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.
He is joined by Dr Tony Burke who proceeds to airily order expensive equipment that the practice cannot afford but leaves the practice after breaking an arm. 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 and eventually Nicola leaves.
Hare struggles through various comedic and other complications, mainly stemming 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 vociferous protestations, the operation is a success.
Hare is reunited with Nicola and returns to St Swithins.
Dirk Bogarde did not want to make any more Doctor films, so the filmmakers cast Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips as young doctors. Producer Betty Box later said the entire cast cost as much as Bogarde's current fee at that time.[2] Craig said "it was no sweat, a bit like a mildly peasant piece of deja vu" because he had just worked with the same team on Upstairs and Downstairs.[3] Box says "We all developed an affection for Doctor in Love. It was a gay, happy comedy which brought us into contact with some fine fresh talents."[2]
Craig said "I don't think Doctor in Love's success had anything to do with me – King Kong probably could have played the part with the same result."[3] Betty Box claimed it earned more than Doctor at Large. "We felt we'd pushed our luck to the ninth degree and should now forget about doctors and medical students", she said.[5]
Reception
Box office
The film was the most popular movie at the British box office in 1960.[6]
Critical
Monthly Film Bulletin described the film as "an antediluvian farce of staggering witlessness and vulgarity".[7]
References
^"Doctor in Love". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
