DOCTOR IN CLOVER
This is an old British comedy that is trying it's best to be a Carry On film, but failing.
The movie is about a doctor, Dr. Grimsdyke, who gets fired from his job as a prison doctor. He gets a job being retrained at a hospital where his cousin works. The problem is, he is looking for love instead on concentrating on his studies. He is a bit of a ladies man, but when he has his heart set on a nurse that is not interested, he will do anything he can to get with her
even if it means screwing over her fiancé.
The film is funny in places, and it does have that classic British comedy feel to it, but the characters were trying too hard to copy the legendary Carry On films. The comedy and the punch lines were very similar to them and the characters even had the same characteristics. The problem is, it just wasn't as funny as the Carry Ons.
There are a few Carry On actors in it though, which makes it feel like one even more. The main character, Dr. Grimsdyke, is played by Leslie Phillips. Leslie has appeared in a couple of Carry On films before making this, but in this he has a lead role which is what I suppose attracted him to it. He did a good job, but unfortunately, he was carrying this film. The rest of the cast seemed like they were not acting in their own style. One of the main patient characters was clearly trying to be Sid James, but failing. Every time he was on the screen you could just see he was imitating Sid. Other Carry On faces that were in this were Joan Sims. Joan played the Matron of the hospital. She did a good job also, but I struggled to see her as the feisty Matron that she was playing. She has a face and personality that is better played as a nice person. Terry Scott also made a short appearance. He was funny. It was s shame that he was not in it that much. James Robertson Justice was a great actor. He was one of my favourite characters in this movie.
Some of the things Dr. Grimsdyke does to get the girl is funny
and very slapstick. They did make me laugh. I was surprised that Leslie didn't say his "ding dong" catchphrase in the film. Seeing as he was playing a ladies man I would have thought they would have put that in the script. But he did say "Hello" in his famous way. J
This film was good, but it would have been better if it was not trying too hard to be something it wasn't. This is the sixth Doctor movie in a series of films
and from what I have heard, the earlier ones are funnier. I will watch them if they are on TV, but I didn't know this was part of a series until I watched it. I do wish that I watched them in order though.
I will give this film 6 out of 10.
"Give it to me!"
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