"Yellow Jack" from 1938 is based on a play by Sidney Howard. It stars Lewis Stone, Robert Montgomery, Virginia Bruce, Andy Devine, Henry Hull, Buddy Ebsen, and Charles Coburn.
In 1898, hundreds of soldiers are dying from "Yellow Fever," known as "yellow jack." Major Walter Reed (Stone), who is a physician for the Army, is trying to find what causes the infection. He draws upon the work of a Dr. Finlay (Coburn), who has been laughed out of conferences for his views.
It has to do with mosquitoes, but there is only one way to find out -- do comparative studies with soldiers, some bitten, some not, some living where people died, others not. But no one will volunteer.
These scientific discovery stories were all the rage in the '30s - Madame Curie, Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, The Story of Louis Pasteur, etc. Unfortunately "Yellow Jack" is the weakest.
Because it's based on a play, it's talky. I don't mind talky if the dialogue is scintillating. This wasn't. Also, some of the acting is so far over the top it never landed on earth. Robert Montgomery's brogue was AWFUL, way overdone. Buddy Ebsen's okefenokee swamp accent was worse. Painful. Andy Devine was also out there.
Consequently, I wasn't drawn in by what should have been a compelling story. Lewis Stone was a sincere Reed, and Coburn as Finlay was good as well. Virginia Bruce gives a lovely performance. But it was hard to feel anything for that bunch of buffoons - that's how they came off.
In 1898, hundreds of soldiers are dying from "Yellow Fever," known as "yellow jack." Major Walter Reed (Stone), who is a physician for the Army, is trying to find what causes the infection. He draws upon the work of a Dr. Finlay (Coburn), who has been laughed out of conferences for his views.
It has to do with mosquitoes, but there is only one way to find out -- do comparative studies with soldiers, some bitten, some not, some living where people died, others not. But no one will volunteer.
These scientific discovery stories were all the rage in the '30s - Madame Curie, Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, The Story of Louis Pasteur, etc. Unfortunately "Yellow Jack" is the weakest.
Because it's based on a play, it's talky. I don't mind talky if the dialogue is scintillating. This wasn't. Also, some of the acting is so far over the top it never landed on earth. Robert Montgomery's brogue was AWFUL, way overdone. Buddy Ebsen's okefenokee swamp accent was worse. Painful. Andy Devine was also out there.
Consequently, I wasn't drawn in by what should have been a compelling story. Lewis Stone was a sincere Reed, and Coburn as Finlay was good as well. Virginia Bruce gives a lovely performance. But it was hard to feel anything for that bunch of buffoons - that's how they came off.