Doctor in the House main backdrop
Doctor in the House main poster

Doctor in the House

Visit website

6.5/10 • 29

1954-03-231h 32m

Comedy

Happy-Go-Laughable Hit!

The first of the seven "Doctor" films, based on Richard Gordon's novels and released between 1954 and 1970. Simon Sparrow is a newly arrived medical student at St Swithin's hospital in London. Falling in with three longer-serving hopefuls he is soon immersed in the wooing, imbibing and fast sports-car driving that constitute 1950s medical training. There is, however, always the looming and formidable figure of chief surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt to remind them of their real purpose.

Directors
Ralph Thomas

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Dirk Bogarde

    Dirk Bogarde

    Simon Sparrow

  2. Muriel Pavlow

    Muriel Pavlow

    Nurse Joy Gibson

  3. Kenneth More

    Kenneth More

    Richard Grimsdyke

  4. Donald Sinden

    Donald Sinden

    Tony Benskin

  5. Kay Kendall

    Kay Kendall

    Isobel Minster

  6. James Robertson Justice

    James Robertson Justice

    Sir Lancelot Spratt

  7. Donald Houston

    Donald Houston

    Taffy Evans

  8. Suzanne Cloutier

    Suzanne Cloutier

    Stella

  9. George Coulouris

    George Coulouris

    Briggs

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Apr 4, 2022

6/10

Time hasn't been especially kind to this, but there is a strength amongst this pretty solid cast that, alongside some half decent writing that avoids the obvious smut and double entendre to be found in the "Carry Ons", makes it a passable watch. It centres around a group of medical students under the imperious supervision of James Robertson Justice's "Sir Lancelot" trying to get a grip with their studies - a task well beyond most of them - whilst their hormones rage a bit too. There is balance here: the girls and boys are as equally up for some fun and games and Dirk Bogarde, Kenneth More, Kay Kendall and Muriel Pavlow come across as if they are having quite a bit of fun making this. Sure, the scenarios are all very predictable (or just downright far-fetched) but the humour is harmless fun that I suspect, though maybe not to quite to the extremes depicted here, could remind many of us of our youthful japery when the studying was not so important. Uniquely British, I'd have thought - I can't think this will travel well, but almost 70 years on I still quite enjoyed it.

Media

  • Doctor in the House poster
  • Doctor in the House poster
  • Doctor in the House poster

Recommendations

  • Bank Holiday main backdrop

    Bank Holiday

    6.0

  • Old Man Junior main backdrop

    Old Man Junior

    6.9

  • No Backdrop

    A

    5.9

  • Eye for an Eye 2 main backdrop

    Eye for an Eye 2

    6.4

  • An Ideal Father main backdrop

    An Ideal Father

    6.3

  • Rorschach main backdrop

    Rorschach

    6.6

  • No Backdrop

    We

    6.3

  • Noryang: Deadly Sea main backdrop

    Noryang: Deadly Sea

    6.4

  • The Adventures main backdrop

    The Adventures

    5.9

  • A Royal Date for Christmas main backdrop

    A Royal Date for Christmas

    5.7

  • Sri Asih main backdrop

    Sri Asih

    6.5

  • Piece by Piece main backdrop

    Piece by Piece

    7.4

  • Becoming Led Zeppelin main backdrop

    Becoming Led Zeppelin

    7.1

  • Amaran main backdrop

    Amaran

    7.4

  • No Backdrop

    Sonic Soldier Borgman: Last Battle

    6.1

  • Bangkok Breaking: Heaven and Hell main backdrop

    Bangkok Breaking: Heaven and Hell

    6.7

  • Transmorphers: Mech Beasts main backdrop

    Transmorphers: Mech Beasts

    5.6

  • All We Imagine as Light main backdrop

    All We Imagine as Light

    6.9

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
student of medicine