The Patient in Room 18

1938 "$100,000 worth of radium vanishes...three men are mysteriously killed...a corpse comes back from the dead...and it's only the beginning folks, only the beginning!"
5.9| 0h57m| en
Details

Choreographer Bob Connolly and prolific screenwriter Crane Wilbur teamed up on the direction of Warner Bros.' The Patient in Room 18. Patric Knowles delivers a delightfully comic performance as Lance, an outwardly normal young man obsessed with detective stories. When his obsession threatens to lapse over into lunacy, Lance is sent to the hospital for a nice long rest. It isn't long before he gets mixed up in a genuine murder mystery, using his second-hand knowhow to solve the case. Up-and-coming Ann Sheridan is quite amusing as Lance's nurse and confidante, while the murderer is played by a fellow who is usually cast as the murder victim.

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Reviews

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.
MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
mark.waltz I wouldn't feel very safe in the hospital here where Ann Sheridan works as head nurse. Murderers slip easily in and out, and as the drunken security guard peaks in the window, his fate is instantly sealed as well. Yes, it's a dark and stormy night, and as nurse Sheridan, locked in a hospital room, crawls out a window, she comes back in totally drenched and seems to just continue her duties. The murdered patient was strapped in bed with medical radium attached to his chest, and the head of the hospital is accused of the killing. The various subplots involving unfaithful spouses, a detective (Patric Knowles) who sleepwalks in ghastly pajamas and all round unethical behavior at a place of medical healing. Knowles and Sheridan spar somewhat amusingly, but none of the other characters seem to be really well developed even if the drunken security guard and Knowles' valet offer a few funny lines in their brief time on screen. The majority of the plot escaped me within less than 24 hours so I had to research it further to remind myself of what I had just wasted an hour on. Like Busby Berkeley with several dramas the same year, Warner Brothers gave the direction of this non-musical to another dance director on their payroll, Bobby Connelly, showing almost a desperation in which to wrap up their contract since their musical unit was pretty much kaput by 1938.
David (Handlinghandel) Don't worry. This won't make you fear hospitals. It is just a tepid variation on the standard romantic mystery/comedy. Hidden radium. Doctors who are maybe good and maybe bad. Servants who may be servants or may be something else. It is truly standard issue. Ann Sheridan's name in the cast list drew me to this. But she is very subdued. Patric Knowles is OK but not very exciting. The supporting cast is OK, too. But just OK. And the plot is adequate. It holds together, though it is at times a bit confusing.The title is intriguing. And the director did some fine work -- but as a writer. It won't kill you but don't expect it to cure anything, either.
Ron Oliver Private Thatcher Hospital is suffering a spate of murders, but THE PATIENT IN ROOM 18 - a young detective recovering from a nervous breakdown - is determined to find the killer.Fast-moving & fun, this is another example of the comedy crime picture that Warner Brothers was so expert at producing almost without effort. Casts & plots could be shuffled endlessly, with very predictable results. While this assembly line approach created few classics, audience enjoyment could usually be assured.Patric Knowles & Ann Sheridan spark the action here. As a convalescing detective & stern head nurse with romantic difficulties in their recent past, they keep the plot racing - especially after murder rears its ugly head. Knowles, who never quite graduated to starring roles in major pictures, shows a fine flair for comedy. Sleepwalking down the street dressed in pajamas & bowler, he is indeed a very droll sight. Sheridan shows flashes of the talent that would eventually make her an important star at Warner Brothers.Unfortunately, the two most potentially interesting characters in the film - Eric Stanley's English valet & Greta Meyer's German cook - are given very little to do. And what about the film's other mystery: just what is so special about Room 18?
SkippyDevereaux A very competent film made by Warner Brothers in 1938. Good performances by Patric Knowles and Ann Sheridan and of course by one of my favorite character actors, Charles Trowbridge!! All about the murder of a patient and then stolen radium and then solving this whodunit!! Warner Brothers had a knack for churning out these type of "B" movies and they are very good at it. I could spend all day watching this type of film. If you get the chance to see this film, then you should, as it only is around an hour long and very entertaining!!