NOT AS A STRANGER

US, 1955, 135 minutes, Black and white.
Olivia de Havilland, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford, Charles Bickford, Lon Chaney Jr, Harry Morgan, Lee Marvin, Virginia Christine.
Directed by Stanley Kramer.

Not as a Stranger was based on a very popular bestseller of the period. It is a medical drama, from the early days of training to work in practice out in the countryside.

Robert Mitchum seemed an odd choice for the idealistic doctor who compromises himself by his dependence on his wife and using her money, falling foul of the local vamp (Gloria Grahame in a typical performance), and getting into difficulties with his practice and operations. Some have said that his rather expressionless performance indicates his self-absorption. Others thought that he was miscast.

Olivia de Havilland, with Norwegian accent, is very persuasive as the supportive wife, long-suffering and then finally losing her patience. Frank Sinatra is genial as the doctor’s best friend. There is strong performance by Broderick Crawford as a Jewish doctor, Charles Bickford as the partner who becomes ill and needs an operation.

The training sequences as well as some of the medicine is obviously of its period and therefore outdated in later decades. Audiences are more sophisticated as watchers of ER, Chicago Hope and other television series in hospitals.

This was the first film directed by producer Stanley Kramer. He had produced a number of very effective small-budget films in the early 1950s including The Men, The Sniper. He then directed a number of big-budget films including The Price and the Passion, The Defiant Ones, Inherit the Wind. During the 1960s he made only a few films but they were long and big-budge: Judgment at Nuremberg, It’s a Mad Mad Mad World, Ship of Fools, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

1. Why was this film enjoyable? The human drama, the atmosphere of hospitals and doctors?

2. The significance of the title and its application to the characters? Indication of themes?

3. As a big film of the fifties, big budget, black and white photography, music, the stars? Its impact on these levels now?

4. The reason for the appeal of hospital and doctor films? The careers of doctors, their vocation, life and death, service?

5. This kind of film is described as soap-opera. What does this mean? The treatment of important themes, interrelationships, human nature? Was this an effective soap-opera?

6. The film's focus on Lucas, the picturing of his origins, his mother and his alcoholic father, his drive to be a doctor, the determination of his drive, the intensity of his work, his attention in classes, his learning, the need for money and his social circumstances, his extra jobs? The revelation of his character in terms of pride, feelings? His friendships? His using other people? The nature of his love? His attitude towards not making mistakes professionally? So many clashes, unwilling to apologize and then apologizing? How sympathetic a hero for this film? How real a character?

7. Lucas seen in his work, his learning, his clashing with authorities? His preparation to be a doctor? The scenes of his internee work, his treatment of patients etc.?

8. The importance of Christina? What kind of woman was she, her being pictured at home, her Minnesota background, Swedish background? Her dedication to her work? Her love for Lucas? Her being overwhelmed in the marriage? Her willingness to support him? Her continued hope for his love? Their clashes, his accusing her of ignorance, her continued forgiveness? How strong and sympathetic a woman?

9. What brought about changes in Lucas? His clashes with authority, his pride? His work in the country? His being well liked? His not giving enough attention to his real feelings and knowledge of himself? The consequences?

10. The contrast with his friend? The easy personality, the moneyed background, the friend who told the truth but was not listened to, the brash young student, mimicking the doctors, making a mistake about cancer yet changing his mind and admitting mistakes? How real a character?

11. Lucas' involvement with the widow? What kind of woman was she, the country vamp, her leading him on, her relationship with the lawyer, her finally being left again on the shelf? What hold did she have over him, the fascination? His response to her? His discovering that he could make a mistake and be unfaithful?

12. The picturing of doctors, the lecturing doctor and his work and dedication, the fact that he was a Jew, his manner of training his men?

13. The picturing of doctors, Dave and his dedication to his work in the country, his knowledge of people, his healing power? His advice to Lucas and Christina? His own illness and death?

14. The importance of Lucas playing God, making a mistake with his friend Dave? The importance of his change of heart and repentance? Christina's inability to forgive, her final accepting of him?

15. How credible were the human values in this film? Its themes?