Dentist in the Chair

What is worse,having a tooth pulled or watching this film? Probably the later.The film has a reasonable cast.However Bob Monkhouse is not to everybody's taste,certainly not mine.What's worse it is clear from the writing credits that he bore part of the blame for this mess.Rather surprisingly Val Guest wrote the screenplay but did not direct..Ronnie Stevens has a large part and he is really not up to it.Kenneth Connor gives his usual reliable performance but even he cannot make this film seem funny.Peggy Cummins,near the end of her career is the female lead.This film tries and fails to latch onto the coat tails of the successful Doctor series.

This was to be the first of a series of comedies cued to the enormous success of, and utilizing many of the same players from, England's "Carry On" comedies. Only two were made, and this one demonstrates the principal shortcoming leading to the series' end. Despite the presence of an attractive cast, and the same frantic pace which commanded audience approval for the "Carry On" films, "Dentist in the Chair" is betrayed by an extraordinarily inane script.

Some student dentists, who look as if they are on the verge of being middle aged, receive some 'dodgy' dental equipment that's.been stolen. What follows is a painful and tedious narrative whereby Kenneth Connor and his student dental colleagues try to rid themselves of the loot. Bob Monkhouse, a popular TV comedian of the time, couldn't really act. Someone like Leslie Phillips would have been far better, hence from the word go, Monkhouse is out of his depth and thus looks distinctly uncomfortable in the starring role. Sadly, the second lead, Ronnie Stevens, doesn't really impress in a comedic role, but comes across as nothing more than a bland, stuffy and colourless figure. Only Kenneth Connor comes out with any credit, but even he can't save this awful film due to the puerile dialogue and the flimsy storyline. This sort of film was an effort to cash in on the 'Doctor in the House' films but spectacularly fails! The film wasn't funny when it was released and after 60 years, it's lost all traces of humour! After 30 minutes of watching this drivel, I needed a stiff drink.

Dentist in the Chair is directed by Don Chaffey and adapted to screenplay by Val Guest from Matthew Finch's book. It stars Bob Monkhouse, Kenneth Connor, Peggy Cummins, Eric Barker and Ronnie Stevens. Music is by Ken Jones and cinematography by Reginald Wyer.

A pretty unfunny Brit comedy that has good intentions but even a talented cast and writer can't lift this above the maudlin. Plot revolves around dentistry students at The King Alfred Dental Hospital, who get involved in stolen instruments and affairs of the heart, the latter complicated since the focus of the boys' attention is The Dean's niece!

It's all very innocent of course, but as it lacks daring or any sort of worthy story based cohesion, it's a chore to get through. Not helped by a damp squib of a finale. Cast are fine enough but all involved in this venture have better legacies elsewhere. 4/10

Dentistry is hardly a barrel of laughs, and if this was to be the start of a rival to the Doctors series, all had their work cut out from the kick off. It does begin well with the students' antics and their diffidently exasperated tutor Reginald Beckwith. Kenneth Connor gives the funniest performance, Eric Barker is ideal as the bemused Dean and Peggy Cummins lovely and charming as his niece; Monkhouse a bit of a fish out of water. Half way through things are running out of steam, and the ending is a bit wet. All quite painless overall though for fans of British comedies of the period. Wasn't that the superb comedienne Avril Angers in the small role as the second tea lady Maggie, masquerading under the rhyming slang moniker Rosie Lee?