Docteur en détresse

I was given this film on DVD as a birthday present, so sat down and gave it a go. I had seen a few of the other Doctor films and thought them gentle, inoffensive but ultimately unfunny. This one is very similar.

James Robertson Justice's irritable surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt is the central character, with Dirk Bogarde as Dr Stephen Sparrow hovering about. It's really James Robertson Justice's performance that makes this film, with his wonderful fruity bark, and seeing him given the chance to show off other sides of his acting ability, coming over as a rather affable chap now and again.

Like a lot of these British comedy films, the plot is wafer-thin, you really have to suspend your disbelief, and ultimately it isn't really very funny at all.

But for me I came away with a satisfied smile on my face, having enjoyed the film for other reasons. The supporting cast is a real who's who of British screen acting, with people like Timothy Bateson, John Bluthal, Donald Houston and many others. Being a fan of Flanders and Swan, it was a nice surprise to see Michael Flanders as the food writer at the health farm.

My favourite scene is at the railway station, where rail buffs can ooh and ahh at British Railways-era carriages and locos, the history buffs at the posters for milk and rail rovers. There's also lots of street shots full of classic British cars, black-and-white striped sign posts and cafés where you can get beans on toast for 10d and fried egg, beans, chips and fried bread for the princely sum of 2/6! Not a great film, you sometimes find yourself pushing the fast forward button. But for James Robertson Justice, and as a kind of time capsule of early 60s Britain it's perfect.

This movie sees the return, after an absence of six years, of Dirk Bogarde to the role of Doctor Simon Sparrow. But for a change, the movie's main emphasis is not placed on the young, bungling medic, but, refreshingly, focuses on the wonderful James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt.

Because of this, 'Doctor In Distress' is my personal favourite of the 'Doctor' series. It's a joy to see James Robertson Justice take centre stage for a change, whether bashfully admitting his childhood nickname of 'Porker' or visiting a health farm; he never fails to raise a smile.

To be honest, Bogarde is largely wasted in this film; still it is nice to see Simon Sparrow for one final time. Indeed, 'Doctor In Distress' does have a feeling of closure to it, with Sparrow no longer a hapless young medic but instead an established colleague and friend of Sir Lancelot. It is a real pleasure to see these two fine actors reunited once again.

Sadly there would be eventually two more 'Doctor' movies made, of variable quality, but 'Doctor In Distress' sees out the classic 'Doctor' movies with style.

During a stone-laying ceremony for a new wing to the hospital, Sir Lancelot Spratt takes a fall and ends up with a slipped disk making him a patient in his own hospital. Unsurprisingly for such an old curmudgeon, Spratt is as difficult a patient as he is a surgeon and is determined to make life difficult for anyone daring to treat him. However when he is treated by physiotherapist Delia Mallory, he finds himself cured and a tad smitten by her. When he starts sleep-walking he turns to Dr Sparrow, who diagnoses a psychosomatic cause and advises Spratt to turn to Mallory for his cure!

I've never been that bothered by the Doctor series simply because they are a gentle affair that fall below the Carry On series in regards laughs and tone. Here the film focuses on Spratt rather than the usual character Sparrow. The latter is given a rather dull subplot while occasionally getting him to stick his head in with Spratt to keep some vague connection to the main story. This approach is good for those that like the character Spratt, which includes me because I have always found his gruff character a rather nice distraction from the bland humour that it mostly churns out. Although it is nothing special, this does make it quite a light and enjoyable film. The plot is contrived and generally dull but it does have a matinée feel to it that may satisfy some viewers.

Justice naturally dominates the film thanks to the material. He doesn't do anything new or exciting but having a bit of variation to his character seemed to give him something to work with. Bogarde sort of drifts around the edge of the film on his way out. He still has the same touch in his scenes as he always had in the series but for me personally that doesn't mean a great deal. Support is generally wasted from the few familiar faces there are and none of them (including the main female cast members) made enough of an impression on me to even stick in my memory even as far as this paragraph.

Overall this is a light matinée affair that has no real laughs, plot or interest. However this seems to be its intension and, if you like the light, slightly comic touch of the series then I see no reason why you will not like this. For most viewers though I imagine it will be frothy to the pointless of boredom and light to the point of not having a point. Wet Sunday afternoon stuff but will not do much beyond that.

The Doctor films continue and like the Carry On films which were directed by Ralph Thomas's brother, it seemed that the film series would go on forever.

Dr Sparrow (Dirk Bogarde) is now a senior doctor at Hampden Cross Hospital in love with a model and aspiring actress.

The film focuses more on the irascible Spratt who injures his back and becomes a patient in his own hospital and falls for the charms of his physiotherapist. Dr Sparrow sends him to a health clinic to lose some weight but the Physio is also romantically pursued by another patient at the hospital.

The film is well worth seeing for early appearances for some future comedy legends such as Ronnie Barker and Richard Briers. The film itself did not maintain my interest or was very funny. In fact I felt that by the end of the movie some of the plot threads remain unresolved leaving you to think that the producers must have run out of money.

The usual formula for this series featuring the urbane Bogarde, the irascible Robertson-Justice and - pardon my political incorrectness - some top notch tottie.

Probably considered quite risque in its time but hardly likely to provoke an "ooh err, missus!" these days, it mostly raises smiles rather than laughs although the odd bits of slapstick made my 7 year old son laugh.

Perhaps the most fun is to be had spotting future starts down the cast list: Richard Briers (The Good Life), John Bluthal (Vicar of Dibley), the uncredited Denise Coffee (Do Not Adjust Your Set), Ronnie Barker (Two Ronnies) and Derek Fowlds (Yes, Minister) are all here, not to mention Frank Finlay (Casanova) and Leo McKern (Rumpole of the Bailey). No Richard Wattis or John Le Mesurier though - they must have been working on 5 other British comedies that week.