Dr. Kildare

A legendary serie, great for Richard Chamberlaine - young and seductive- , as start point of medical series and for the atmosphere of the period. It is not easy to define it but its virtue remains the wise craft, the tension and something who can be defined as realism. A special serie about dutz, conflicts, people, courage and honesty and about the air of a lost America.

This series was based on the movies about the same characters starring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore. I truly loved those old movies. If I am not mistaken I think Lew Ayres even appeared in one of the episodes. The series was my introduction to Richard Chamberlain. As I have followed his career - I have never been disappointed by the roles he has taken on. But it was as Dr. Kildare that I shall always remember him first. I must add though that he had a great singing voice as well - I used to own the only record he ever released - Dr. Kildare Sings - I believe was the title of the LP. I concur with other fans about wondering if any copies of the show still exist for release in a DVD format for us diehard fans. I would buy them in a heartbeat!!!

The two part Episode of Dr. Kildare that featured Yvette Mimieux was called "Tiger,Tiger." (The title of a famous poem) It was one of the highest rated shows of the year, which I believe was 1963. Miss Mimieux played a beautiful epileptic and she died having a seizure while surfing, which her doctor had warned her not to do.

Oh, the heartbreak! Oh the teenage hormones! Oh, how the ratings soared!

I used to watch this series and would not leave the house "for anything" the night the show was on. I remember my older sister asking me if I wanted to go bowling with a bunch of friends, I declined. I had this teenager's fanaticism for the series and a crush in a good way on Dr. Kildare, Richard Chamberlain (The Thorn Birds). I guess Dr. James Kildare was a big heart throb those days. I remember his boss Dr. Leonard Gillespie, Raymond Massey (All my Darling Daughters) calling him Jim. That was a nice series. I clearly remember when they did a love story where Yvette Mimieux was his girl friend and Richard Chamberlain sang: "True Love!" I bought his record and sang along like a crazy teen. I think she died of cancer, I guess, in that episode. I have no recollection of Mimieux being nurse Zoe Lawton (1965-66). My guess is because I was raised abroad and by the time I watched the series it was ending in the States. The last of the series probably never got translated. The series was about this intern and his relationship with his boss and his patients. It was today's ER with fewer interns. Just one! Dr. Kildare! He was enough! It was my favorite doctor series and I remember it, fondly!

I used to watch this show (along with Ben Casey show) which was on around the same era, and loved them. This was in the 1960's. I watched

Dr. Kildare every week starring Richard Chamberlain. It was a must for me. And Raymond Massey, as Dr. Gillespie was really the best actor in the series. I always thought Richard Chamberlain was a good actor and his career has gone well through the years. But as far as I am concerned, I liked him best as Dr Kildare. Why did they never bring out some episodes of Dr. Kildare on DVD or VHS?There must be lots of us still around who were young in the 60's who would buy them.