwise.
Overall, it's a very good film with some lovely acting....and a plot that is just hard to believe.
Karl (Richard Barthelmess) was adopted by a nice family long ago. But there is someone in the family who is a jerk--Karl's step-brother, Stephan...though Karl inexplicably loves him. The pair go off to medical school and while Karl is at the head of his class, Stephan is more interested in drinking, partying and chasing women...though he somehow manages to pass enough courses to be able to graduate along with Karl.
Ultimately, Stephan's extracurricular behavior leads to disaster. One night, just before graduation, he comes to tell Karl that he was drunk and attacked his girlfriend....injuring her badly. But instead of taking her to the hospital, he operates on her in her apartment!! Now, not surprisingly, she's getting worse and with a bad fever....and Karl goes to try to help.
The girl dies and here is where the film gets a bit stupid. Instead of letting Stephen take his medicine and go to jail, Karl says HE was the one who operated on her and he's sent to prison!! Now I understand Karl has a strong sense of family and obligation to his adopted folks, but this is ridiculous...especially since Stephen ends up drinking himself to death soon after Karl is sent to prison.
Some time passes. Karl returns home and there is an accident outside their home. A child is dying and Karl cannot help but operate on the boy...and saves the boy's life through his great skills. A famous and important doctor arrives later to check on the boy and he's so impressed by Karl's skill, he invites him to work with him...not realizing Karl is not really a doctor. Karl's mother instructs him NOT to tell...and use Stephan's identity to practice medicine.
More years pass.... Karl/Stephen is a brilliant and world famous surgeon. It's odd no one has recognized he's an imposter, isn't it?! He also has a problem with his step-sister. It seems she's fallen for Karl and wants to marry him but since Stephan and Lotti are biological siblings, marry the fake Stephen is out of the question! What's next? See the film. Rest assured...it's quite the soap opera...and things get crazier!!!
While the acting is very good and the story very interesting, it certainly does push the boundaries of common sense! Again...you CAN'T think too much about the plot...just accept it as it is. And, if you can do that, it's a very good and interesting film.
I think the film might have been better had they done two different things. First, Stephen SHOULD have operated on his girlfriend while trying to do an abortion...it would have made more sense. But apparently, even though it is a pre-code film, the studio was reticent to go there. Second, Stephen should have insisted to the police that Karl did it...instead of Karl taking the credit for the botched operation. Then Karl would go to prison after being set up by the brother. It just was tough to believe otherwise.
Overall, it's a very good film with some lovely acting....and a plot that is just hard to believe.
Magnificent obsession
dbdumonteil7 September 2009
They don't do melodramas such as this one anymore.Had Sirk seen it in the fifties,he would perhaps have thought of a remake .There's everything in this short movie (hardly more than an hour):two brothers,both students, one of them studying day after day to get his diploma,the other one wasting his time with alcohol and semi-whores .Both come from the country,but only the "bad" boy is the true son of the peasant mother who dreams of a better life for her son(s).All that follows is melodrama ,only melodrama and nothing but melodrama:the good boy unfairly thrown into jail ,imposture (but do not panic ,for good reasons)the good doctor who cures the poor for peanuts and charges the wealthy outrageously ,who is a saint in a hospital ,but who's got secrets to conceal.The only ambiguous character is the mother:does she urge his son to take his brother's name for the sake of suffering humanity or for personal ambition? Probably both.
Best scene:Barthelmess ,screaming in front of the medical board :" let me operate her!She's my mother! don't be inhuman! I'm the only one she puts her trust in!".If you hold back your tears ,you do not like melodramas.I do love them.Michael Curtiz wanted to be John M.Stahl and he pulled it off brilliantly.
Best scene:Barthelmess ,screaming in front of the medical board :" let me operate her!She's my mother! don't be inhuman! I'm the only one she puts her trust in!".If you hold back your tears ,you do not like melodramas.I do love them.Michael Curtiz wanted to be John M.Stahl and he pulled it off brilliantly.
living with the decisions we make
ksf-21 July 2022
Richard barthelmess and norman foster are the brenner brothers. Karl is hard working, successful med student, while stephan is a loafer, and doesn't take things seriously. When stephan injures his girlfriend, and performs a procedure, karl takes the blame. Bad things happen, good things happen. More bad decisions. Not sure exactly what the lesson here is... karl keeps making wrong decisions, and has to live with those bad choices. According to the trivia section, there was more risque material (for the time period) in the original story, some of which was removed from the finished script. I get the idea that so much was removed, that the remaining story isn't as cohesive as it might have been. It's okay, but i feel like they ran out of film, or money, or time.. it ends so abruptly. We get a quick glimpse of how things turn out for karl, but we skipped a lot of steps to get there. Directed by michael curtiz. Based on the play by imre foldes. Imdb also shows uncredited direction by lloyd bacon; multiple directors could have added to the strange ending.
Doctor Implausible and the Suspension of Disbelief (Now There's a Band Name)
mmallon421 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Had Alias The Doctor been made in the 1950's it could likely have been directed by Douglas Sirk with its implausible melodramatic madness. When watching the film for the first time I was unaware of just how improbable the plot was going to be and after several "oh come on!" moments I realised this was a film in which I had to embrace the lack of plausibility rather than fight against it.
A car just happens to crash outside the house of Karl Brenner (Richard Barthelmess) on the night in which he comes home for the first time since being released from prison after taking the heat for his brother Stephan's failed and unqualified attempt at surgery when they where students at college only to find out he has since passed away and must perform surgery on the victims of the car crash despite previously being kicked out of medical school for said crime only to impress a local surgeon and have Karl's mother tell the surgeon that Karl is actually Stephan so Karl masquerades under his dead brother's name with no further identification than a medical certificate; oh just roll with it. Alias The Doctor is a movie which trades logic for emotion as Karl deals with the dilemma of committing fraud in order to save lives.
This is the perfect example of an hour long movie which packs a lot into that short space of time; quality over quantity. Aside from the story being full of delightfully absurd turns, it's other great asset are the visuals. You can't talk about a Michael Curtiz film without talking about the visuals and Alias The Doctor is one of the more visually avant-garde films of the 1930's with its use of expressionism, shadows, tilted camera angles, high contrast lighting as well as striking set design from Anton Grot (that opening shot of Karl ploughing the field would surely make John Ford jealous). This is Hollywood's imagining of Europe as seen in may 1930's films through and through.
Boris Karloff had originally filmed scenes for the film as an autopsy surgeon but was replaced by Nigel De Brulier when he was not available for retakes after British censors objected to the gruesomeness of his scenes. While it's disappointing that Karloff would be removed from the film, Nigel De Brulier is surprisingly Karloff-like in his creepy demur and even walks just like Karloff. The character of the autopsy surgeon has several brief appearances towards the end of the film and doesn't affect the story but builds up to one dark, humorous punch line in which he is seen preparing himself for the expected death of Karl's mother during her surgery. Likewise, Karl is in love with his adopted sister, I know they're not related by blood but still. Where else but pre-code cinema can you get his kind of unashamed perversion?
Alias The Doctor even has an amusing depiction of a two-tier health care system in which a patient inquiries to Karl on why he is being charged ("Any doctor can serve a broken arm!") only for Karl to reply, "But that's the point, you kept me away from patients who needed me, people who couldn't afford to pay a doctor. That's our system".
They save the best for last which Barthelmess' monologue to the medial committee on why he should be allowed to operate on his mother despite being exposed as a fraud (albeit under highly unusual circumstances). This is storytelling which calls to the viewer's raw emotion for a rebellious ignorance over rules and regulations; reality need not apply. Being an actor of the silent era, Barthelmess can convey a lot with his face while having a great voice to boot.
There is no record of Alias The Doctor every being released on home video prior to being issued on the Warner Archive Collection in 2010. Shame that such a visual work of art would have been out of reach for decades. I'll say it now and I'll it again; the 1930's is an archaeological treasure chest of obscure gems.
A car just happens to crash outside the house of Karl Brenner (Richard Barthelmess) on the night in which he comes home for the first time since being released from prison after taking the heat for his brother Stephan's failed and unqualified attempt at surgery when they where students at college only to find out he has since passed away and must perform surgery on the victims of the car crash despite previously being kicked out of medical school for said crime only to impress a local surgeon and have Karl's mother tell the surgeon that Karl is actually Stephan so Karl masquerades under his dead brother's name with no further identification than a medical certificate; oh just roll with it. Alias The Doctor is a movie which trades logic for emotion as Karl deals with the dilemma of committing fraud in order to save lives.
This is the perfect example of an hour long movie which packs a lot into that short space of time; quality over quantity. Aside from the story being full of delightfully absurd turns, it's other great asset are the visuals. You can't talk about a Michael Curtiz film without talking about the visuals and Alias The Doctor is one of the more visually avant-garde films of the 1930's with its use of expressionism, shadows, tilted camera angles, high contrast lighting as well as striking set design from Anton Grot (that opening shot of Karl ploughing the field would surely make John Ford jealous). This is Hollywood's imagining of Europe as seen in may 1930's films through and through.
Boris Karloff had originally filmed scenes for the film as an autopsy surgeon but was replaced by Nigel De Brulier when he was not available for retakes after British censors objected to the gruesomeness of his scenes. While it's disappointing that Karloff would be removed from the film, Nigel De Brulier is surprisingly Karloff-like in his creepy demur and even walks just like Karloff. The character of the autopsy surgeon has several brief appearances towards the end of the film and doesn't affect the story but builds up to one dark, humorous punch line in which he is seen preparing himself for the expected death of Karl's mother during her surgery. Likewise, Karl is in love with his adopted sister, I know they're not related by blood but still. Where else but pre-code cinema can you get his kind of unashamed perversion?
Alias The Doctor even has an amusing depiction of a two-tier health care system in which a patient inquiries to Karl on why he is being charged ("Any doctor can serve a broken arm!") only for Karl to reply, "But that's the point, you kept me away from patients who needed me, people who couldn't afford to pay a doctor. That's our system".
They save the best for last which Barthelmess' monologue to the medial committee on why he should be allowed to operate on his mother despite being exposed as a fraud (albeit under highly unusual circumstances). This is storytelling which calls to the viewer's raw emotion for a rebellious ignorance over rules and regulations; reality need not apply. Being an actor of the silent era, Barthelmess can convey a lot with his face while having a great voice to boot.
There is no record of Alias The Doctor every being released on home video prior to being issued on the Warner Archive Collection in 2010. Shame that such a visual work of art would have been out of reach for decades. I'll say it now and I'll it again; the 1930's is an archaeological treasure chest of obscure gems.
Mother Love is Pushed to the Limit!!
kidboots28 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Richard Barthelmess was one of the silent's top stars and unlike a lot of his contemporaries, talkies didn't faze him. He retained his popularity (and a massive salary, apparently $8,500 a week) and for a few years, with interesting characterizations, he managed to stay in the top 10 lists. But once he started to slip, First National obviously couldn't justify his high salary and he left at the same time as William Powell and Ruth Chatterton.
This role, as good brother Karl Bremer, proved interesting and showed the type of part he excelled at. Both he and "bad brother" Stephan are soon to graduate from an Austrian medical school but while Karl is diligent, Stephan is a frequenter of taverns. Things turn dramatic when Stephan performs an illegal operation on a girl who he has assaulted, she dies and Carl takes the blame so Stephan can graduate and make his mother proud. When Carl is released from prison, it's to find Stephan dead - he had remained a drunkard and never succeeded in elevating himself from his small, out of the way practice, where his incompetence had become a by-word!!
Mother is played by Lucille La Verne so you know she is not going to be a hearts and flowers type but push mother love to the limits!! A car accident forces Carl to operate successfully on a small child and that is all Mother Brennar needs to persuade Carl to take on Stephan's identity and keep practising medicine - who cares if Carl doesn't have a diploma and if found out could very well return to prison!!!
Norman Foster has a smallish role as Stephan but unlike a lot of his "callow youth" roles he made this one count and impressed as the worthless brother. Marian Marsh as usual was given a scene (the one where she stands up to her mother and tells her that she doesn't need a marriage certificate and will happily go with Carl where-ever he decides). A scene that proved even with her drop dead gorgeous looks, she had a talent that should have been developed. Adrienne Dore for all her 4th billing has only a couple of lines of dialogue - she was another who had the looks and personality to go further than she did!!
Highly Recommended.
This role, as good brother Karl Bremer, proved interesting and showed the type of part he excelled at. Both he and "bad brother" Stephan are soon to graduate from an Austrian medical school but while Karl is diligent, Stephan is a frequenter of taverns. Things turn dramatic when Stephan performs an illegal operation on a girl who he has assaulted, she dies and Carl takes the blame so Stephan can graduate and make his mother proud. When Carl is released from prison, it's to find Stephan dead - he had remained a drunkard and never succeeded in elevating himself from his small, out of the way practice, where his incompetence had become a by-word!!
Mother is played by Lucille La Verne so you know she is not going to be a hearts and flowers type but push mother love to the limits!! A car accident forces Carl to operate successfully on a small child and that is all Mother Brennar needs to persuade Carl to take on Stephan's identity and keep practising medicine - who cares if Carl doesn't have a diploma and if found out could very well return to prison!!!
Norman Foster has a smallish role as Stephan but unlike a lot of his "callow youth" roles he made this one count and impressed as the worthless brother. Marian Marsh as usual was given a scene (the one where she stands up to her mother and tells her that she doesn't need a marriage certificate and will happily go with Carl where-ever he decides). A scene that proved even with her drop dead gorgeous looks, she had a talent that should have been developed. Adrienne Dore for all her 4th billing has only a couple of lines of dialogue - she was another who had the looks and personality to go further than she did!!
Highly Recommended.
Teaching tool
kcfl-123 November 2014
This could be used in a film class to demonstrate how to make a perfect one-hour movie. All the elements combine brilliantly:
The expressionistic design of Anton Grot
The "telling" visual style of directors Michael Curtiz and Lloyd Bacon. The final operation alone is as perfectly shot as the shower scene in "Psycho."
The acting. Richard Barthelmess shows why he was the best pre-Code actor; Lucile LaVerne is a revelation to me; and everyone else in smaller parts does a bang-up job.
Also interesting as a display of state-of-the-art medicine in the early 1930's.
The expressionistic design of Anton Grot
The "telling" visual style of directors Michael Curtiz and Lloyd Bacon. The final operation alone is as perfectly shot as the shower scene in "Psycho."
The acting. Richard Barthelmess shows why he was the best pre-Code actor; Lucile LaVerne is a revelation to me; and everyone else in smaller parts does a bang-up job.
Also interesting as a display of state-of-the-art medicine in the early 1930's.
Do "two wrongs make a right"?
ronrobinson312 February 2024
I love Lucille La Verne. She supplied the voice for the Evil Queen in the animated Disney film, "Snow White". She is always a delight to see. And this time, she gets to play a loving mother and even dresses up in nice clothes and looks elegant as her son does well in business.
This film is on my list of a good classic because it made me think. The film deals with a moral dilemma. And it makes you the judge of what should be done and what happens after the film ends.
Richard Barthelmess is an adopted son to La Verne. Her real son and he are going to medical school. He is also engaged to Marian Marsh. Her real son gets into trouble and performs surgery on a girl while he is drunk and does not have his license yet. To protect him, Barthelmess takes the blame saying it was him and not his brother because he knows how much his adopted mother wanted her son to be a doctor. It is her dream and she put them both through school even though she is poor.
The girl who was operated on dies and Barthelmess is banned from a license and even has to go to jail for several years.
When Barthelmess has served his time in jail, he comes home to find out his adopted brother has now died. Before dying, he tells his mother and sister the truth. Before he can try to clear his name, there is an emergency and he is forced to operate on a little boy pretending to be his "licensed" brother.
La Verne sees this as a way to have her dream of a son who is a successful doctor. He becomes a huge success and does most of his work without charging the poor and he saves many lives. But Marion Marsh still longs to be with Barthelmess and when they try to meet they realize, to the outside world, it will be looked on as incest.
There is a great scene between La Verne and Marsh where the mother is begging Marsh to give him up to help keep the charade going. But Marsh declares she is going to go to him and live with him in sin - not married and not caring if it appears as incest.
At some point in the film, all the truth must come out. When it does, the viewer is asked what should happen? Barthelmess is a successful and very talented surgeon. He has saved thousands of lives including those who could never afford a surgeon. But he is unlicensed and living a lie.
Nothing La Verne or Barthelmess have done has been done out of malice. They really wanted "the best" for all around them, but at what price? Are deception and lies justified if "good" is the result?
The movie ends very quickly and stops. At first, I thought this was an editing mistake, but now I feel it was done to leave the end up to me. It was abrupt in order to put the moral question in my hands.
So, this film will present you a morality play. It will, or should, make you think. Do "two wrongs make a right"?
Check out this Classy Classic and let me know how you judge what happens after the film ends.
This film is on my list of a good classic because it made me think. The film deals with a moral dilemma. And it makes you the judge of what should be done and what happens after the film ends.
Richard Barthelmess is an adopted son to La Verne. Her real son and he are going to medical school. He is also engaged to Marian Marsh. Her real son gets into trouble and performs surgery on a girl while he is drunk and does not have his license yet. To protect him, Barthelmess takes the blame saying it was him and not his brother because he knows how much his adopted mother wanted her son to be a doctor. It is her dream and she put them both through school even though she is poor.
The girl who was operated on dies and Barthelmess is banned from a license and even has to go to jail for several years.
When Barthelmess has served his time in jail, he comes home to find out his adopted brother has now died. Before dying, he tells his mother and sister the truth. Before he can try to clear his name, there is an emergency and he is forced to operate on a little boy pretending to be his "licensed" brother.
La Verne sees this as a way to have her dream of a son who is a successful doctor. He becomes a huge success and does most of his work without charging the poor and he saves many lives. But Marion Marsh still longs to be with Barthelmess and when they try to meet they realize, to the outside world, it will be looked on as incest.
There is a great scene between La Verne and Marsh where the mother is begging Marsh to give him up to help keep the charade going. But Marsh declares she is going to go to him and live with him in sin - not married and not caring if it appears as incest.
At some point in the film, all the truth must come out. When it does, the viewer is asked what should happen? Barthelmess is a successful and very talented surgeon. He has saved thousands of lives including those who could never afford a surgeon. But he is unlicensed and living a lie.
Nothing La Verne or Barthelmess have done has been done out of malice. They really wanted "the best" for all around them, but at what price? Are deception and lies justified if "good" is the result?
The movie ends very quickly and stops. At first, I thought this was an editing mistake, but now I feel it was done to leave the end up to me. It was abrupt in order to put the moral question in my hands.
So, this film will present you a morality play. It will, or should, make you think. Do "two wrongs make a right"?
Check out this Classy Classic and let me know how you judge what happens after the film ends.
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