The Murder of Dr. Harrigan is based on a "Nurse Sarah Keats" mystery novel by Mignon Eberhardt. The middle-aged protagonist of the novel has been transformed into pretty, young nurse Sally Keating (
Kay Linaker), in love with handsome doctor George Lambert (
Ricardo Cortez). The founder of the hospital where Sally works disappears while en route to the operating room. Not long afterward, chief surgeon Dr Harrigan (
John Eldredge) is mysteriously murdered by?whom? The key to the mystery is the formula for a revolutionary new anesthetic -- and there's plenty of suspects (including the perennial
Mary Astor), motive and opportunity. Nurse Keating does a little mental "bypass surgery" on the police and figures out the mystery herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide