Rent Doctor at Sea (1955)

Not really part of the series - Doctor at Sea review by LN

1955 Colour Directed by Ralph Thomas, produced by Betty Box, adapted for the screen by Richard Gordon, the writer of the Doc series. Music conducted by Muir Matheson, one song Je Ne Sais Pas sung by Bardot was written by Hubert Gregg, one of the cast members.

There were 7 doctor films, 4 with Bogarde, the rest with Leslie Phillips. There'd only been one before this one (Dr in the House -1954) then came:

- at Large ('57)

- in Love ('60)

- in Distress ('63)

- in Clover ('66)

- in Trouble ('70)

Oh dear, what to say about this travesty? I got it out of sequence having seen a couple of other Doctor films just to catch up with Bogarde, he's Simon Sparrow again in this but ostensibly working in private practice with the classically lazy Doctor George Thomas (according to the plaque, only available 2 hours a day in his consulting rooms leaving poor Sparrow to do everything else!). Dirk is craving escape from the assumptions of the Doctor's family who he lives with (a brief few glimpses of Joan Hickson as the mother) trying to pair him off with their shy daughter (equally brief appearance by Joan Sims) so he elects to take a job at sea as ships doctor to get as far away as possible.

So far so good, until he steps aboard to meet Captain Hogg - played by...wait for it, James Robertson Justice. Hey, wait, What? He's not Sir Lancelot Spratt ?? Talk about confusing! Isn't this the Doctor series ?

Whilst the rest of the film has its highly comical moments and the sailors, Gregg, Medwin, Coulouris, Purcell, and especially Denham, provide a lot of kooky moments I was still irked by the changed roles. Brenda da Banzie is just irritating and looks a bit too old to be constantly muttering about "Daddy". Brigitte Bardot in her first English film role is there as eye candy but ultimately knowing Dirk wasn't interested in girls (carefully hidden at the time) it somehow falls a bit flat although technically he gets the girl in the end and goes to Rio....but then what happens next in the series? According to the Dr. at Large plot he's back again to St Swithins...huh? What's going on???

JRJ manages to be even more bullying and opinionated, shouting constantly at the crew. When he goes ballistic on the bridge due to pills and booze I cheered them putting him out of action. Hmn.

OK, maybe, simply to view separately from the rest of the series, but I don't lump it in with the hospital based ones. I wonder where the producers really thought they were going with this one?