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
Menu
Disc #1 -- Captain Newman, M.D.
Play
Scenes
Languages
Spoken Languages: English
Spoken Languages: Español
Subtitles: English SDH
Subtitles: Español
Subtitles: Français
Subtitles: Off
Chapters
Disc #1 -- Captain Newman, M.D.
1. The Psycho Ward [Main Titles] [11:12]
2. Morning Rounds [6:57]
3. A New Orderly [4:59]
4. ABC's of Psychiatry [4:24]
5. Thoroughly Qualified [9:39]
6. Mr. Future [11:04]
7. Sharing the Salami [7:08]
8. Recruiting Patients [4:31]
9. Flak Juice [2:19]
10. Shot Down [8:04]
11. Medical Discharge [9:22]
12. Herding Sheep [6:23]
13. Postwar Plans [4:11]
14. Under Lock & Key [9:39]
15. Holiday Shenanigans [5:49]
16. Deep, Dark, Safe [4:26]
17. Merry Christmas [5:51]
18. Going Nuts [8:40]
Leo Rosten Richard L. Breen Henry Ephron Phoebe Ephron
Set Designers
Howard Bristol
Others
Art Director - Alexander Golitzen
Art Director - Alfred Sweeney
Book Author - Leo Rosten
Cinematographer - Russell Metty
Composer (Music Score) - Frank Skinner
Costume Designer - Rosemary Odell
Makeup - Bud Westmore
Special Effects - Walter Hammond
While not without its faults, "Captain Newman, M.D." is an entertaining, well-intentioned film that benefits from its sterling cast. Where "Newman" is less fortunate is in its screenplay, which vacillates between comedy and drama and never quite finds the appropriate balance between the two. There's also a structural problem inherent in "Newman": it stars Gregory Peck and with a star of that magnitude must focus on him. But the character of Newman is more of an observer and reactor than a participant and catalyst, and so the film keeps shifting its focus away from the star and onto the supporting players. Director David Miller does what he can to correct these flaws, but his efforts are only partially successful. Fortunately, the screenplay compensates for its flaws with some finely realized characters and some flavorful dialogue. Peck is a bit stiff in "Newman", a tendency he had to fight against in many roles, but his star power counts for a lot. Angie Dickinson is attractive and effective, and James Gregory properly officious, but the best supporting performances come from Eddie Albert, Robert Duvall and the Oscar-nominated Bobby Darin. Darin's performance is the most surprising, revealing much more depth and talent than one would expect from his lighter roles, but Albert is equally as good, and Duvall impressive in a part that requires little speaking. The stories of these 3 men form the dramatic basis of the picture, and they play their parts for all they are worth. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
Gregory Peck : Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1963
Bobby Darin : Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Hollywood Foreign Press Association, 1963
Richard L. Breen : Best Adapted Screenplay - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1963
Henry Ephron : Best Adapted Screenplay - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1963
Phoebe Ephron : Best Adapted Screenplay - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1963
Waldon O. Watson : Best Sound - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1963
Bobby Darin : Best Supporting Actor - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sc, 1963
