La dama bianca

Based on the memoirs of her character Ann Dunning Barringer, June Allyson gets to play a woman doctor at a time when there weren't too many. The time of the turn of the last century is captured very well.

Her own role model is that of Mildred Dunnock also a physician of the female gender who has had to be most discreet in order to earn a living in the medical profession. Allyson is not about discretion.

In fact as Allyson becomes a hero to the nurses in and around 1900 it wasn't that long ago that Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton opened the nursing profession for women. For them Allyson is dreaming the impossible dream.

The men in her life include Arthur Kennedy whom she breaks things off with because he a doctor wants his woman home with supper on the table and her supervisor Gary Merrill who also thinks there are men doctors and women nurses and the twain shall not meet. A man who believes in specific gender roles.

The Girl In White has a fine ensemble cast who give great support to Allyson who must have been grateful to get away from girl next door roles.