MovieChat Forums > Kings Row (1942) Discussion > How did that sadistic doctor get away wi...

How did that sadistic doctor get away with his crimes?

posted 17 years ago by Altho73
18 replies | jump to latest

Considering that this film was made at a time when the Hays Code was at its most restrictive how was that sadistic doctor able to get away with all his horrific crimes, how many people's lives did he ruin carrying out unecessary operations and he deserved to be justifiably punished.

I would have enjoyed the film much more and I think the ending would have been far more satisfactory had we seen that doctor being convicted and sentenced to a lengthy term in a hell hole of a prison.

[–] ghostfan 17 years ago

Well, technically, he's NOT going to get away with his crimes, because Louise is going to tell all, right? Too little, too late, but I think it is an improvement over the book.

[–] rainingviolets 17 years ago

he got away with his crimes, probably because, the Hayes office approved of his methods.
to punish the transgressor-

[–] marktayloruk (2375) 2 years ago

He died in the book I believe.

[–] deering24 14 years ago

Look at it this way--by Louise revealing the truth about him, the doctor (and his awful wife) will be punished by the "death" of his reputation, which they cherished above everything. Since the doctor is dead, it will be like dying twice--physically and in the minds of those who live after him. And his wife will be ostracized for his crimes--a living death.

[–] usnjohn62 14 years ago

I think the reason he got away with what he did, was because of what Arthur Harmon said once in an episode of Maude. I forget the exact dialogue, but he once said in response to what Maude asked him "Its the God thing". referring to the fact that some people see doctors as gods, especially in a small community where they would be the only doctor. With all the friction that went on between Drake and the doctor, I would imaging that the doctor would have been his last choice.

*Can we assume that the doctor used chloroform when doing the amputation, since it appears as though Drake didn't know about the operation, until he woke up?

[–] deering24 14 years ago

usnjohn62--Yep. In small towns of the time, certain people (judges, doctors, ministers, businessmen, etc.) had great power. They were regarded as the final word on everything, especially when it came to upholding mainstream "standards." And those standards invariably worked against "outsiders"--non-whites, foreigners, and women who didn't know their "place." And it took a long time for their power to get challenged--for example, it wasn't until the 1960's (for example) that people couldn't be involuntarily committed by doctors/relatives.

[–] oldblackandwhite 14 years ago

Another way to view it: We can assume by his attitude Dr. Gordon died unrepentant of his sins and got his punishment from The Big Guy.

He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45

[–] vinidici 14 years ago

Seconded, old b&w! Even if the modern trend is to dismiss biblical concepts, it's certainly true that the majority of the original film audiences of "Kings Row" believed in those concepts in 1942.

Secret Message, HERE!-->CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've discovered the Secret Message!

[–] oldblackandwhite 14 years ago

Nice seeing you again, vindici. Too bad the msg board on KR is not as much fun as the one for Roaring Twenties. We seem to watch the same old, old movies.

Answer to your post: Amen!

He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45

[–] vinidici 14 years ago

Well, I can take in a new or fairly recent flick every now & then, but to be honest, my time is limited for viewing movies new OR old :( But, yeah, I loves my old classics! Can't beat 'em!

Secret Message, HERE!-->CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've discovered the Secret Message!

[–] lanatic001 14 years ago

I must agree with oldblackandwhite & vinidici. Dr Gordon WAS punished because he was dead, and of course God-fearing people believe that we get what's coming to us in the next world.

Of course it's very different from the book - Louise's fate was changed enormously when the film was made!

[–] geoffzman04 10 years ago

like to see some proof of the afterworld...coz there's gonna be a big big line!

[–] justaudrey 13 years ago

A good point. Ultimately, we are all judged on our love.

[–] thundercloud47 11 years ago

The book Kings Row was written by an author who grew up in a small town in Missouri called Fulton. He based his novel on Fulton. To protect himself from lawsuits he changed the names of the people but left enough geographical data in the book to let them know he was writing about them.

In real life the sadistic Dr. got away with his crimes. His house still stands on the corner of 5th and Bluff street in Fulton. That's not it's original location. Back in the late 90's it was moved from it's original location newr Westminister College to it's current location. The current owners actually tore it down and moved it board by board and then reassembled it. It was cheaper that way because the City of Fulton was going to charge them an arm and two legs for relocating electrical lines if they moved the house intact.

Back in the 70's me and some friends talked of renting that same home but nothing ever came of it.

They said that when the Dr was alive you could walk by his house and hear people screaming as he operated on them. At the time he practiced he could have used chlorform but on certain patients he always had an excuse for not doing it. Those patients were always people who had done or were doing things he did not approve of.

[–] artistathome 11 years ago

If this was a real doctor doing these operations without chloroform, and people knew about it, why in the world would anyone go to this guy for anything?

If it is fiction and only in a book, well you can make that stuff up.
But now you say it is about Fulton. And it really happened.

Again, WHY would anyone do that if you can get in your car or buggy and go to the next town and be put to sleep?

Strange. Or maybe the patiens thought he would use the chloroform and at last minute he said no and started cutting?

Again, a good reason NOT to go to him.

[–] brokedickdog7 10 years ago

Interesting post thundercloud47.

I just watched Kings Row again. I saw it once many years ago. After reading your post I ran a search and found these links-

http://lit.newcity.com/2011/07/27/tragic-consequences-fulton-missouri- set-the-stage-for-the-henry-bellamann-novel-kings-row-and-a-future-for -a-young-ronald-reagan/

http://www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/07-27-11-tragic-consequences-fu lton-missouri-set-the-stage-for-the-henry-bellamann-novel-kings-row.ht ml

I ran a search for Dr. Noah Frank Baker and found nothing. The second link states he was "much respected" and I found no information to indicate he was the vindictive fiend that Dr. Gordon was in the film. Do you know otherwise?

Anesthetics of that time sometimes could not be used during surgeries due to complications like high blood pressure, side effects of ether, chloroform and others under certain circumstances. The patient had no choice but to endure surgery without anesthesia. In war in the 20th century and perhaps still field doctors and medics could sometimes not use morphine or synthetic pain relievers during amputations due to blood pressure and other medical conditions.

I'd like to read the book.

Many feel this was Ronald Reagan's finest role. I do not disagree.

An excellent film.

[–] mark.waltz 8 years ago

It's a shame that this is one of the true villain roles that Charles Coburn played. He was best known for playing rascally old codgers mixing with the young or domineering wealthy patriarchs who are still basically decent.

I, like other posters, am fascinated by this tale, and once tried a modern variation for creative writing purposes that documented the story like a daytime serial. My observations about Gordon is his gentility with Paris's grandmother, yet his judgmental attitudes towards Drake and the poor. When Paris brings him up to Dr. Towers, his response sums it up. If I recall my writing, I had Mrs. Gordon being visited in her dreams by her husband's tortured spirit, her coming to terms by realizing her part in hiding his deeds and damning him for it, and evil spirits grabbing him away. I did write it before "Ghost", so my young imagination was perhaps influenced by some old Bela Lugosi movies I had seen.

Ironically, not long after, Dame Judith Anderson did end up on a soap opera ("Santa Barbara"), while Nancy Coleman had been on "Ryan's Hope" a few short years before I saw this film for the first time.

"Great theater makes you smile. Outstanding theater may make you weep."

[–] marktayloruk (2375) 2 years ago

If anyone tried to operate on me like that I'd give him a choice - either you let me take the risk of anaesthetic or I operate on you!