| Doctor in Love | |
|---|---|
 Original British 1960quad film poster | |
| Directed by | Ralph Thomas |
| Screenplay by | Nicholas Phipps |
| Based on | Doctor in Love byRichard 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 | |
| Distributed by | Rank Film Distributors |
Release date |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Doctor in Love is a 1960 Britishcomedy film, the fourth of the seven films in theDoctor series, directed byRalph Thomas and starringJames Robertson Justice andMichael Craig.[1] It was the first film in the series not to featureDirk Bogarde, although he did return for the next film in the seriesDoctor in Distress. It was loosely based on the 1957novel of the same title byRichard Gordon.
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 visitCalifornia 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 withappendicitis and decides to operate, despite Spratt's loud objections. He objects even more when Dr Burke fills in at the last moment as theanaesthetist. 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 moreDoctor films, so the filmmakers castMichael Craig andLeslie Phillips as young doctors. ProducerBetty 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 onUpstairs and Downstairs.[3] Box says "We all developed an affection forDoctor in Love. It was a gay, happy comedy which brought us into contact with some fine fresh talents."[2]
Shooting took place atPinewood Studios andon location aroundLondon including atUniversity College London. The sets were designed by theart directorMaurice Carter. The film features a visit to a striptease club.[4]
Craig said "I don't thinkDoctor 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 thanDoctor 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]
The film was the most popular movie at the British box office in 1960.[6]
Monthly Film Bulletin described the film as "an antediluvian farce of staggering witlessness and vulgarity".[7]