Doctor in Love

By 1960 Dirk Bogarde deemed himself too old and serious to continue as Simon Sparrow in the series of medical romps from Richard Gordon's novels. Instead Michael Craig, a former extra who looked similar though more thickset, was top-billed in "Doctor in Love". That he and his partner Leslie Phillips should be named Drs Burke and Hare says everything about a string of mildly farcical incidents, laced with lavender-blue dialogue poised on the brink of permissiveness, which kept the pot boiling for Betty Box and Ralph Thomas.

In truth Craig also is too serious for the part. He had just co-written the anti-trade union screenplay for "The Angry Silence" and seems preoccupied, letting the ebullient Phillips treat him as a stooge in almost every joint scene. There are other dampeners. Lancelot Spratt (James Robertson Justice) is no longer hovering continuously in the background as the ogre of the medical school-- the doctors are taking first steps in general practice-- and the love interests are Carole Lesley (aka Maureen Rippingdale) and Virginia Maskell, both of whom could have featured in a "Pinewood Babylon" sleaze book as future suicides. Poor Miss Maskell, Craig's love interest, had the saddest starlet's eyes since Gail Russell.

Never mind: there's Joan Sims and Liz Fraser as randy strippers to enliven the earlier sequence in a cold-cure laboratory, plus Irene Handl playing against her usual charlady type as a very butch, tweedy female professor. More camp comes from the inimitable Reggie Beckwith as factotum in Craig's surgery-- "I'm a sort of Universal Aunt, you might say"-- and he puts on a fine drunk scene in a police station. For star spotters there is a glimpse of "Last of the Summer Wine"'s Peter Sallis, unbilled, as a patient. Other Britflick support favourites such as chinless wonder Nicholas Phipps, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier pop up.

One episode embroiling Spratt in a police raid on a strip club next to a lecture hall is notably well staged. The film rolls briskly along: Thomas, never more than a journeyman, was rarely less than competent at storytelling, a skill sadly missed these days. Three years later he persuaded Bogarde to come back for a final crack at Sparrow in "Doctor in Distress".

Things are all change at the hospital when Sir Lancelot Spratt announces his retirement. However Dr Hare is distracted already suffering with illness before being placed on the ward with jaundice. It is here where he meets nurse Sally Nightingale and woes her away from Dr Hinxman – only to have her do a runner with some other man, ditching the both of them. With Hare broken hearted, Dr Burke suggests they head away for a few weeks and decide upon an experimental medical commune testing cold remedies. Of course the fact that two of the other 'guinea pigs' are exotic dancers don't help the two horny doctors abide by the rules, bringing them into conflict with the strict and professional staff.

With this being the fourth film in the Doctor series, nobody can really complain that they don't know what they are getting themselves into. And so it is with the usual mix of flirtatious humour and shambolic plot that this film opens and continues in that fashion. Early on the film establishes that this is about the usual antics of the women-loving doctors, and that's about the lot of the plot. It very much depends on your sense of humour – if you like fairly basic, Carry On type of stuff then you should at least be amused by this. This is not to say that it is inventive or witty, because it isn't and most of it just treads along a fairly ordinary road without really making more than the most basic of efforts. Like another reviewer noted, it makes for a good 'wet Sunday afternoon' film because it is nicely dated and has a comic air to it even if it has few actual laughs. If anything the actual plot (involving Hare) bogs down the film, while the other more bawdry scenes at least have a sense of fun.

In this film in the series Dirk Bogarde stepped out and was replaced temporarily by Michael Craig; suffice to say he cannot really compare with the usual lead. He does his best but he doesn't make a mark – a fact not helped by the collection of very famous British actors that surround him. The usual old cad, Leslie Phillips steals his scenes with his usual performance. Likewise Justice does well with only limited screen time. Sims and Fraser are instantly recognisable but I was never really convinced they were strippers – if they were then they were certainly the least erotic 'erotic dancers' that I've ever seen! The support cast shows the omnipresent John Le Mesurier in a minor role as well as appearances for Nicholas Parsons, Beckwith and a cameo for a young looking Peter Sallis (of Summer Wine and Wallace & Gromit fame).

Overall this is a fairly broad film that never really hits the mark. The plot mixes a story about a sick boy with a load of detached sexual humour and neither of them really got me into the film. Laughs are pretty thin on the ground even if it does have a broadly comic air to it. The cast is impressive on paper but it is only a couple of them that manage to make an impact without much to work with in terms of material (Phillips steals scenes with his usual personae more than scripted lines). The downside of this cast is that the supposed 'lead' is totally lost and becomes the least interesting of all those involved.

Just caught this film on the Talking Pictures TV channel, and thought I might as well watch it.

I thought that I had seen them all but apparently not, it's ok and pretty much par for the course.

There is absolutely no need to look for any kind of plot in these movies, they were always bereft of such frivolities.

Rather like the Carry On movies that I suppose should be thought of as their successors, or rather more of the Follow On's.

Oh dear I am afraid that is an example of my jokes and also somewhat, of the level of humour presented in these films.

They are all both improbable and predictable in their sets, scenes and characters, which fits in perfectly with the plethora of different actors.

What saved the movie for me from the usual run of them is the inimitable, James Robertson Justice as the irascible Sir Lancelot Spratt.

Personally he is the film he has by far the best lines and provides easily, the funniest scenes in the entire film.

The plot such as it is is so light in substance but I must say the movie is pleasant. I very much doubt people who never sat in a cinema watching these movies will enjoy it, for me its a lovely memory.Not much happens in the movie and you might smile but don't expect any big laughs.James Robertson Justice as always walks away with the film. I sometimes find Leslie Philips a little annoying and although very sauve he comes across as rather sleezy. Joan Sims has a delightful, all too brief cameo. Its funny how the world has changed, these days the guys in this movie would be up on sexual harrassement charges. Its perfectly normal in this movie for doctors to flirt with nurses. This was a much kinder time. THese days men cant flirt and its safer to be gay. Dirk is not there but Michael Craig is a pleasant leading man. He is very good looking and he gives a gentle performance. Its all very sweet, restrained and under played. Craig came to Australia for the JCW management to star in a few west end comedies and later residing here and became much loved as a TV performer in shows such as Medical Centre"

I you are a fan of the British 'Doctor' films, this one is an example of one of the movies without the familiar Dirk Bogarde playing Dr. Sparrow. Instead, this one focuses on two other doctors, Burke and Hare (see IMDb Trivia for more about that)--two screw-ups who spend much of their time chasing women and trying to make a go of it in jobs outside of the hospital. As usual, James Robertson Justice is on hand but Dr. Spratt is seen less in this one because so much of the picture is set outside the hospital.

Like the other Doctor films, this one is a combination of light comedy and drama. A few of the funnier bits involved Burke and Hare hanging out at a research center investigating the common cold as well as Dr. Spratt attending a naughty show when the police make a raid. But the movie also has its touching moments, such as the dying boy. All in all, a very good film but also light and enjoyable as well--more an excellent time-passer than anything else.