Night Nurse (1931)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Grace Perkins (novel)
Oliver H.P. Garrett (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 August 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A nurse enlists the help of a petty criminal to foil a sinister plot to murder two children.

Plot Keywords:

Child In Peril | Flapper | Prohibition | Pre Code | Forbidden Hollywood

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Lora Hart
Ben Lyon	...	Mortie
Joan Blondell	...	B. Maloney
Clark Gable	...	Nick, the Chauffeur
Blanche Friderici	...	Mrs. Maxwell, the Housekeeper (as Blanche Frederici)
Charlotte Merriam	...	Mrs. Ritchey
Charles Winninger	...	Dr. Arthur Bell
Edward J. Nugent	...	Eagan (as Edward Nugent)
Vera Lewis	...	Miss Dillon, Superintendent of Nurses
Ralf Harolde	...	Dr. Milton A. Ranger
Walter McGrail	...	Mack, the Drunk

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

James Cagney was originally supposed to play Nick, but when The Public Enemy (1931) became a big hit, it was decided that he should no longer be relegated to supporting roles, allowing the relatively unknown Clark Gable to step in instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lora first sees the two children, one of them faints and falls from her bed onto the floor. The next shot ends with Lora lifting her up and placing her on the bed with the child's feet towards the wall. In the next shot, the child has turned 180 degrees, with her head towards the wall.

Quotes:

Maloney: Say, I was afraid the hospital would burn down before I could get into it. Now I have to watch myself with matches.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Onward Christian Soldiers

why this is the best film ever (especially if you are a pediatric night nurse)

"Night Nurse" is my favorite film , in a big way sister! This movie contains humor on various levels. Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Blondell are 2 tough broads who can hold their own against the evil Doctor Granger and even "Nick The Chauffeur" played by Clark Gable. It does help to be an actual pediatric night nurse to understand this movie to its full potential. The camp is both intentional and unintentional. The movie has a rebel flair with the nurses mouthing off to authority and even befriending a bootlegger (who is one of the heroes of the film).The movie is pre-code so it's pretty spicy for the 30's . You can even see Barbara and Joan in their skivvies.The medical lingo is very amusing. Barbara Stanwyck's character has "blood type 4h" and they got some very pudgy little kids to play the starving children. I own the video and have passed it along to co-workers who are also pediatric night nurses and it has become a cult favorite amongst my collegues.