Doctor in Distress *** (1963, Dirk Bogarde, James Robertson Justice, Mylène Demongeot, Samantha Eggar, Barbara Murray, Leo McKern, Donald Houston, Dennis Price) – Classic Movie Review 3142

‘It’s the incurable ‘Doctor’ team!’

Directed once again by Ralph Thomas, in 1963, the fifth in the successful run of Doctor films reunites Dirk Bogarde and James Robertson Justice for one final time, as Dr Simon Sparrow returns to work for head surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt at St Swithin’s Hospital in London only to find his mentor shot by cupid’s arrow, when he falls for physiotherapist Iris Marchant (Barbara Murray).

And so is Dr Sparrow, after lovely model girl Delia Mallory (Samantha Eggar) is brought into casualty with a sprained ankle. But Iris has another suitor – Major Tommy Ffrench (Donald Houston).

This still welcome sequel benefits from Bogarde’s charm, Robertson Justice’s blustering, Mylène Demongeot’s sexy comedy vamping and Leo McKern’s grouchiness as Harry Heilbronn, plus other good stars in Jill Adams, Fenella Fielding and Dennis Price, all giving quality performances.

It is probably the last Doctor film that still had something to say and an amusing way of saying it, though they made two more, Doctor in Clover, in 1966, and Doctor in Trouble, in 1970.

Also in the reliable cast are Jessie Evans, Ann Lynn, Michael Flanders, Reginald Beckwith, Bill Kerr, Ronnie Stevens, Peter Butterworth, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Rodney Cardiff and Frank Finlay.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3142

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