''Bad for Each Other'' is a 1953 American
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
directed by
Irving Rapper
Irving Rapper (16 January 1898 – 20 December 1999) was a British-born American film director.
Biography
Born to a British Jews, Jewish family and starring
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
,
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Virginia Scott (born Emma Matzo; September 29, 1921 – January 31, 2015) was an American actress, singer and model for the Walter Thornton Model Agency, known for her "smoky voice" and being "the most beautiful face of film noir during ...
and
Dianne Foster
Dianne Foster (born Olga Helen Laruska; October 31, 1928 – July 27, 2019) was a Canadian actress of Ukrainian descent.
Early life
Foster was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She began her career at the age of 13 in a stage adaptation of Ja ...
. It was produced and distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. Its genre has been characterized as a "medical melodrama" with a ''film noir'' "bad girl".
Plot
Army colonel and doctor Tom Owen (
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
) returns home to Coalville, Pennsylvania, on leave. He learns from wealthy mine owner Dan Reasonover that his brother Floyd, a mine safety engineer, has been killed in an explosion. He further discovers that Floyd had betrayed Dan's trust by purchasing substandard equipment and taking kickbacks. Tom discovers that Floyd was also heavily in debt at the time. Tom wants to pay Dan back, but Dan declines his offer.
Dan's daughter, the twice-divorced socialite Helen Curtis (
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Virginia Scott (born Emma Matzo; September 29, 1921 – January 31, 2015) was an American actress, singer and model for the Walter Thornton Model Agency, known for her "smoky voice" and being "the most beautiful face of film noir during ...
), meets Tom at a party and asks him for a date. She arranges for him to meet Dr. Homer Gleeson (
Lester Matthews
Arthur Lester Matthews (6 June 1900 – 5 June 1975) was an English actor. In his career, the handsome Englishman made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was erroneously credited in later years as Les Matthews. Matthews pla ...
), who runs a fancy Pittsburgh clinic catering to wealthy women suffering from minor ailments (some of which are plainly imaginary). Gleeson informs Tom that his former associate has quit to open his own practice, so he offers Tom the vacancy. Knowing that Tom has vowed to pay his late brother's debts, Helen talks him into accepting. Tom appears reluctant at first but eventually turns down the security his army career offers and accepts Gleeson's job. This disappoints Tom's mother who had hoped he would return to Coalville where he could do some genuine good. Tom informs her that he's doing this for the money.
As a nurse to assist him, Tom hires Joan Lasher (
Dianne Foster
Dianne Foster (born Olga Helen Laruska; October 31, 1928 – July 27, 2019) was a Canadian actress of Ukrainian descent.
Early life
Foster was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She began her career at the age of 13 in a stage adaptation of Ja ...
), an attractive and idealistic young woman who plans to become a doctor herself. Meanwhile Tom and Helen begin dating. Tom proposes marriage and Helen accepts. Dan attempts to intervene and dissuade Tom from proceeding with the marriage. He warns Tom that Helen's wealth poisoned her first two marriages, but Tom remains adamant that this won't happen. Lasher becomes disappointed that Tom treats wealthy society patients for minor ailments when he could be doing more good elsewhere. Dr. Jim Crowley (
Arthur Franz
Arthur Sofield Franz (February 29, 1920 – June 17, 2006) was an American actor whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant, Junior Grade, H. Paynter Jr. in ''The Caine Mutiny (film), The Caine Mutiny'' (1954).
Early life
Franz ...
), a former sergeant in Tom's squad approaches Tom for help. He's trying to secure a position as a doctor. Tom half-heartedly offers to help Jim who goes to leave. On the way out he bumps into Joan who informs him that Tom is a good doctor and wouldn't have offered unless he meant to follow through. Jim explains that he only returned to the medical field after witnessing Tom in action in the war. Tom had inspired him to give medicine another chance and to treat the truly needy.
Joan confronts Tom and explains Jim's inspirational story and Tom agrees to sends Jim to see Dr. Lester Scobee (
Rhys Williams, who cares for the miners of Coalville and their families. Jim is hired and starts to see more and more cases of men from the mine developing lung conditions. He approaches Tom with some X-rays. Before Tom can review the X-rays, he gets a call from Helen who is with her aunt who has become ill. Tom rushes out and after examining Helen's rich and influential aunt, Mrs. Roger Nelson (
Marjorie Rambeau
Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...
), discovers that she is extremely ill and in dire need of emergency surgery. Mrs Nelson insists on not proceeding until she sees her personal physician Dr Gleeson. Tom explains to Gleeson that the surgery is required and Gleeson admits that he is not equipped to perform surgery and that he actually hasn't performed any surgery in over 10 years. Instead, his former partner had been the surgeon. Tom performs the surgery successfully saving Mrs Nelson and Gleeson urges Tom to allow him to take credit. Later Joan upbraids Tom for his unethical behavior and quits the surgery.
Gleeson decides to charge Mrs. Nelson an exorbitant fee, which he splits with Tom. Mrs. Nelson later learns that it was Tom who performed her operation and questions his ethics. Before Tom can defend himself, he is called away to help at a mine explosion at Coalville. Tom enters the mine and joins Jim treating and rescuing miners far underground. They rescue the miners, but Jim is fatally injured. Tom tells Helen he is quitting the Pittsburgh clinic to work in Coalville. Helen tells him she cannot live there, so they reluctantly part. Tom arrives at his new office to find Joan already at work.
Cast
*
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
as Dr. Tom Owen
*
Lizabeth Scott
Lizabeth Virginia Scott (born Emma Matzo; September 29, 1921 – January 31, 2015) was an American actress, singer and model for the Walter Thornton Model Agency, known for her "smoky voice" and being "the most beautiful face of film noir during ...
as Helen Curtis
*
Dianne Foster
Dianne Foster (born Olga Helen Laruska; October 31, 1928 – July 27, 2019) was a Canadian actress of Ukrainian descent.
Early life
Foster was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She began her career at the age of 13 in a stage adaptation of Ja ...
as Joan Lasher
*
Mildred Dunnock
Mildred Dorothy Dunnock (January 25, 1901 – July 5, 1991) was an American stage and screen actress. She was twice nominated for an Academy Award: first ''Death of a Salesman'' in 1951, then ''Baby Doll'' in 1956.
Early life
Born in Baltimore, ...
as Mrs. Mary Owen
*
Arthur Franz
Arthur Sofield Franz (February 29, 1920 – June 17, 2006) was an American actor whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant, Junior Grade, H. Paynter Jr. in ''The Caine Mutiny (film), The Caine Mutiny'' (1954).
Early life
Franz ...
as Dr. Jim Crowley
*
Ray Collins as Dan Reasonover
*
Marjorie Rambeau
Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...
as Mrs. Roger Nelson
*
Lester Matthews
Arthur Lester Matthews (6 June 1900 – 5 June 1975) was an English actor. In his career, the handsome Englishman made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was erroneously credited in later years as Les Matthews. Matthews pla ...
as Dr. Homer Gleeson
*
Rhys Williams as Dr. Leslie M. Scobee
*
Lydia Clarke
Lydia Marie Clarke Heston (April 14, 1923 – September 3, 2018) was an American actress and photographer.
Biography
Clarke attended high school in Lexington, Kentucky, and graduated from Northwestern University.
A comment by Carl Sandburg a ...
as Rita Thronburg
*
Lisa Golm
Lisa Golm ( Luise Schmertzler; 10 April 1891 – 6 January 1964) was a German actress who emigrated to America and appeared in a number of Hollywood films as a character actress. Golm made her first screen appearance in the 1939 film ''Con ...
as Mrs. Marzano
Screenplay and development
The screenplay was adapted from ''Scalpel'', an unpublished novel by
Horace McCoy
Horace Stanley McCoy (April 14, 1897 – December 15, 1955) was an American writer whose mostly hardboiled stories took place during the Great Depression. His best-known novel is '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1935), which was made into ...
, to which
Hal Wallis
Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along w ...
bought the rights for
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
for $100,000 in 1951, by McCoy and
Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace (March 19, 1916 – June 29, 1990) was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. He was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme.
Early life
Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Bessie Liss a ...
after Columbia acquired the rights in 1953.
It mirrored the plot of the 1938 British film ''
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
'' closely enough for one reference work to call it "the poor man's version" of that film.
The film's trailer promoted it as an exposé of "ghost surgeons" in the contemporary medical profession, the practice of a doctor misrepresenting himself to a patient and taking credit for surgery performed by someone else. The practice was a topic much discussed and condemned at the time. The
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref>
See also
*American College of Physicians
The American College o ...
condemned the practice in 1951.
Reception
Writing in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
Howard Thompson called the film "erratic" and recapped its plot as a "romanticized endorsement of the Hippocratic Oath, as opposed to cash in the bank". He nevertheless allowed that the film had merits: "the lacquered, carefully engineered proceedings have their persuasive aspects". He singled out "bits and snatches" of the dialogue and the acting of all but the two leads. He preferred the plot of the doctor's career choice dilemma to the romance of the title: "The hero's liaison with the tippling, muddle-headed Miss Scott takes up a good, pointless third of the footage."
''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' calls it a "real bore" that "may be dangerous to your health", says Heston "has never been stiffer or more self-righteous", but that "
me excellent character actors are totally wasted in this film". Others have complained that the film's title misrepresents it.
[''Halliwell's Film Guide 2008'' (HarperCollins UK, 2008)] Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...
calls it "obscure and forgotten".
[
]
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Irving Rapper
1953 films
American romantic drama films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Irving Rapper
Films set in Pittsburgh
Columbia Pictures films
1953 romantic drama films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films