The life of physicians in the police ward of a metropolitan hospital provide the string for this sometimes interesting but slow-moving drama which takes a while to get off the ground. The mysterious girl in 419 is none other than Gloria Stuart, that beloved old lady from 1997's "Titanic", and here, she is as troubled as the younger version of that character. She's the victim of a brutal beating and her story becomes a mystery for her physicians (James Dunn and David Manners) who become engrossed in her case.There's an interesting structure surrounding this with the wise-cracking telephone operator (Kitty Kelly) whose glib persona provides the film's only humor. The other attempt at humor comes with the over-the-top Billy Gilbert whose constant attempts to sneeze (as usual for him) is interrupted by his heavily accented "No feel da tickle". There's also the various "slice of life" moments, such as one moment where a patient leaves the hospital, thanking the doctors for such fine care, and their comment on how they only saved him for the electric chair. The operation scene on Stuart is interrupted by a sudden blast of gunfire and the determination of the doctors to continue while trying to ignore what is going on. This leads to a somewhat shocking moment for the two workers at the hospital in the midst of stealing a romantic moment together that is for some reason left open without conclusion.Dunn and Manners are such opposite actors that their teaming seems a bit off the beam. With the exception of the last half of the film, Stuart spends much of her time comatose, so this isn't an opportunity for her to shine, although she certainly is lovely. Yet, this is such a rare find that if you are lucky enough to catch a viewing of it, you won't want to miss it.

who is a great surgeon at Emergency Hospital in an unnamed city. The action focuses on the police division of the hospital - where criminals and their victims are taken and treated. Actually, I've never seen such an early film with a hospital wing dedicated to crime, but it serves the plot well since it explains how Dunn's character, Dr. Daniel French, is so well known by both the criminal element and the police in the town.The film opens with Dunn being called out to ride along with the ambulance on a case - the shooting of the leader of one of the local gangs. However, when French arrives the police inform him he's too late, the mobster has died. Furthermore the police inform him they have no clues as to who did it. French is apparently more observant than the police, speculating by certain clues in the room that a woman was involved. When the doctor returns to the hospital he's met by another case. An anonymous woman (Gloria Stuart) has been brought in. She's unconscious and has been badly beaten. As French works tirelessly to try and save her life, he finds he's falling for this sleeping beauty. Add to this the unusual interest the head of another gang in the city is taking in her case and I think you know where this is going. Complicating factor - the nurse who is assisting French on the girl's case was French's girlfriend and does not appreciate being thrown over, although you have to wonder what she thought was going to happen since up to now the sound of wedding bells had the effect of a fire alarm on Dr. French.There are other rather comic things going on in the hospital to prevent the film from getting bogged down in melodrama. There's a patient in the hospital that is on the verge of breaking the world record for length of a sneezing fit, there's a lovable little orderly who is trying to woo one of the laundry girls who only seems interested in getting a genuine fur coat, and finally there is David Manners, who plays a young doctor who looks up to French like a kid brother to an older brother and wants nothing more than to follow in his footsteps and specialize in surgery.Dunn and Manners complement each other well here. Dunn's performance is mainly verbal, while Manners' is primarily facial expressions and mannerisms that are quite telling, and in the end he figures to be a larger part of the conclusion than his small amount of screen time would lead you to believe. There are a couple of rather interesting precode moments. The first has nothing to do with the plot. A charity case in the hospital has eight children and wants to talk to Dr. French about putting her "out of production". French says nothing doing and scurries away. Apparently birth control - surgical or otherwise - was forbidden in those days and could get only a tiny disapproving mention even in a precode film. The second precode moment is the conclusion. Such a thing would not be allowed to go unpunished just a year later, even though the guilty party simply did what society could not or would not do but should have done.Highly recommended as an interesting precode that moves along nicely.

Gangster saga set in the Emergency Hospital - Police Division. Rather than showcasing the gangster's charismatic persona, this picture depicts the events that take place at a charity hospital serving the community populated with those gangsters. No James Cagney here but this film bears the unmistakable imprimatur of the early thirties: Wise-cracking telephone operator (Kitty Kelly), when asked for a date of a bus ride, replies "Brother, can you spare the dime?" The joint is populated with reporters, like Slug (Johnny Hines), who pry stories out of the doctors with promises of gin. It comes as no surprise that the characters make easy references to the morgue.Dr. French (James Dunn) is the hospital's prize surgeon, who romances platinum blonde nurse Ms. Blaine (Shirley Grey) while on duty, that is, until platinum blonde patient Mary Dolan (Gloria Stuart) arrives unconscious. Dr. French decides that Mary requires a personal 24/7 vigil because this strikingly beautiful woman is "different" and no one can find the usual dirt on her. Mary is "society" who let herself become mixed up with gangster Peter Lawton (William Harrigan). Lawton's heavy, Sammy (Jack La Rue) intends to visit the unfortunate Mary at her bedside. Sure, he gave Mary "a terrible beating" and he has a gun planted under that bouquet of flowers, but it's okay for him to see the quarantined Mary because they are "pals." This is a hospital where a gangster can ask for a drink upon using it as a hide-out. The Girl in 419 has pre-code elements, but even when those die down the film is memorable for its politically incorrect 30's sensibilities: Dr. French tells the police to "gag" nurse Blaine if she won't shut up, to which the officer responds, "Wouldn't I like to? I've got a missus that talks too much." Recommended although you might find yourself wishing for more Kitty Kelly and less hokey Dunn-Stuart romance which ends the picture.I have become a fan of David Manners, who has a supporting role here as Dr. Nichols. It is sometimes commented that he is dull or not given enough to do. But ask yourself, did his character do what I think he did to bring the film to an end? If so, then this film is an example of pre-code because no justice was meted out for that act. Furthermore, if true, Dr. Nichols was no dull guy!