Doctor in the House (1954)

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writers:

Richard Gordon (adapted for the screen by)
Nicholas Phipps (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 February 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Simon Sparrow is a newly arrived medical student at St Swithin's hospital in London. Falling in with...

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Friendship | Hospital | Human Relationship | Medical School

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Dirk Bogarde	...	Simon Sparrow
Muriel Pavlow	...	Joy
Kenneth More	...	Richard Grimsdyke
Donald Sinden	...	Benskin
Kay Kendall	...	Isobel
James Robertson Justice	...	Lancelot Spratt
Donald Houston	...	Taffy
Suzanne Cloutier	...	Stella
George Coulouris	...	Briggs
Jean Taylor Smith	...	Sister Virtue
Nicholas Phipps	...	Magistrate
Geoffrey Keen	...	Dean
Martin Boddey	...	Lecturer at pedal machine
Joan Sims	...	Rigor Mortis
Gudrun Ure	...	May (as Ann Gudrun)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Battersea Fun Fair, Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Group Films

Trivia:

Robert Morley was first offered the role of Lancelot Spratt but turned it down for financial reasons.

Quotes:

Lancelot Sprat: Alright, I've swallowed a doorknob. What would my symptoms be ?
Grimsdyke: A slight indigestion?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Ultimate Film (2004) (TV)

has a faded appeal

This film was a major success in its day but the years haven't been kind to it and whatever made it stand out for British filmgoers in 1954 doesn't stand out today.

Having said that, this is by no means a bad film. It's fast-paced, cheerful, entertaining and with a pleasant and attractive cast. However, it's never really funny enough to be considered a successful comedy; there simply aren't enough hilarious moments. Much of the fault for this lies with the director Ralph Thomas who often is unable to obtain the potential humour out of a scene because he's simply not a skilful enough director.

As for the reasons why it was so highly regarded in its day, this can be better understood by what the people who made the film said. They attributed the film's success to the fact that before this film was made, hospitals and doctors had always been treated with the utmost seriousness and the public responded to the health system being treated with irreverence for a change.

Perhaps this explains the film having a somewhat dated feel about it these days. The public in part responded to it not necessarily because of the brilliance of the material but because of its irreverent attitude.