A pre-stardom
Mickey Rooney earned top billing when this minor medical drama was re-released in 1939 as
Little Pal (Rooney by then having become the nation's top box-office draw).
Ralph Bellamy stars as Dr. Holden, aka "The Healer," a medical doctor operating a charity camp at a mineral spring in the Adirondacks. When vacationing socialite Joan Bradshaw (
Judith Allen) is thrown from her horse, Dr. Holden performs a tricky operation that restores her to perfect health. They fall in love, but Joan has a less than savory influence on the good doctor, who forgets all about his charity work in general and lame little Jimmy (Rooney) in particular. Does Mickey regain the use of his limbs when devoted Nurse Allen (
Karen Morley) has an accident and does Dr. Holden finally come to his senses for the same reason? Why, yes! The Healer was based on a novel by Robert Herrick that, not surprisingly, dated back to 1911. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide