Summary
In a poignant exploration of entangled affections and the cruel caprices of fate, 'Doctor Neighbor' unfurls the tragic odyssey of Hazel Rogers, a young heiress ensnared by the icy allure of District Attorney Hamilton Powers. Despite the fervent, protective devotion of her guardian, the esteemed surgeon Dr. Joel Samson, Hazel succumbs to Powers' calculated charm, oblivious to his true affections for Christine, her confidante and a skilled nurse. This ill-fated union, vehemently opposed by Samson, swiftly deteriorates as Powers, denied control of Hazel's immense fortune, retreats into a morass of indifference and ambition, abandoning her for the bustling legal landscape of New York. A devastating automobile accident leaves Hazel a shattered invalid, her suffering a relentless, agonizing companion. In a moment of unbearable torment, she implores her attending physician, Dr. Neighbor, for release. It is Christine, overwhelmed by love and anguish for her friend, who tragically complies, administering a fatal dose of morphine. Dr. Neighbor, discovering the syringe, shoulders the burden of this secret. Powers, driven by a simmering animosity towards the doctor, instigates an investigation, leading to Dr. Neighbor's unjust accusation. The subsequent trial becomes a crucible where truth is forged from despair, as Christine, unable to bear the weight of her silence, confesses, exonerating the stoic physician who ultimately dedicates his life in a final act of self-sacrifice for another patient.
Synopsis
Hazel Rogers, a young girl eighteen years old and heiress in her own right to millions through the death of her father, falls in love with Hamilton Powers, the District Attorney. Powers is cold, calculating, indifferent, wrapped up in his law; attentive to Hazel, but in love with Christine, a trained nurse and a school friend of Hazel's and she, too loves Powers. Hazel's mother, Mrs. Albert Rogers, lives with Hazel. Dr. Joel Samson, the famous surgeon, forty-two years old, warm-hearted, upright, respected, loves Hazel, who is his ward. He is guardian of her millions until her twenty-first birthday, and in the event of her death, previous to her twenty-first birthday, sole heir to her estate. Hazel eventually marries Powers, very much against the wish of Dr. Samson, with the usual result. Powers failing in his request to Dr. Samson to obtain the management of Hazel's money, becomes morbid, indifferent, cold to Hazel and after a few months of married life he leaves her in her magnificent home on Long Island and goes to New York City to better practice his law. Mrs. Preston and Morgan Keith, two hangers-on, are at this time visiting Hazel in her home. One day Powers comes down from town and sees Hazel have a scene. Hazel, desperate, goes out alone for a spin in her auto. Driving too fast, she meets with an accident and is thrown violently out. Her back is fractured. She is brought home a helpless, hopeless invalid. Her suffering is intense. Dr. Neighbor attends Hazel. Christine nurses her. One night in her agony she begs Dr. Neighbor to put her out of her misery. Christine, heartbroken, and almost distracted with love and agony for her suffering friend, administers an overdose of morphine. Hazel never awakens. Dr. Neighbor finds the hypo needle which Christine has left on the table. He puts it in his pocket. He knows. Powers' dislike of Dr. Neighbor causes him to investigate, and the doctor is accused. Dr. Neighbor keeps silent. At the trial Christine confesses all and Dr. Neighbor is freed. Dr. Neighbor later gives his life for a patient.
Review Excerpt
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Stepping back into the hallowed, hushed halls of early cinema, one encounters ‘Doctor Neighbor,’ a 1916 release that, even through the sepia-toned veil of time, radiates an emotional intensity rarely matched. This isn't just a story; it's a profound meditation on human frailty, the corrosive power of ambition, and the enduring, often heartbreaking, nature of love and sacrifice. Directed with an understated elegance typical of the era, the film, penned by Agnes Hay, navigates a labyrinthine ..."
