Night Nurse (1931)

My Review

Barbara Stanwyck plays a nurse hired to care for two ailing young children, and when their conditions worsen, she becomes suspicious of the doctor’s methods in “Night Nurse.” Director William A. Wellman (“Wings” 1927) put together a solid film with good acting, marvelous writing, and wonderful cinematography by Barney McGill. Oliver H. P. Garrett’s screenplay was adapted from the 1930 novel of the same name by Dora Macy.

Since this film is a Pre-Code motion picture, Stanwyck as a nurse often dressed like a chorus girl. Before the Motion Picture Production Code (often referred to as the Hayes Code) was adapted in 1934, many films contained risque scenes and language. It was dumped in 1968, largely due to directors’ wish to have more “creative” license. “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) was the straw that broke the Hayes Code back with its violence and gore.

The cast includes Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell, Clark Gable, Blanche Friderici, Charlotte Merriam, Charles Winninger, Edward Nugent, Vera Lewis, and Ralf Harolde. The watchable “Night Nurse” was popular at the box office for Warner Bros. Pictures. It is an interesting picture to watch for many reasons but especially to see Stanwyck, Gable, and Blondell in early roles.