The Crimson Playgoer

The sincere story in "Men in White," of the young interne's struggle against the physician's code loses little of its power on the screen. Although the problem of adaptation was made easier by the comparative unimportance of the love motive, able direction is chiefly responsible for its success.

The treatment of the movie differs from the play only in one important respect. Where on the stage it was a sparkling uncut gem, on the screen the edges have been nicely polished off, but the lustre has lost a little of its brilliance. This is most obvious in the difference between the interpretations of Alexander Kirkland and Clark Gable of the young interne, Dr. Ferguson. It was through the shoddy places in Kirkland's portrayal that the sincerity of his performance stood out. Gable brings to the movies a capable, even performance, but seems to lose a little of that quality which made the play so compelling.

Dr. Hochberg, played splendidly by Jean Hersholt, is the motive force behind the story. He has sacrificed everything honestly to make himself a great doctor. It is he who shows young Ferguson the relation between his duty to the medical profession and his personal happiness. Myrna Loy and Elizabeth Allan are capable, but since they are only foils in the story, have little chance to shine.