On her way to Chicago, beautiful brunette Ruth Hussey (as Hedy) picks up three hitchhiking Marines named Tom, Dick and Harry. Their last names are Smith, Smith and Smith. Stopping to visit her hometown, Ms. Hussey notices tall, dark and handsome John Carroll (as Morgan Hale) and thinks he is her childhood friend Smedley "Smed" Hoover. He's not. Hussey's uncle, kindly country doctor Charles Ruggles (as J.H. "Doc" Fredericks), is overworked and wants his niece to stay in town...
Hussey is a physician, plastic surgeon and psychologist. When Mr. Carroll falls in love with her, the men conspire to keep Hussey around. Carroll pretends he has a screw loose. This is a surreally-written Andrew Stone-directed comedy. Hussey and Carroll are a charming pair. Esther Dale (as Gravitt) and the supporting characters are all fine. Re-titled "Her Favorite Patient" and available on budget labels, this breezy "Bedside Manner" should be afforded a restoration and higher profile.
******* Bedside Manner (6/8/45) Andrew Stone ~ Ruth Hussey, John Carroll, Charles Ruggles, Ann Rutherford
