Carrying On with A … Doctor in Love!

This is part of a brand new series of blogs looking back at the wonderful series of British comedy films - the Doctor … series. There were seven Doctor films produced at Pinewood Studios between 1954 and 1970, all with Betty Box and Ralph Thomas at the helm. With Betty being Peter Rogers' wife and Ralph the brother of Gerald Thomas, there were bound to be a fair few Carry On connections.

These medical comedy films were extremely popular at the time and while perhaps they do not have the lasting appeal of the Carry Ons, there is no doubting their classic status. Always looking more lavish than their sister films in the Pinewood stable, they did share a cosy ensemble feel with many familiar faces appearing again and again over the years.

So let's continue today by looking at the fourth film in the series, Doctor In Love, which was released in 1960. 

What's it about?

Dr Richard Hare is a recently graduated medical intern at St Swithins Hospital. When his new romantic interest, nurse Sally Nightingale, suddenly leaves the hospital, he is devastated. He also leaves after being offered a job in private practice. But when his senior partner, Dr Cardew, has to visit California for a few months, Hare is left in charge. Dr Nicola Barrington joins the practice and Hare is suddenly in love again.

The romance doesn't go well, especially when Sally re-appears and takes the job of practice secretary. Nicola is hurt and stalks off. She is replaced by Dr Tony Burke who proceeds to airily order expensive equipment that the practice cannot afford.

Hare struggles through various comedic and other complications, mainly steming from Burke's amorous attentions to female patients.

After enlisting Sir Lancelot Spratt's assistance to save a young dying boy, he diagnoses Spratt with appendicitis and decides to operate, despite Spratt's loud objections. He objects even more when Dr Burke fills in at the last moment as the anaesthetist. Despite Spratt's vociforous protestations, the operation is a success.

Hare in reunited with Nicola and returns to St Swithins.

Who's in it?

Original Doctor in the House cast member James Robertson Justice is the only familiar name from previous films to take up the same role - he of course plays the irascible Sir Lancelot Spratt. For the first time, the series was missing its leading man, Dirk Bogarde. Filling his shoes are two great and very familiar actors - Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips. Doctor in Love also stars Virginia Maskell as Dr Barrington, Carole Lesley as Kitten Strudwick and Reginald Beckwith as Wildewinde.

Carry On faces?

As ever, quite a few well known Carry On actors appear in Doctor in Love. Aside from leading man Leslie Phillips (in the first of his three Doctor films), playing a couple of delightfully brash strippers are Carry On Regardless colleagues and real life best buddies Joan Sims (in her third Doctor film) and Liz Fraser. They play Dawn and Leonora.

Also look out for a cameo from future Carry On Screaming legend Fenella Fielding as patient Mrs Tadwich. This would be the first of several roles in the Doctor films for the gorgeous Fenella. 

Playing Lady Spratt, wife to Sir Lancelot is that lovely aristocratic character actress Ambrosine Phillpotts. Ambrosine had small roles in Carry On Regardless and Carry On Cabby. And popping up as Dr Hinxman in the first part of the film is none other than Nicholas Parsons, a few years before Just A Minute and several months ahead of his wonderful cameo opposite Joan Sims in the Carry On Regardless wine tasting sequence.

Irene Handl plays the rather butch, slightly sinister Professor MacRitchie with regular Carry On and Doctor series actor Cyril Chamberlain in the small uncredited role as her assistant. Another regular small part Carry On actor appears in the role of Dr Flower - the brilliant Michael Ward. And keep your eyes peeled also for Carry On Cruising drunk passenger Ronnie Stevens as Harold Green. 

There is also a fairly large collection of Carry On faces in small, uncredited roles in Doctor in Love. Esma Cannon plays a hospital visitor making raffia; Patrick Cargill (Regardless; Jack) plays a Car Salesman; Joan Hickson plays a Nurse; Rosalind Knight (Nurse; Teacher) plays a young Doctor; Sheila Hancock pops in to play a Librarian; Robin Ray (son of Ted, brother of Andrew and cameo player in Constable) plays a Doctor; Carry On Sergeant, Nurse and Regardless actor Norman Rossington plays a Doorman; Marianne Stone turns up as a Nurse and Jimmy Thompson (Regardless; Cruising; Jack) has a small role as a young Doctor.

Also look out for future Carry On glamour girl Sally Douglas (most notable as Kitikata in Carry On Cowboy) as one of Joan Sims' and Liz Fraser's fellow strippers.

Did you know? 

Doctor in Love was the most popular film at the British Box Office in 1960.

For the fourth time, Nicholas Phipps not only provides the screenplay for a Doctor film, but also takes on an acting role. He plays Dr Clive Cardew. 

Dirk Bogarde did not want to continue in the role of Simon Sparrow so producer Betty Box brought in Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips. Apparently Box later said the entire cast of Doctor in Love cost the same as Bogarde's current film fee at the time!

Sadly the two superb young actresses to star in Doctor in Love had very tragic ends. Virginia Maskell took an overdose in January 1968 after suffering from postnatal depression. She died on 25 January 1968 at just 31 years old. Carole Lesley meanwhile died from a drugs overdose at the age of just 38 in February 1974.

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My Review: Doctor In Love

I decided late last year to treat myself to a few guilty pleasures. There are several films associated with the Carry Ons that I have never seen so I've decided to put that right. I have purchased copies of Doctor In Love, Please Turn Over, Not Now, Comrade and the vintage television sitcom Our House. As I'm a first time viewer of all of these classics, I am going to review each title for the blog. Today I'm discussing Doctor In Love.

Doctor In Love was the fourth entry in the Doctor series of films, produced by Betty Box and directed by Ralph Thomas. Released in 1960, it was the most successful British film of the year. The Doctor films followed a similar line as the Carry Ons although they were not produced as quickly, they had slightly bigger budgets and did not rely quite so much on innuendos and double entendres. 

I must admit straight away I did not enjoy this film nearly as much as I thought I would. The Doctor films were very much a starring vehicle for the wonderfully suave, talented Dirk Bogarde and his absence is keenly felt here. Despite the ensemble cast and colourful antics I think this film is really too much of a hotch potch and doesn't satisfy for some reason. 

As with most of these films, the cast is bulging with familiar and highly talented comic actors and  for the most part the film is carried along by their collective charms. The script for Doctor In Love came from Nicholas Phipps, a recognisable character actor of the era who also appears in the film as Dr Cardew. Phipps also contributed to the scripts for Doctor In The House, Doctor At Sea, Doctor At Large and Doctor in Distress. 

Much of the film is carried by Michael Craig as the new romantic lead, replacing Bogarde. Craig does well in the role and makes for a solid leading man. Raffish, comic support comes from Leslie Phillips in the first of his three Doctor films. The duo play young doctors Burke and Hare and the film follows their various misadventures, mainly with members of the opposite sex. There are some funny moments but its not as solid an offering as some of the previous Doctor films and I could do without the coy, twee romantics. Regular Doctor actor James Robertson Justice is on fine form as the bombastic Sir Lancelot Spratt however he is frustratingly limited to a supporting turn.

The main leading ladies in the film are played by Virginia Maskell and Carole Lesley, both putting in fairly strong, confident performances. The best female roles in the film however are taken by the gorgeous Joan Sims and Liz Fraser, who pop up throughout as a pair of hilarious strippers. They first encounter Burke and Hare at a flu research institute, run by a rather butch and bizarre character played by the great Irene Handl. The scenes which see Sims, Fraser, Craig and Phillips all get squiffy on gin are great fun. It's great to see Sims and Fraser working together on screen. You can tell they get on and the pair became lifelong friends in real life. During the flu research scenes the audience also gets to see a bit more of Michael Craig than perhaps the censor had bargained for....(!)

As with so many of the other films or this era, the great joy is spotting so many familiar faces amongst the supporting cast. Of particular note are Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Spratt, Nicholas Parsons playing a young doctor at the start of the film, Michael Ward as Irene Handl's rather camp second in command and Fenella Fielding in a rather glamorous, breathy cameo as Mrs Tadwich. There is also blink and you'll miss them cameos from the likes of John Le Mesurier, Esma Cannon, Patrick Cargill, Bill Fraser, Rosalind Knight, Norman Rossington, Marianne Stone and Peter Sallis. Also watch out for a quick few lines from a young Sheila Hancock as a rather prim librarian! 

Unfortunately the two leading ladies from this film both had really sad ends. Carole Lesley, a blonde bombshell originally from Chelmsford had fallen on hard times by the early 1970s. Despite other starring roles in films such as What A Whopper and Operation Bullshine, Carole didn't quite achieve the success expected of her. She died of a drug overdose in February 1974 at the age of just 38. 

Virginia Maskell, who played Dr Barrington in the film and the love interest for Michael Craig's character, went on to success in films such as The Wild and The Willing, Happy Is The Bride and The Man Upstairs. Maskell took a break from acting in 1962 to concentrate on raising her two sons, however she returned later in the decade with appearances in television series such as Danger Man and The Prisoner. Sadly she was unable to recapture the success of her early career and this, coupled with post-natal depression led her to take an overdose in 1968. She died shortly afterwards at the age of just 31.

Doctor In Love is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of classic British comedy and the wealth of talented, comedy actors who star here, although it is in my opinion, not the best in the series and it doesn't rival some of the Carry Ons that were being produced at the time. It's a shame Michael Craig didn't make further appearances in the series or cross over for a Carry On or two as he is really very successful in the lead role. Thankfully, Dirk Bogarde would return for the next film the series, Doctor In Distress in 1963, although by then he would be rather frustrated with the films and his pigeonholing as a young romantic lead in light comedies.

So not the best film I've ever seen, by still enjoyable froth for a wet Sunday afternoon!

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My Holiday Guilty Pleasures

As it's the Christmas holidays, I've treated myself to a few bargain basement guilty pleasures thanks to a well known online retailer. There are quite a few "classic" British comedies I've never seen and I've decided now is the time to put that right. So I've stumped up a few pennies and ordered some forgotten films featuring some well known faces.

First on my hit list is the only Doctor film I've never seen, Doctor in Love from 1960. Starring that dish of the era Michael Craig, it also features a host of familiar Carry On faces including Leslie Phillips, Irene Handl, Liz Fraser, Joan Sims and Fenella Fielding. It also boasts supporting turns from the likes of James Robertson Justice, Joan Hickson, Cyril Chamberlain, Sheila Hancock and Rosalind Knight. You surely can't go wrong with a cast like that! 

Next in my shopping basket came the Peter Rogers / Gerald Thomas / Norman Hudis collaboration from 1959: Please Turn Over. This film tells the story of a sleepy English town which is caught up in scandal when a young woman writes a steamy novel! Based on the play Book of the Month, this film stars a host of favourites including Ted Ray, Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims, Dilys Laye, Joan Hickson, Charles Hawtrey and Victor Maddern. I've always heard good things about this hidden gem so I can't wait to see it for myself.

Another forgotten gem is the television sitcom Our House. Also written by Carry On scribe Norman Hudis, this early comedy series from 1960 stars Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims, Norman Rossington and Charles Hawtrey. The basic plot sees several very different, colourful characters in a house share. Sadly many episodes from the original series are lost however the remaining few have been released on DVD and I am looking forward to checking it out.

Finally, probably the guiltiest of guilty pleasures is the Ray Cooney farce Not Now, Comrade from 1976. A loose follow up to the 1973 film Not Now, Darling, this low brow farce tells the story of a Russian ballet dancer who plans to defect to the west with the help of a stripper and a Triumph Stag. I have a feeling this will be so bad it's good but it does feature a plum cast which includes Leslie Phillips, Carol Hawkins, June Whitfield, Ian Lavender, Windsor Davies and Roy Kinnear. Hopefully these classic comedy performers will make this one more than watchable!

My plan is to watch them all with a critical eye and then review each title for the blog in the new year. So stay tuned for my verdicts! 


You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan