Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)

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(325 ratings)

Gregory Peck plays a benevolent God-like figure in a white smock as Captain Josiah Newman, the head of a psych-unit at a Southwestern army base during the waning days of World War II. Newman is a patriarchal protector to his patients, preferring to keep him in his ward, rather than return them to… More Gregory Peck plays a benevolent God-like figure in a white smock as Captain Josiah Newman, the head of a psych-unit at a Southwestern army base during the waning days of World War II. Newman is a patriarchal protector to his patients, preferring to keep him in his ward, rather than return them to certain death on the battlefield. The matriarchal figure of the ward is Lieutenant Grace Blodgett (Jane Withers), but Newman is more interested in his assistant Lieutenant Francie Corum (Angie Dickinson), with whom he is having an affair. Further help is provided by human nature expert, Corp. Jackson Laibowitz (Tony Curtis), the orderly. And Newman needs all the help he can get. Particularly with three patients: Colonel Bliss (Eddie Albert) is suffering from a guilt complex from all the men he has sent to death; Corporal Tompkins (Bobby Darin, in an Academy Award-nominated performance), although decorated for bravery in combat, calls himself a coward for failing to save his pal from a burning plane; and Captain Winston (Robert Duvall) is guilt-ridden and has lapsed into catatonia because he had hidden for over a year in the basement of a building in Germany. Although Newman wants to cure these men of their psychological problems, he doesn't want to see them returned to the war to be killed. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By: David Miller
Written By: Richard L. Breen, Henry Ephron, Phoebe Ephron
Genres: Drama, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 25, 1963 Wide
On DVD: Nov 4, 2008
Studio: MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Bobby Darin received his first and only Oscar nomination for playing a shell-shocked soldier-patient under the care of Gregory Peck's military psychiatrist.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

This is the story of a military doctor working at a mental hospital in Arizona catering to soldiers during World War II, and all of the various tuff he has to deal with, from suffering patients, to an oddball new orderly, and a relationship with one of the nurses. The thing that… More
This is the story of a military doctor working at a mental hospital in Arizona catering to soldiers during World War II, and all of the various tuff he has to deal with, from suffering patients, to an oddball new orderly, and a relationship with one of the nurses. The thing that immediately caught my attention was the cast: Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, Eddie Albert. Dick Sargenym and supporting roles by Bobby Darin and Robert Duvall. The cast alone makes this a hell of a picture. It's not just the cast, though. There's a good story here. It's a nice little melodrama typical of the times filled with humor, romance, and sadness, but the cast holds it together. I was really happy with how they were able to blend the laughs with some of the more serious stuff and keep it from being too corny. The cast are great, and so are their performances. Peck is in typical Peck mode, but that's just fine. Curtis is a real scene stealer, providing some of the best laugh moments, a lot of which are caused just because of goofy faces he makes. The real drama is brought by Darin, Albert, and Duvall who all have some terrific moments of real, moving acting. This is just a nice good old fashioned film, but that's okay. I liked it. It's entertaining, yet it tries to do a little more.
jay n

Enjoyable comic drama. Peck is a tower of strength, Angie stalwart, and Tony Curtis most amusing which is welcome when it gets to be heavy going at times. Rest of the cast full of familiar faces perform well. Only problem is that it's overlong.

Cast

            Gregory Peck as Capt. Josiah Newman

            Tony Curtis as Cpl. Jackson Laibowitz

            Angie Dickinson as Lt. Francie Corum

            Eddie Albert as Col. Norval Algate Bliss

            James Gregory as Col. Edgar Pyser

            Bobby Darin as Cpl. Jim Tompkins

            Robert Duvall as Capt. Paul Cabot Winston

            Bethel Leslie as Helene Winston

            Jane Withers as Lt. Grace Blodgett

            Dick Sargent as Lieutenant Alderson

            Larry Storch as Corporal Gavoni

            Robert F. Simon as Lt. Col. Larrabee

            Syl Lamont as Sgt. Kopp

            Vito Scotti as Maj. Alfredo Fortuno

            Graham Denton as Maj. Gen. Snowden

            Gregory Walcott as Capt. Howard

            Charlie Briggs as Gorkow

            Barry Atwater as Maj. Dawes

            Ted Bessel as Carrozzo

            Marc Cavell
            
            Ann Doran as Mrs. Pyser

            Seamon Glass
            
            Jack Grinnage as Patient

            David Landfield as Corporal

            Byron Morrow as Hollingshead

            Penny Santon as Waitress at Blue Grotto

            Amzie Strickland as Kathie

            Joseph Walsh as Maccarades

            Martin West
            
            John Hart as Officer

            Robert Strong as Chaplain

            Howard Dayton
            
            Sammy Reese as Haskell

            David Winters
            
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