Not as good as the first (Doctor In The House), but easily better than the second, Doctor At Sea, and it's great to see Joy (Muriel Pavlow) make a welcome return. James Robertson Justice is at his acerbic best in this installment, and the predicaments Dirk Bogarde gets himself into in the rural practitioners are hilarious. 7.5/10.
14 Reviews
Dr. Sparrow comes home
bkoganbing10 April 2012
After trying out being a ship's doctor in Doctor At Sea, Dr. Simon Sparrow returns home to Great Britain just looking for a place in the medical world. He gets a post at St. Swithins Hospital, but promptly insults the head honcho there James Robertson Justice. After that Dirk Bogarde as Sparrow for the third in the Doctor series gets to try and practice medicine in a variety of unusual and amusing situations.
Bogarde once again strikes the right note as the earnest, dedicated, but a little bit socially challenged Dr. Sparrow. He's got the knack of not bumbling so much as walking into these incredible situations and people and sometimes mucking it up. But somehow it all works out in the end.
Doctor At Large also boasts the usual memorable character players prominently as always James Robertson Justice as the tyrannical Dr. Lancelot Spratt who terrifies all who come within range of his booming voice. One guy who thinks he's got JRJ in his pocket is kiss up Dr. Michael Medwin who gains a coveted position on the surgical staff that Bogarde wanted originally. He screws up in the end though quite accidentally, still it's always good to see one of his kind lose out.
But the guy who actually steals this film whenever he's on the screen is Donald Sinden. That this guy could become a doctor should frighten everyone in the United Kingdom. You have to see his 'examination' and how he gets his medical degree to believe it. Basically this guy became a doctor to get girls and he pursues that avocation quite avidly. Quite the rake Sinden, he does everything but twirl his mustache like some Snidely Whiplash villain. Most American audiences know him from being Grace Kelly's earnest, but dull husband in Mogambo. This is quite a change.
Watching the Doctor series from Great Britain I'm struck by the fact that across the pond they seem to take a more lighthearted view of medicine than we do. It wasn't until after the Code was lifted that doctors were ever portrayed in a light hearted manner.
Doctor At Large holds up quite well even for American viewers like myself who would not be acquainted with the fine points of the British health system. This series could easily be revived today, I could see someone like Hugh Grant playing Dr. Simon Sparrow.
Bogarde once again strikes the right note as the earnest, dedicated, but a little bit socially challenged Dr. Sparrow. He's got the knack of not bumbling so much as walking into these incredible situations and people and sometimes mucking it up. But somehow it all works out in the end.
Doctor At Large also boasts the usual memorable character players prominently as always James Robertson Justice as the tyrannical Dr. Lancelot Spratt who terrifies all who come within range of his booming voice. One guy who thinks he's got JRJ in his pocket is kiss up Dr. Michael Medwin who gains a coveted position on the surgical staff that Bogarde wanted originally. He screws up in the end though quite accidentally, still it's always good to see one of his kind lose out.
But the guy who actually steals this film whenever he's on the screen is Donald Sinden. That this guy could become a doctor should frighten everyone in the United Kingdom. You have to see his 'examination' and how he gets his medical degree to believe it. Basically this guy became a doctor to get girls and he pursues that avocation quite avidly. Quite the rake Sinden, he does everything but twirl his mustache like some Snidely Whiplash villain. Most American audiences know him from being Grace Kelly's earnest, but dull husband in Mogambo. This is quite a change.
Watching the Doctor series from Great Britain I'm struck by the fact that across the pond they seem to take a more lighthearted view of medicine than we do. It wasn't until after the Code was lifted that doctors were ever portrayed in a light hearted manner.
Doctor At Large holds up quite well even for American viewers like myself who would not be acquainted with the fine points of the British health system. This series could easily be revived today, I could see someone like Hugh Grant playing Dr. Simon Sparrow.
"Big Breaths" "Yeth,and I 'm only thixteen"
ianlouisiana9 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
From a Britain of Travelling Salesmen,Surgical Appliance Shops and Dirty Weekends comes a glimpse of a long - forgotten past in "Doctor at large".Mr Dirk Bogarde,Miss Muriel Pavlow and Mr Donald Sinden happily recreate their principal roles and Mr James Robertson Justice reappears as that stuff of legend Sir Lancelot Spratt.The film mainly concerns itself with the struggles of Dr Simon Sparrow (Mr D. Bogarde) as he serves as a locum in various medical practises throughout the country.At one such in the midlands (populated almost exclusively by Shepperton cockneys)he clashes swords with Miss Glady Henson who fortunately does not appear to recognise him as the murderer of her husband PC Dixon a few years earlier. He pursues attractive blonde (well,this was 1957) nurse Miss Shirley Eaton and , in a rather racy scene she agrees to stay overnight with him at an hotel in the country.They put up at "The Judge's Rest" - later rather confusingly referred to as "The Judge's Arms" - where love was unable to find a way past the formidable Miss Judith Furse as the sort of landlady who would if necessary interpose her body between an illicit couple and enjoy doing it. Miss M. Pavlow - terribly nice and incorrigibly virginal - loves him from afar and he behaves towards her more like a GBF than a potential lover,something that she signally fails to spot.His last - minute conversion to her cause is not particularly convincing. Mr D.Sinden's role as uber - lech Dr Benskin has been lampooned by every Hospital Panto for the last fifty years so he must have been doing something right.Perhaps he was living the fantasy of every young male medical student. The sublime Mr A.E. Matthews graces the screen as the absolutely potty Duke of Skye and Lewes and serves to remind us of the once abundant supply of delightful eccentrics that the British Film Industry could call upon to enliven even the most moribund production. There is the requisite number of breast and bottom jokes without which no British medical comedy could flourish but not one of them is remotely offensive.Lovers of Channel Four's "Green Wing" may recognise some of them. Although the "Doctor" franchise rumbled on for years,only "In the house" "at sea" and "at large" can be considered to be the "pur sang" of the series.Even by 1957 Mr D. Bogarde was looking a little fretful and in 1958 he appeared in "The Doctor's Dilemma" which caused a lot of confusion amongst the less literate of his fans. I like to think that there is a heaven somewhere where he is driving his long - bonnetted Vauxhall convertible along a deserted country road with Miss Shirley Eaton's pretty scarfed head resting on his shoulder.As they reach the brow of a hill you can see the bright blue sea sparkling in the distance.Mr Bogarde's hair is blowing in the slipstream as they pull off into the car park of an old country inn. He takes a small suitcase out of the boot and they walk hand in hand to the front door.The Inn is called "The Judge's Rest" and the landlady ,Miss Judith Furse,smiles and says "Welcome Mr and Mrs Sparrow,I'll show you to your room"
Fun but slightly disappointing.
david-69713 October 2003
After the high seas high-jinx of the previous movie, 'Doctor At Sea', 'Doctor At Large' sees the series go back to basics, with a return to St Swithin's and a reunion with all the main cast of 'Doctor In The House' (with the single exception of Kenneth More).
This return is a slight disappointment, as it never seems to recapture the magic of the original. Part of the problem is, I think, down to the script. There is no plot worth mentioning, more a series of sketches, some good, some bad, while the fact that this move seems to change it's setting every ten minutes or so, (the scene changes from London to Birmingham, Ireland, London again, the countryside, the South of France and back to London again) prevents you getting involved with the characters.
However, this constant change does have it's advantages, for one thing it shows off possibly the best cast ever assembled for a British comedy, with even the smallest role filled out by a familiar face. But, again, their appearance is usually limited to one or two brief scenes.
Of the cast, Lionel Jefferies and Dilys Laye catch the eye, as a seedy, mean, slightly sinister Doctor and his (much) younger blonde wife. Donald Sinden, reprising his role as Benskin from 'Doctor In The House' is fun to watch, playing a character not that different from the ones that Leslie Phillips would later play in the series. While James Robertson Justice hardly seems to be in this move, appearing briefly at the beginning but then not seen until the last twenty minutes or so of the picture.
On the whole 'Doctor At Large' is fun to watch and has a few good jokes (the 'big breaths' joke for example) but never seems to catch fire. It's worth watching but is far from being the best vehicle for Bogarde's Simon Sparrow.
This return is a slight disappointment, as it never seems to recapture the magic of the original. Part of the problem is, I think, down to the script. There is no plot worth mentioning, more a series of sketches, some good, some bad, while the fact that this move seems to change it's setting every ten minutes or so, (the scene changes from London to Birmingham, Ireland, London again, the countryside, the South of France and back to London again) prevents you getting involved with the characters.
However, this constant change does have it's advantages, for one thing it shows off possibly the best cast ever assembled for a British comedy, with even the smallest role filled out by a familiar face. But, again, their appearance is usually limited to one or two brief scenes.
Of the cast, Lionel Jefferies and Dilys Laye catch the eye, as a seedy, mean, slightly sinister Doctor and his (much) younger blonde wife. Donald Sinden, reprising his role as Benskin from 'Doctor In The House' is fun to watch, playing a character not that different from the ones that Leslie Phillips would later play in the series. While James Robertson Justice hardly seems to be in this move, appearing briefly at the beginning but then not seen until the last twenty minutes or so of the picture.
On the whole 'Doctor At Large' is fun to watch and has a few good jokes (the 'big breaths' joke for example) but never seems to catch fire. It's worth watching but is far from being the best vehicle for Bogarde's Simon Sparrow.
Dr. Sparrow tries out doctoring in several scenarios
blanche-223 October 2009
"Doctor at Large" is the third installment of the "Doctor" series, with Simon Sparrow (Dirk Bogarde), losing a higher level position at St. Swithins, tries out several other scenarios where he can practice.
This is a very light film, without much plot, except that Simon comes up against Benskin (Donald Sinden), his rival at St. Swithins, who gets the position that Sparrow wanted. It's humorous without being riotous. The best scene for me was when Simon and Nan McPherson (Shirley Eaton) stay overnight at an inn. The proprietress puts them on different floors, and when Simon attempts to sneak downstairs into Nan's room, the woman comes out into the hall. "I was looking for the bathroom," he says. "It's on your floor," she says. "The door is marked 'Bathroom.'" Then she sits in the hall, thus thwarting further attempts.
The cast is good, and Muriel Pavlov is back as Joy. It's really interesting to see Bogarde in this type of film, for which he is so well known, as he spent much of his career doing dark roles in deeper films: "The Servant," "The Night Porter," Death in Venice," and "Victim," to name only a few. The commercial cinema traded on his matinée idol looks; but his heart was elsewhere. Nevertheless, he handled this type of film very well, giving the character a gentleness that people like to see in a real doctor. I think it's a riot that when he appeared in Shaw's "Doctor's Dilemma" on film, the British audience steered clear when they found out it wasn't part of the "Doctor" series. Obviously, these films are beloved, particularly in England.
This is a very light film, without much plot, except that Simon comes up against Benskin (Donald Sinden), his rival at St. Swithins, who gets the position that Sparrow wanted. It's humorous without being riotous. The best scene for me was when Simon and Nan McPherson (Shirley Eaton) stay overnight at an inn. The proprietress puts them on different floors, and when Simon attempts to sneak downstairs into Nan's room, the woman comes out into the hall. "I was looking for the bathroom," he says. "It's on your floor," she says. "The door is marked 'Bathroom.'" Then she sits in the hall, thus thwarting further attempts.
The cast is good, and Muriel Pavlov is back as Joy. It's really interesting to see Bogarde in this type of film, for which he is so well known, as he spent much of his career doing dark roles in deeper films: "The Servant," "The Night Porter," Death in Venice," and "Victim," to name only a few. The commercial cinema traded on his matinée idol looks; but his heart was elsewhere. Nevertheless, he handled this type of film very well, giving the character a gentleness that people like to see in a real doctor. I think it's a riot that when he appeared in Shaw's "Doctor's Dilemma" on film, the British audience steered clear when they found out it wasn't part of the "Doctor" series. Obviously, these films are beloved, particularly in England.
One of my favorite British series, clever with strong sexual appealing!!!
elo-equipamentos17 June 2020
One of best of the series, the everlasting adventures of the Dr. Simon Sparrow that is running for a contest for surgery site, however the hospital was directed by the dictator and bad temper Dr. Sir Lancelot (James Robertson Justice) who don't like him, he moves away to a small town on countryside to aid the old Dr. Hackett (Lionel Jeffries) a kind of narrow-mind man, there Hackett's youngest wife Mrs. Jasmine always harassed Dr. Simon in the absence of Hackett, putting the Doctor's life in dangerous by the jealous Doctor, then he resigns and back to London and got a three mounts job at high class Clinic, to work with ladies with severe depressions of love, also prescribing medicines to wealthy old customers, after that going back to St. Swithins Hospital to start all over again, once more he screw up to believe in an insane patient that complains to him that was throw up nuts and bolts after a surgery, falling down on Dr. Lancelot's concept, which already was bad stays worst, further he has a friend the "bon vivant" Dr. Tony Benskin who haven't a proper ability to be a Doctor, the suddenly receives 15.000 pounds of an heritage to working for an eccentric old lady, although it wasn't exactly true, this series driven forces on light sexploitation, without be appealing, also displayed a unique British humoresque, although a slight dated, it stands the test of time!!!
Resume:
First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
Resume:
First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25
Bored matinee idol
Goingbegging17 June 2020
'At large' turns out to be a polite term for 'out of work' - but never for long, in the orderly Fifties, when there would always be another job just round the corner. This makes a good basis for a picaresque tour of medical surgeries from the highest to the humblest, as the Dirk Bogarde character is repeatedly told to take his talents elsewhere.
It comes at the cost of a steady, developing narrative, but it provides opportunities for an exceptionally large cast of popular performers. Donald Sinden gets plenty of exposure as an old-style moustachioed seducer, Michael Medwin as the governor's blue-eyed boy, Shirley Eaton as every man's fantasy of a blonde nurse, Dandy Nichols as the nuisance patient who just wants yet another repeat prescription. A most watchable duo are Lionel Jeffries as the weird-looking head of a run-down surgery in the North, and his playful blonde wife acted by Dilys Laye - the only time I've seen her outside the Carry Ons, where she's always made-up to look goofy, but genuinely glamorous here. James Robertson Justice simply acts himself, though that quarterdeck roar is a bit too Fifties to stomach now. And I can't think why they wheeled-on the eccentric Edwardian leftover A.E. Matthews, whose talent never seemed to me to compensate for the trouble he always caused on-set. But if you know who to look out for, you may catch the author of the Doctor books, Richard Gordon, doing his few seconds' walk-on, à la Hitchcock.
This is not rated as the best of the series, the dialogue being pretty clichéd, and the comic sub-plots mostly silly (especially the piece of business over a rich patient leaving her fortune to the Donald Sinden character), and we now know that Bogarde was getting bored with just doing his matinee-idol every time. But his career was just about to take some interesting turns...
It comes at the cost of a steady, developing narrative, but it provides opportunities for an exceptionally large cast of popular performers. Donald Sinden gets plenty of exposure as an old-style moustachioed seducer, Michael Medwin as the governor's blue-eyed boy, Shirley Eaton as every man's fantasy of a blonde nurse, Dandy Nichols as the nuisance patient who just wants yet another repeat prescription. A most watchable duo are Lionel Jeffries as the weird-looking head of a run-down surgery in the North, and his playful blonde wife acted by Dilys Laye - the only time I've seen her outside the Carry Ons, where she's always made-up to look goofy, but genuinely glamorous here. James Robertson Justice simply acts himself, though that quarterdeck roar is a bit too Fifties to stomach now. And I can't think why they wheeled-on the eccentric Edwardian leftover A.E. Matthews, whose talent never seemed to me to compensate for the trouble he always caused on-set. But if you know who to look out for, you may catch the author of the Doctor books, Richard Gordon, doing his few seconds' walk-on, à la Hitchcock.
This is not rated as the best of the series, the dialogue being pretty clichéd, and the comic sub-plots mostly silly (especially the piece of business over a rich patient leaving her fortune to the Donald Sinden character), and we now know that Bogarde was getting bored with just doing his matinee-idol every time. But his career was just about to take some interesting turns...
Simon Sparrow rides again!
JohnHowardReid23 January 2013
This entry in the "Doctor At Large" series has a great cast but little direction. The film is really little more than a series of picaresque encounters, enlivened by a solid support cast that largely manages to overcome Ralph Thomas's heavy-handed direction. Dirk Bogarde and Muriel Pavlow are both okay, but it's a pity so much of the plot is given over to Donald Sinden, who is the least graceful member of the cast. He tries vainly to give a Kenneth More edge to the part. Shirley Eaton looks great. It's a real shame her role is so small. And speaking of small roles, Dr Richard Gordon can be spotted in the brief scene with James Robertson Justice. He's the diminutive doctor in the green (? -- my still is in black-and-white) cap and gown.
" Oh, alright, . . . . If you must be a doctor, . . do it quietly "
thinker169121 October 2009
English medical comedy in the dark medium of a theater, is often subtle, urbane and sleigh of hand. For American audiences, we see British laughter in two ways, either loud and in your face, such as Monte Python's Flying Circus or tall abrupt and seriously stuffy as in this offering. This film " Doctor at Large " is the second installment and although much is expected, falls a bit flat. Despite having two of the finest English actors like Dirk Bogarde as Dr. Simon Sparrow and James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt, the movie, like the story is hampered with fractured scenes and little adhesion to comedy. One wonders if the characters are seeking sympathy for the script or for the jumbled set of patients which range from the very neurotic to the very eccentric. The movie strives for understanding, but despite its best efforts never achieves the nobility of the original. A great waste of serious talent. ***
Meandering but very pleasant entertainment.
planktonrules28 March 2022
"Doctor at Large" is the second in the British 'Doctor 'series. And, like the 50s installments of the series, this one stars Dirk Bogarde as Dr. Sparrow, a young doctor who is finally ready to leave the hospital and strike out on his own. Unfortunately for Sparrow, again and again, his placements turn out to be busts...such as one where he works with a country doctor but the doctor has a VERY frisky wife and another where he mostly works with rich, neurotic patients. Can he manage to find his place in the world or will the film end with yet another failed job?
Even more so than the other Doctor films, this one seems very episodic and occasionally funny. This isn't necessarily bad but the show has little in the way of obvious plot...it just meanders a bit until late in the story. Very pleasant and well worth your time...just like the other Doctor movies.
Even more so than the other Doctor films, this one seems very episodic and occasionally funny. This isn't necessarily bad but the show has little in the way of obvious plot...it just meanders a bit until late in the story. Very pleasant and well worth your time...just like the other Doctor movies.
Sparrow on the loose!
ShadeGrenade10 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The third film in the series of British comedies based on the novels of Richard Gordon. Dr.Simon Sparrow ( Dirk Bogarde ) is competing with the conceited Dr.Bingham ( Michael Medwin ) for the job of senior house surgeon. But after accidentally being rude to one of the Board of Governors, he gets the push.
Sparrow takes on one job after another; from Dr.Hackett's ( Lionel Jefferies ) Northern practice to Dr.Potter-Shine's ( Derek Farr ) Harley Street surgery, but each time things go wrong. Eventually, he finds himself right back where he started - at St. Swithins...
A wonderful supporting cast - Dandy Nichols, Edward Chapman, Shirley Eaton ( as a sexy nurse ), Barbara Murray, Ronnie Stevens, Dilys Laye, George Coulouris and so on - enlivens this episodic comedy. Watching it now you can see where most of the ideas for the 1971 London Weekend Television sitcom ( starring Barry Evans ) came from. There's the man who claims to cough up nuts and bolts, a woman panicking when Dr.Sparrow refuses to prescribe her any more red medicine, the patients complaining about the new Doctor being too young, Benskin inheriting a fortune only to learn it must be donated to a hospital of his choice, and so on.
Whereas the main characters underwent name changes for the series ( 'Dr.Sparrow' becoming 'Upton', 'Benskin' inspiring the character of 'Stuart-Clark' etc. ), 'Dr.Bingham' made it into the show more or less intact. Medwin plays him as a tweedy, humourless twit in a bow-tie, whereas Richard O'Sullivan's version was unpleasant and yet very funny.
Back after a one film absence are Muriel Pavlow as 'Joy' and Donald Sinden as 'Benskin'. Bogarde was keen to make this his last appearance in the series, hence the ending implies that he and Joy are to be married. The next film - 'Doctor In Love' - starred Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips. Bogarde returned as 'Sparrow' ( sans 'Joy' ) for 1964's 'Doctor In Distress'.
What secures this a place in British comedy film history is the famous 'big breaths' gag - a mother takes her well-endowed teenage daughter Eva to see the doctor. As Sparrow puts on his stethoscope, he tells her: "Big breaths, Eva!". The lisping girl replies: "Yeth. And I'm only thixteen!".
Sparrow takes on one job after another; from Dr.Hackett's ( Lionel Jefferies ) Northern practice to Dr.Potter-Shine's ( Derek Farr ) Harley Street surgery, but each time things go wrong. Eventually, he finds himself right back where he started - at St. Swithins...
A wonderful supporting cast - Dandy Nichols, Edward Chapman, Shirley Eaton ( as a sexy nurse ), Barbara Murray, Ronnie Stevens, Dilys Laye, George Coulouris and so on - enlivens this episodic comedy. Watching it now you can see where most of the ideas for the 1971 London Weekend Television sitcom ( starring Barry Evans ) came from. There's the man who claims to cough up nuts and bolts, a woman panicking when Dr.Sparrow refuses to prescribe her any more red medicine, the patients complaining about the new Doctor being too young, Benskin inheriting a fortune only to learn it must be donated to a hospital of his choice, and so on.
Whereas the main characters underwent name changes for the series ( 'Dr.Sparrow' becoming 'Upton', 'Benskin' inspiring the character of 'Stuart-Clark' etc. ), 'Dr.Bingham' made it into the show more or less intact. Medwin plays him as a tweedy, humourless twit in a bow-tie, whereas Richard O'Sullivan's version was unpleasant and yet very funny.
Back after a one film absence are Muriel Pavlow as 'Joy' and Donald Sinden as 'Benskin'. Bogarde was keen to make this his last appearance in the series, hence the ending implies that he and Joy are to be married. The next film - 'Doctor In Love' - starred Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips. Bogarde returned as 'Sparrow' ( sans 'Joy' ) for 1964's 'Doctor In Distress'.
What secures this a place in British comedy film history is the famous 'big breaths' gag - a mother takes her well-endowed teenage daughter Eva to see the doctor. As Sparrow puts on his stethoscope, he tells her: "Big breaths, Eva!". The lisping girl replies: "Yeth. And I'm only thixteen!".
Gently comic and bland entertainment that might fill a west Sunday afternoon
bob the moo25 September 2005
After his adventures at sea Dr Sparrow returns to real life and a proper job in a hospital. Messing up his chances of getting a high level position within the hospital Sparrow heads out looking for another job but finds that nothing is going to come easily to him. Meanwhile his colleague Beskin cheats his way into greener pastures with a roguish mix of charm and good humour. Right, well I've done the best I can at providing a short plot summary to the film and I don't think it is that bad considering that in reality the plot is more a series of scenarios with Sparrow drifting around in the working world.
The tone is very much gentle British humour i.e. not a lot of laughs to be had. It moves slowly enough due to the lack of plot and it is difficult to follow or care about because it does just seem to be drifting aimlessly from one thing to the next. I laughed once or twice at most ("big breaths") but the film just seems happy to exist on a gentle tone rather than having anything sharp or that good in regards material. The cast try hard to raise a laugh or two and push the material as hard as they can but all they can really do is contribute to the gently comic mood. Bogarde is OK in the lead role, hardly memorable but suitable smooth and gentle for the lead. Sinden has fun with a more interesting character and he is funny by force of personality. Justice is hardly in the film but makes his usual impact.
Overall this is an OK entry in an OK series of film. It isn't particularly funny and doesn't really have a plot worth speaking of but it has a gently comic air that might appeal to those looking for undemanding British fare to fill the television on a west Sunday afternoon. Nothing special but not bad so to say.
The tone is very much gentle British humour i.e. not a lot of laughs to be had. It moves slowly enough due to the lack of plot and it is difficult to follow or care about because it does just seem to be drifting aimlessly from one thing to the next. I laughed once or twice at most ("big breaths") but the film just seems happy to exist on a gentle tone rather than having anything sharp or that good in regards material. The cast try hard to raise a laugh or two and push the material as hard as they can but all they can really do is contribute to the gently comic mood. Bogarde is OK in the lead role, hardly memorable but suitable smooth and gentle for the lead. Sinden has fun with a more interesting character and he is funny by force of personality. Justice is hardly in the film but makes his usual impact.
Overall this is an OK entry in an OK series of film. It isn't particularly funny and doesn't really have a plot worth speaking of but it has a gently comic air that might appeal to those looking for undemanding British fare to fill the television on a west Sunday afternoon. Nothing special but not bad so to say.
Out in the World
richardchatten26 November 2022
More a series of vignettes than a collection of sketches, the third of the Doctor films works surprisingly well, the humour much gentler than any of the others as befits Dirk Bogarde's increasing maturity.
Of the original four student doctors in the original only he and Donald Sinden remain. The action involve a surprisingly large number of substantial female characters, with Muriel Pavlow as Bogarde's spirited Girl Friday, Shirley Eaton has blossomed from a landlady's daughter to a nurse and Athene Seyler plays a remarkably broadminded patron of Sinden.
Sir Lancelot hadn't yet take over the series as he eventually did, but has a characteristic scene where he discusses the cooking of spaghetti in the middle of performing surgery.
In a nod to the later TV series we even get Michael Medwin as the annoying prig Bingham later played by Richard O'Sullivan (whose first scene actually includes him using the word "herpes").
Of the original four student doctors in the original only he and Donald Sinden remain. The action involve a surprisingly large number of substantial female characters, with Muriel Pavlow as Bogarde's spirited Girl Friday, Shirley Eaton has blossomed from a landlady's daughter to a nurse and Athene Seyler plays a remarkably broadminded patron of Sinden.
Sir Lancelot hadn't yet take over the series as he eventually did, but has a characteristic scene where he discusses the cooking of spaghetti in the middle of performing surgery.
In a nod to the later TV series we even get Michael Medwin as the annoying prig Bingham later played by Richard O'Sullivan (whose first scene actually includes him using the word "herpes").
Unfunny "comedy"
petsitter12 October 2011
A typical film of the "doldrums" era of British cinema.
A formulaic, lacklustre comedy with the type of populist humour that was acceptable, perhaps even funny, to audiences of the 1950's.
You can see it very much as a forerunner to the smutty humour of the Carry On series but this was 1957 and they couldn't get away with very much just yet.
What humour there is is very lame and pretty cringey. The big breaths "joke" particularly. It's no wonder British cinema was disregarded so roundly in this era.
It's obviously before the era of "medical ethics" too, with Dr Sparrow overstepping the doctor/patient boundary quite worryingly at times, putting one rich female patient over his knee and slapping her on the rear end. Again, all a bit cringey. Stereotypes of all kinds abound, racial, social and sexual.
As a period piece on how films were made in the 1950's it's a classic example. It hasn't stood the test of time very well though!
A formulaic, lacklustre comedy with the type of populist humour that was acceptable, perhaps even funny, to audiences of the 1950's.
You can see it very much as a forerunner to the smutty humour of the Carry On series but this was 1957 and they couldn't get away with very much just yet.
What humour there is is very lame and pretty cringey. The big breaths "joke" particularly. It's no wonder British cinema was disregarded so roundly in this era.
It's obviously before the era of "medical ethics" too, with Dr Sparrow overstepping the doctor/patient boundary quite worryingly at times, putting one rich female patient over his knee and slapping her on the rear end. Again, all a bit cringey. Stereotypes of all kinds abound, racial, social and sexual.
As a period piece on how films were made in the 1950's it's a classic example. It hasn't stood the test of time very well though!
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