Mary Stevens MD (Warner Bros.) (1933)

CURRENT PUBLICITY Opening Day Story ‘Mary Stevens, M.D.’ Starring Kay Francis Opens Today at... Does a lifetime of looking after sick people, saving most of them and helplessly watching others die despite all their skill, destroy or harden the innate love for children and their loved ones in doctors? In other words, what is the true feeling of a doctor parent when he loses his own child? Physicians, it is true, have learned to mask their feelings in such cases. We sort of expect it in male doctors. However, how about a woman physician? Does long medieal practice entirely submerge the mother instinct that is a woman’s natural heritage, when death takes a woman physician’s child? There are some who may say yes, but “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” a Warner Bros. picture which comes to the Theatre today, with Kay Francis playing the title role presents a pretty strong case for the other side. No matter how much she has learned about children’s diseases, when Mary Stevens’ baby is taken sick, all her skill can’t save him. There had been a fight before that, to know whether she should have him or not. “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” unwed, decides to have her baby. But fate regardless of her medical skill took him from her, leaving her broken and hopeless. “What good was it being able to save other people’s babies, if she couldn’t save her own?” she had argued hysterically. It took courage and a lot of unselfishness, and the strong love of the boy with whom she had gone through medical school—the father of her child—to bring Mary Stevens back to a realization of her duty to the world. But if she couldn’t save every case—she could save many. So Mary Stevens came back. Powerful characterizations are given in this gripping story of life behind the doors marked “M.D.” by Kay Francis as Mary Stevens and Lyle Talbot as her co-worker physician lover and later husband. Glenda Farrell, Thelma Todd and George Cooper are also cast in important roles. The story is based on a novel by Virginia Kellogg, the screen play is by Rian James, and Lloyd Bacon directed. Ist day of run Kay Francis Changes Her Hairdress Back To Style as a Vamp For the first time in seven pictures, in “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” now at the Theatre, Kay Francis wears her hair the way she wore it when she first entered pictures. That was in “Gentlemen of the Press,” in which Kay’s raven tresses were combed straight back from her face, with the famous “widow’s peak” in full view. Strangely enough, with that hair comb, Kay was rated as a most seductive vamp. Now, in “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” she does it the same way to appear business like! Between the two pictures, she has worn her hair parted in the middle, and waved softly backwards into a series of graded curls, studio makeup artists having decided that was more suitable for the romantic leads she has been playing. In “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” Keay’s latest Warner Bros. picture, in which she has the title role as a woman doctor, she has Lyle Talbot for leading man, while others in the cast are Glenda Farrell, Thelma Todd, Harold Huber and Christian Rub. The plot of “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” carries a glowing romance as well as stirring drama. It is based on the novel by Virginia Kellogg and adapted to the screen by Rian James. Lloyd Bacon directed. DOCTORS IN LOVE KAY FRANCIS and LYLE TALBOT play the leading roles in “‘Mary Stevens, M.D.” a vivid story of the romance of a woman doctor. It is a Warner Bros. picture and is current at the Strand. Out No. 3 Cut 80c Mat 10c (Prepared Review) ‘Mary Stevens, M. D.’ a Most Powerful Emotional Drama HE enthusiastic audience which last night witnessed the opening of Kay Francis’ latest Warner Bros. production, ‘‘Mary Stevens, M. D.’’ at the Theatre, saw her in a role which has been begging for a chance to be done by her. The role is that of a woman M.D. ’ No one who has watched the development of the delectable Kay from featured player to one of the most popular stars on the screen, will be disappointed in ‘‘Mary Stevens, M.D.’’—or sur prised that she has made such aj success of it. She is the typical professional woman from the tips of her small toes to the close-fitting bob of her shapely head. She comprises in her personality that rare mixture of professional efficiency and capability with the softness, sympathy and attractiveness of a real woman in just the right degree to make this one of the most moving and worth while things she has done. The picture is further fortunate in having two very outstanding personalities instead of just one. Lyle Talbot, who has shown such promise in the past, has been elevated to the position of leading man opposite Miss Francis, and does it with a sincerity and ability that mark him as one of the newest Hollywood actors who can be watched for sure development. The story, while telling much of the “inside” of the life of the average M.D.—from clinic to office to operating room—tells also much of what is less known about this benefactor of mankind—what he (or she) does with that remnant of time that is left to themselves in which to carry on the business of living, loving, and dying, as other people do. It has, besides, the virtue of a terrific wallop in its great emotional elimax, when mother and doctor meet in the same person and doctor loses. Nothing finer than this great scene of Miss Francis’ at the bedside of her stricken child has ever been done in talking pictures. The story begins in the “interne” days of a pair of young people (Talbot and Miss Francis) who have decided to become doctors together. Tt winds through the two paths an M.D. may take in his professional] life—as a state paid philanthropist, or an entrepeneur—and gives many an example of those last minute rescues with which the medical profession is constantly saving a fairly ungrateful public. “Mary Stevens, M.D.” is a great love story, a great tribute to the medical profession, and a great vehicle for one of the screen’s foremost stars. A strong supporting east, including Glenda Farrell, Thel ma Todd and George Cooper, a screen play by Rian James, based on the novel by Virginia Kellogg. and the direction of Lloyd Bacon, make it entertainment which you ean’t afford to miss. 2nd day of run Lyle Talbot Wearing Sweater, Almost Put Cut of Night Club Lyle Talbot isn’t buying any more turtle neck sweaters. And that in spite of the fact that he owns the largest assortment in Hollywood, 43 sweaters altogether, and has always been fond of adding more to his 2ollection. Talbot, who has the leading masculine role opposite Kay Francis in “Mary Stevens, M. D.,” a Warner Bros. picture, now at the ............... Theatre, lost his taste for turtle neck sweaters when he dropped into a Hollywood night club for a snack after working late one night on the picture. He was too tired to take off his sweater and managed to get by the doorman, having his overcoat on so that the sweater was not noticeable. But a pair of husky bouncers spotted Lyle when he entered the club room and figured him for a rough-neck. They took hold of him. one on each side, and were about to give him the bum’s rush, with. he supposes, a couple of cracks over the head for good measure, when a diner recognized and identified him. “Oh, dat’s where I saw him!” one of the bouncers exclaimed. “In de movies—playing heavies! I thought it was in Chicago!” Talbot has the leading masculine role opposite Kay Francis in “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” a thrillingly dramatic romance based on the novel by Virginia Kellogg and adapted to the screen by Rian James. Others in the cast include Glenda Farrell, Thelma Todd and Harold Huber. Lloyd Bacon directed. 3rd day of run Kay Francis Embarks On Sea Trip in Her Last Three Pictures Fate seems to lie in wait on the high seas for Kay Francis, dark. haired Warner Bros. star, every time she makes a picture. In her last three pictures, at least, dn ocean voyage has been the turning point in the drama of which she was the central figure. In “One Way Passage,” it was on a liner crossing the Pacific that the flaming romance between her and William Powell kindled to a tragic conclusion. In “The Key. hole,” her next: picture, fate in the person of George Brent stepped in to her life on the promenade deck of an Havana-bound steamer. Currently, in “Mary Stevens. MD.” now at: thé.” 2. Theatre, Kay Francis meets tragedy face to face as she is returning from Europe, when her own infant son dies of the very disease she is battling with in the steerage of the vessel, to save an immigrant woman’s two children. Distinetly different from any of Kay Francis’ previous vehicles. “Mary Stevens, M.D.” presents the star in the role of a famous child specialist. Glenda Farrell and Lyle Talbot have the principal roles in her support, with Thelma Todd and George Cooper and Harold Huber in other interesting characterizations. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture, which is taken from a novel by Virginia Kellogg. 4th day of run Talbot Got News of Being Cast in Best Role From Trainman Imagine going for days not knowing you had been east for the biggest part in your picture career, and then being told about it, finally, not by congratulatory telegrams from the movie moguls themselves, but by the colored porter on a train! That was Lyle Talbot’s experience when he was selected by Warner Bros. for the leading male role opposite Kay Francis in “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” now at the Theatre. It is Lyle’s biggest part up to now, though he has distinguished himself with many other roles. It so happened that he was on the “42nd Street” Special—the train which Warner Bros. sent on a goodwill tour of the country in conneetion with the picture of the same name—when it was decided to cast him for the role in “Mary Stevens, M.D.” A wire was sent, but somehow it never reached Talbot, who remained in ignorance of his good fortune until the train was in Arizona, where ‘he colored porter, Willie, read tke news in a Los Angeles paper and told Talbot about his good fortune. Both Talbot and Miss Francis play the roles of surgeons, who are also sweethearts, in a dramatic picture, which centers around the life of those in the medical profession. It is based on a story by Virginia Kellogg, adapted by Rian James and directed by Lloyd Bacon. 3th day of run “Mary Stevens, M.D.’ Raises Question of Success and Careers Whether there is any room for love and marriage in the life of a successful business or professional woman is one of the questions that arises in Kay Francis’ latest picture for Warner Bros., “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” now at the Theatre. Miss Francis herself has very de 6th day of run Kay Francis Cast As Physician Because She Looks The Part “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” Kay Francis’ latest picture for Warner Bros. now at the Theatre, shows her characteristics in quite a new light. The part had been discussed a little for other actresses. But it jidn’t fit any one but Kay Francis —and for very definite reasous. Miss Francis is probably the only woman acting in pictures who would be believable in the role. It is a role largely of character, of orofessional character, and Kay Francis looked the part before she aver began to make up for it. It may all have started with that job of Kay’s. It was something radical when Kay first came to Hol‘ywood. It is even possible to look back on it and remember that it was ‘aughed at by some. It was considered “unfeminine,” “masculine,” and some other adjectives such as “hard,” “cold,” ete. That it wasn’t any of these things is proved by the fact that there are in the world today thousands of women wearing a bob like Kay’s who never would have had the courage if she hadn’t started it. So perhaps it’s partly that haireut that makes Kay look the part of the professional woman. That and the fact that she is tall and stately and dignified. She has the charm and beauty of a woman, but also the frankness and comraderie of the woman engaged in meeting men on their own ground. “Mary Stevens, M.D.” is the dramatic story of a woman surgeon whose every minute of life was one of action and excitement. oo KAY FRANCIS | Star of “Mary Stevens, M.D.” at the Strand. Cut No.6 Out i15ce Mat de cided views on the subject. Happily married herself to Kenneth McKenna, actor and director, the brunnette star holds that the woman with a career has, if anything, a better chance of “making a go” of marriage than her sister in private life. “For one thing, the woman in public life, whether she is an actress, a writer, a lawyer, or a doctor,’ says Miss Francis, “knows much more about the delicate art of adjusting oneself to other human beings than the average housewife. And since marriage is 90 per cent a question of adjustment and compromise, the woman with a career has everything in her favor.” As an eminent child specialist in “Mary Stevens, M.D.,” Miss Francis is assisted by Lyle Talbot in the role of the physician who is in love with her, and Glenda Farrell, as her office nurse and chief confidante. Lloyd Bacon directed the picture, which is adapted from a celebrated novel by Virginia Kellogg. The screen play is from the pen of Rian James. Page Three