I Take This Woman (1940)

A doctor (Spencer Tracy) who works in a small East Side clinic devoted to helping neighborhood patients with limited income falls in love with a well bred fashion model (Hedy Lamarr). In order to keep her in the style she's accustomed to, he takes an unfulfilling position in a high end clinic devoted to servicing Manhattan's elite. Based on the short story A NEW YORK CINDERELLA by Charles MacArthur and directed by W.S. Van Dyke. This movie had a troubled history. It was begun by Josef von Sternberg who was replaced by Frank Borzage and then the film was shelved until W.S. Van Dyke was brought in to complete it. The film is riddled with problems. One minute Tracy is working in a clinic in a poor neighborhood then all of a sudden, he's working in a posh high society private hosptial. What happened in between? Spencer Tracy is a good actor, one of the best but his pairing with Katharine Hepburn aside, he's not a romantic leading man and he has no chemistry with Hedy Lamarr. They made three films together but this was their only romantic pairing. A misguided effort which does the talent involved a disservice. With Laraine Day, Louis Calhern, Verree Teasdale, Kent Taylor, Marjorie Main, Frances Drake, Willie Best, Reed Hadley and Jack Carson, who despite major billing is in the movie for less than a minute.