Doctor in Love

Doctor in Love
Doctor in Love
	Original British 1960 quad film poster
Directed by	Ralph Thomas
Screenplay by	Nicholas Phipps
Based on	Doctor in Love; by Richard Gordon
Produced by	Betty E. Box
Starring	James Robertson Justice; Michael Craig; Leslie Phillips; Carole Lesley; Joan Sims
Cinematography	Ernest Steward
Edited by	Alfred Roome
Music by	Bruce Montgomery
Production; company	Rank Organisation
Distributed by	Rank Film Distributors
Release date	12 July 1960;
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Doctor in Love is a 1960 British comedy film, the fourth of the seven films in the Doctor series, directed by Ralph Thomas and starring James Robertson Justice and Michael Craig.^[1] It was the first film in the series not to feature Dirk Bogarde, although he did return for the next film in the series Doctor in Distress. It was loosely based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Richard Gordon.

Plot

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.

Main cast

James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt
Michael Craig as Dr. Richard Hare
Leslie Phillips as Dr. Tony Burke
Joan Sims as Dawn
Liz Fraser as Leonora
Virginia Maskell as Dr. Nicola Barrington
Carole Lesley as Kitten Strudwick
Reginald Beckwith as Wildewinde
Nicholas Phipps as Dr. Clive Cardew
Ambrosine Phillpotts as Lady Spratt
Irene Handl as Professor MacRitchie
Fenella Fielding as Mrs. Tadwich
Nicholas Parsons as Dr. Roger Hinxman
Moira Redmond as Sally Nightingale
Ronnie Stevens as Harold Green
Michael Ward as Dr. Flower
John Le Mesurier as Dr. Mincing
Meredith Edwards as father
Avis Bunnage as Mrs. Mimp (uncredited)
Esma Cannon as Raffia Lady (uncredited)
Patrick Cargill as car salesman (uncredited)
Bill Fraser as police sergeant (uncredited)
Joan Hickson as sister (uncredited)
John Junkin as policeman (uncredited)
Rosalind Knight as doctor (uncredited)
Roland Curram as student doctor (uncredited)
Sheila Hancock as librarian (uncredited)
Robin Ray as doctor (uncredited)
Norman Rossington as doorman (uncredited)
Peter Sallis as love-struck patient (uncredited)
Marianne Stone as nurse (uncredited)
Jimmy Thompson as doctor (uncredited)
Sally Douglas as stripper (uncredited)
Angela Browne as Susan (uncredited)
Warren Mitchell as Haystack Club manager (uncredited)

Production

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]

Shooting took place at Pinewood Studios and on location around London including at University College London. The sets were designed by the art director Maurice Carter. The film features a visit to a striptease club.^[4]

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.
^ ^a ^b Box p. 219
^ ^a ^b Craig, Michael (2005). The Smallest Giant: An Actor's Life. Allen and Unwin. p. 94.
^ "The Bare Facts About Strip Tease". Western Herald. Bourke, NSW. 3 November 1961. p. 4. Retrieved 17 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Box p. 221
^ Billings, Josh (15 December 1960). "It's Britain 1, 2, 3 again in the 1960 box office stakes". Kine Weekly. pp. 8–9.
^ "Doctor in Love, Great Britain, 1960". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 27, no. 319. August 1960. p. 111.