''Once to Every Woman'' is a 1934 American
pre-Code film adaptation of
A. J. Cronin's 1933 short story ''
Kaleidoscope in "K"''. The film was made by
Columbia Pictures and stars
Ralph Bellamy and
Fay Wray.
Plot
Mary Fanshawe (
Fay Wray) is a dedicated, professional supervising nurse in an urban hospital. She is very friendly with one resident, Dr. Preston (
Walter Byron
Jacob Walter "Wally" Byron (Jacob Valdimar Björnsson;September 2, 1894 – December 22, 1971) was an Icelandic-Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was the goaltender for the Winnipeg Falcons, the Canadian ...
), although it is clear that she is not his sole object of attention. Fanshawe reprimands one young nurse, Doris Andros (
Mary Carlisle) for her careless attitude, but she is unaware that Andros and Preston are seeing one another in secret. Fanshawe is far less friendly with young Dr. Jim Barclay (
Ralph Bellamy) despite his attentions toward her. Barclay, though, is also distracted by tensions with his superior, Dr. Walter Selby (
Walter Connolly), who rejects the younger man's suggestions of trying more modern medical and surgical techniques.
During a crucial operation that Selby had insisted on performing himself, he finds himself unable to continue and hands the procedure to Barclay, who succeeds with a radically new technique, calmly observed by Fanshawe, who is acting as head nurse. Selby is forced to concede that his own time as a lead surgeon and hospital head has passed. Later, when a patient nearly commits suicide because of a mistake made by Andros, Barclay discovers the nurse with Preston, who was supposed to be on rounds in the ward, together on the hospital's rooftop.
Barclay attempts to cover for his fellow doctor, but when Andros learns she is to be fired, she threatens to expose the deceit. In the end, both Andros and Preston are forced to leave, with Fanshawe and Barclay now ready to collaborate both professionally and personally.
Cast
*
Ralph Bellamy as Dr. Jim Barclay
*
Fay Wray as Mary Fanshawe
*
Walter Connolly as Dr. Walter Selby
*
Mary Carlisle as Doris Andros
*Walter Byron as Dr. Preston
*
J. Farrell MacDonald as Flannigan
*
Billie Seward as No. 5
*
Georgia Caine
Georgiana Caine (October 30, 1876 – April 4, 1964) was an American actress who performed both on Broadway and in more than 80 films in her 51-year career.
Early career
Born in San Francisco, California in 1876, the daughter of two Shak ...
as Jeff
*Katherine Clare Ward as Mrs Flannigan
*
Ben Alexander as Joe
*
Nora Cecil as Baxter's sister
*Sheila Darcy as Gail Drake
*
Jane Darwell as Mrs. Wood
External links
*
*
1934 films
1934 romantic drama films
American romantic drama films
American black-and-white films
Columbia Pictures films
Films based on works by A. J. Cronin
Films based on short fiction
Films directed by Lambert Hillyer
Films set in the 20th century
Films set in London
Medical-themed films
Films with screenplays by Jo Swerling
Films produced by Robert North
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
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