{"id":9967,"date":"2009-10-29T11:04:25","date_gmt":"2009-10-29T18:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=9967"},"modified":"2021-01-19T20:59:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T03:59:33","slug":"vigil-in-the-night-1940","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=9967","title":{"rendered":"Vigil in the Night (1940)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There is nothing so good as a good nurse, and nothing so bad as a bad one.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster-300x233.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"233\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-64561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster-128x100.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster-347x270.jpg 347w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-Night-Poster.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA dedicated nurse (Carole Lombard) takes responsibility for a death caused by her uncertified sister (Anne Shirley), and leaves to work at a large urban hospital, where she develops a relationship with a handsome surgeon (Brian Aherne) and fights to help fund a plague ward.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brian Aherne Films<\/li>\n<li>Carole Lombard Films<\/li>\n<li>Doctors and Nurses<\/li>\n<li>Do-Gooders<\/li>\n<li>George Stevens Films<\/li>\n<li>Peter Cushing Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAt the time she agreed to star in George Stevens&#8217; adaptation of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A.J._Cronin\">A.J. Cronin<\/a>&#8216;s serial novel <em>Vigil in the Night<\/em>, Carole Lombard was attempting to break out of typecasting as a screwball actress by taking on more &#8220;serious&#8221; roles. Unfortunately, her choice of &#8220;breakthrough&#8221; material is little more than a sappy soaper about a do-gooding nurse (Lombard) <em>a la<\/em> Florence Nightingale who&#8217;s willing to give up all personal gain for the sake of helping others. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-1024x770.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"481\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-1024x770.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-768x577.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2-359x270.png 359w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard2.png 1369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Her first act of selflessness, which sets the story in motion, is accepting responsibility for a negligent death caused by her immature younger sister (Anne Shirley):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-1024x770.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"481\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-1024x770.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley-359x270.png 359w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Shirley.png 1363w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>who carelessly abandons the bedside of a terminally ill boy at just the wrong moment. Leaving her sister behind to finish her nursing certification, Lombard quickly moves on to a grueling position at a hospital in London, where a potential romance with a handsome surgeon (Aherne) is hinted at but never develops:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-1024x774.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"484\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-1024x774.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-768x581.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne-357x270.png 357w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Lombard-Aherne.png 1369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instead, Lombard&#8217;s Nurse Lee stalwartly deals with crisis after crisis, never losing her head, and always fighting for &#8220;what&#8217;s right&#8221; against stony head nurses and sleazy benefactors. She may be plucky and honorable, but the truth is she&#8217;s terribly uninteresting as a character; we long for Lombard to break into manic screwball mode, even for just a moment! The primary redeeming feature of this predictable weeper is Robert De Grasse&#8217;s luminous cinematography.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Robert De Grasse&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-1024x767.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-64567\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-1024x767.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/Vigil-in-the-Night-Still5.png 1379w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; feel free to skip this one. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033221\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3613vigi.html?utm_medium=Email&#038;utm_source=ExactTarget&#038;utm_campaign=\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1940\/03\/09\/archives\/the-screen-vigil-in-the-night-a-sobersided-drama-of-nursing-opens-a.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/3629\/vigil-in-the-night#articles-reviews?articleId=208624\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There is nothing so good as a good nurse, and nothing so bad as a bad one.&#8221; Synopsis: A dedicated nurse (Carole Lombard) takes responsibility for a death caused by her uncertified sister (Anne Shirley), and leaves to work at a large urban hospital, where she develops a relationship with a handsome surgeon (Brian Aherne) and fights to help fund a plague ward. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Brian Aherne Films Carole Lombard Films Doctors and Nurses Do-Gooders George Stevens&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=9967\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9967"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64569,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9967\/revisions\/64569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}