Doctor Bull is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford,[1][2] based on the James Gould Cozzens novel The Last Adam. Will Rogers portrays a small-town doctor who must deal with a typhoid outbreak in the community.

Doctor Bull
Film poster
Directed byJohn Ford
Written byJames Gould Cozzens
Paul Green
Philip Klein
Jane Storm
Produced byWinfield R. Sheehan
StarringWill Rogers
Vera Allen
CinematographyGeorge Schneiderman
Edited byLouis R. Loeffler
Distributed byFox Film Corporation
Release date
  • September 22, 1933 (1933-09-22)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film was well praised by The New York Times, which noted that the story is similar to that of Lionel Barrymore's film One Man's Journey when it premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.[3] Andy Devine met his future wife during the making of this picture. The film was one of Fox's biggest hits of the year.[4]

Plot

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George Bull is a doctor in the small country town of New Winton. Dr. Bull spends most of his waking hours going from one house call to the next. What little free time he has is spent with his best friend Janet, a widow of five years, leading to much gossip amongst the townspeople.

Dr. Bull discovers a typhoid epidemic in New Winton and vaccinates the schoolchildren. This leads to the parents holding a town meeting to recall Dr. Bull. Fed up with the long hours and constant complaints, Dr. Bull tells them he doesn't care if he gets kicked out of town. However, the town meeting is adjourned without dismissing Dr. Bull.

After a serum he whipped up cures a cow of its paralysis, Dr. Bull tries it on a paralyzed man. The man walks again. Dr. Bull confesses his love toward Janet. They get married, and as they board the train to their honeymoon, they receive news that the medical community is astonished at Dr. Bull's new paralysis cure.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ Tag Gallagher (1988). John Ford: The Man and His Films. University of California Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-520-06334-1.
  2. ^ "Doctor Bull (1933)". Pre Code. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  3. ^ Hall, Mordaunt (October 6, 1933). "Movie Review – Will Rogers as a Country Doctor in a Film Version of James Gould Couzens's Novel, 'The Last Adam.'". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  4. ^ D. W. (November 25, 1934). "TAKING A LOOK AT THE RECORD". New York Times. ProQuest 101193306.
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