Carnaby, M.D.

Interestingly, this film is also known as "Carnaby M. D." without any of the characters actually bearing that name. What we do have, though, are the gently comedic hospital antics of "Gaston Grimsdike" (Leslie Philiips) as he attempts to woo nurse "Bancroft" (Shirley Anne Field) whilst simultaneously fixing up his imperious boss "Sir Lancelot Spratt" (James Robertson Justice) with the rather matronly Joan Sims. This film is too long, the jokes are predictable but amusing enough, and the scenarios recycle themselves once too often so after half an hour it is pretty indistinguishable from the other "Doctor" movies. That said, though, the story is still quite engaging in a light and fluffy, harmless, sort of fashion with the women frequently getting the better of the men folks. Probably never a film you would want to watch more than once, but emblematic of the humour that prevailed at the time and as a piece of cinema nostalgia, you could do much worse.

By this time the Doctor films were using the Carry-On scripts. It's all very familiar and features a lot of Carry-On regulars, including Terry Scott as a gay hairdresser. The series had also lost the edge of the original Bogarde films, this being very much more slapstick. It's nice to see Robertson Justice reprising his role, but his character has now become a parady figure of fun. The popular "swinging sixties" element gets into the film here as there is references to Carnaby Street and girls in mini-skirts, coupled with a repetitive pop tune of the era. Leslie Phillips is good though and settles into the role of a charming, but bungling cad with ease. I would like to know why during the end credits the film suddenly goes into rewind. It strikes me as very odd.

DOCTOR IN CLOVER is one of the later instalments in the series, with Leslie Phillips stepping into the breach as a new addition to the hospital who's soon up to his usual woman-chasing ways. Despite the presence of Robertson-Justice, this plays out as a sub-CARRY ON style comedy that's worse in quality than the likes of CARRY ON DOCTOR and MATRON, too often relying on hackneyed old gags which you'll see coming a mile off (even the old laughing gas staple gets trundled through again). The cast is very good, the rest merely so-so.

After a stint as a prison doctor, Leslie Phillips returns to eying the lovely nurses under the watchful eye of James Robertson Justice, and the disapproving eye of the new head matron, Joan Sims. Besides lusting after the gorgeous Elizabeth Ercy -- she insists at 36, he's too old -- he hopes to be promoted to take the place of a departing senior staff. So does his cousin, John Fraser.

The sixth of the series that began with DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE shows signs of flagging with its episodic nature and broader comedy. In any case, there are some pleasant smiles available, a cast of comedy professionals that includes half of the regular players of the Carry On films, and it's always fun to watch Justice perform his signature role of Sir Lancelot Sprat.

Crassly retitled 'Carnaby, M.D.' in the United States; with a couple of songs by Kiki Dee to bring Richard Gordon's creation into the swinging sixties. With Leslie Phillips in the lead the slide of the Doctor films into another 'Carry On' series was complete.

When I first saw this movie in 1976 I was very impressed by the actor who played Tarquin Wendover and was shocked to learn he died the same year it was released (the stay in hospital presumably hadn't done him any good). That marked my introduction to Arthur Haynes; whose presence in this otherwise thoroughly unnecessary film justifies it's existence.