The Citadel – 1938 | 110 mins | Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

An inspiring, impressively constructed adaptation of A.J. Cronin’s best-selling novel, The Citadel is a gripping portrait of both idealism and its disillusionment. An idealistic young doctor Andrew Manson (Robert Donat), devotes himself to fighting poverty and rampant Tuberculosis in a Welsh mining village, and later marries the schoolteacher Christine (Rosalind Russell), who faithfully stands by his side. He moves on to London where, after months of struggle, his ideals become corroded when he gains entry to wealthy society hypochondriacs. Only the death of a close friend Denny (Ralph Richardson) at the hands of a high-priced but incompetent surgeon (Cecil Parker) brings him to his senses. He risks being struck off by his association with a non-qualified practitioner to help save a child’s life, but his own impassioned plea to the General Medical Council saves his career.