Film / Doctor in Love

It's Doctor in Love, the cure positively guaranteed to put you on your back. Er, in the aisles, of course.

Dr. Burke: Tell me about yourself. Bare your soul for me.

Leonora: My soul? No one's ever asked to see that before.

— Dr. Tony Burke chatting up Leonora the stripper.

Doctor in Love is a 1960 film and the fourth of the Doctor... Series. It stars Michael Craig, Virginia Maskell, James Robertson Justice, Carole Lesley, and Leslie Phillips.

Dr. Richard Hare (Craig) is a house surgeon at St. Swithin's Hospital, who is left devastated after his love interest Nurse Sally Nightingale (Moira Redmond) suddenly leaves. After this disappointment, he and former St. Swithin's colleague Dr. Tony Burke (Phillips) go to stay at Professor MacRitchie's (Irene Handl) Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit, where they join an experiment to look to try and cure the common cold, however the two break their intended isolation to chat up two strippers - Dawn (Joan Sims) and Leonora (Liz Fraser) - and have to leave.

Dr. Hare then takes the job he was offered in Dr. Clive Cardew's (Nicholas Phipps) private practice and is temporarily left in charge when Dr. Cardew visits California. Dr. Burke joins him again but proves to be more trouble than he's worth after wasting the practice's money and spending time at the club to get closer to the lovely Kitten Strudwick (Lesley), before leaving once he breaks his arm.

After him, Dr. Nicola Barrington (Maskell) joins the practice as Dr. Hare's assistant and steals Dr. Hare's heart, while Miss Strudwick takes up the job of practice secretary. After saving a young boy's life - with the help of the recently retired Sir Lancelot Spratt (Justice) - Drs. Hare and Barrington plan to marry, but things go awry when Sally returns to take over Miss Strudwick's job as Hilarity Ensues.

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Tropes in Love:

• Accidental Misnaming:
  • A drunken Leonora calls Professor MacRitchie "Ritchie MacDarling".
  • When drunk, Wildewinde calls himself "Wildey-winde".
  • The telegram telling Dr. Hare that Dr. Barrington will be arriving to replace Dr. Burke calls her "Nicholas" rather than "Nicola".
• Added Alliterative Appeal:
  • At the Haystack Club, Dawn introduces Leonora as the "lovely, luscious, lovable Leonora".
  • When trying to get Dr. Hare to operate on him, Sir Lancelot remarks that he's being offered the chance to "slice up one of the best-known breadbaskets in Britain".
• Affectionate Nickname: Dr. Hare calls Dr. Barrington "Nikki".
• The Alcoholic: Dr. Cardew mentions that while Wildewinde gets plastered from time to time, he does so quietly and on his days off:
  Wildewinde: Oh, Doctor! Thank goodness you've come. They all think Wildey-winde's intoxicated.
  Dr. Hare: And is he?
• The Alleged Car: After getting a puncture, Dr. Burke remarks that his old bus has just about had it.
• Alliterative Name: Clive Cardew.
• All There in the Script: The credits give the surname of the Professor in charge of the Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit as "MacRitchie".
• Almost Kiss: Before Dr. Hare can kiss Dr. Barrington, he is interrupted by Mrs. Mimps ringing the doorbell.
• Ambiguously Gay:
  • Dr. Flower is rather fay and becomes visibly distressed when a drunken Dawn and Leonora show affection for him.
  • Wildewinde is a soft-spoken man and when Dr. Cardew believes that he may hold affection for Miss Strudwick, he remarks that it's unusual for him unless times have changed.
• And I'm the Queen of Sheba: A jealous Miss Strudwick has this to say after meeting Dr. Barrington:
  Dr. Hare: Er, Miss Strudwick, Dr. Barrington.
  Miss Strudwick: And I'm the minister of health!
• Ass Shove: A jealous Dr. Hinxman tries to arrange for Dr. Hare to be given a turpentine enema.
• Astonishingly Appropriate Interruption: As a doctor at the lecture talks about old hairy monsters, Sir Lancelot (on the run from the police) comes bursting through the screen.
• Bathroom Breakout: While in Dawn and Leonora's hut, Drs. Hare and Burke see Professor MacRitchie and Dr. Flower approaching. Knowing that they can't be caught breaking their isolation, they tell the girls they'll wait in the bathroom to sterilise the teacups and plan to hide there until the coast is clear. Once Dr. Hare blows their cover with an Ill-Timed Sneeze, the pair flee through the window.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Drs. Hare and Barrington have a triumphant one after Dr. Hare successfully removes Sir Lancelot's appendix.
• Big "SHUT UP!": When the audience at the Haystack Club jeer at Sir Lancelot for interrupting Leonora's performance, he roars "SILENCE!" at them, before criticising their manners.
• Blackmail: Lady Spratt threatens to have Perkins pour Sir Lancelot's Napoleon brandy down the kitchen sink if he doesn't allow Dr. Hare to find out why he's fallen ill.
• Blatant Lies: When Sir Lancelot asks Dr. Burke if he's glad to hear that he's leaving St. Swithin's, Dr. Burke can only feebly stammer out a no (after nearly saying yes) which Sir Lancelot naturally doesn't believe.
• Brief Accent Imitation:
  • Dr. Burke uses a falsetto voice to sneak up on Wildewinde and frighten him.
  • He also uses a Scottish accent when putting Sir Lancelot to sleep for his appendix surgery as to not let him work out who is doing it.
• The Casanova: Dr. Burke is always trying to chat up women. Even his first scene has him offering to show a nurse around St. Swithin's and his car is named "Crumpet II":
  Dr. Burke: Good evening, Doctor. I'm collecting for the county hospital.
  Dr. Hare: Tony!
  Dr. Burke: Have you got any women patients you don't want?
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Miss Strudwick takes an instant dislike to Dr. Barrington as she sees her as competition for Dr. Hare's affections.
• Copycat Mockery: When Professor MacRitchie scolds Leonora and Dawn for getting drunk, they both parrot "Crass infringement of the rules" and "An orgy!" to mock her.
• Creator Cameo: The author of the original Doctor novels, Richard Gordon, appears as a doctor.
• Creator In-Joke: The book offered to Dr. Hare by the librarian is The Captain's Table by Richard Gordon, who wrote the books the film series is based on.
• Curse Cut Short: Dr. Hare cuts off Mr. Green before he can say "penis" as he tries to tell him about the funny feeling he gets when he sees his landlady's daughter.
• Deadpan Snarker: Lady Spratt has no time for her husband's attitude and lets him know:
  Sir Lancelot: What you want to let me in for attending this damn lecture for, I don't know. I should be pruning the roses.
  Lady Spratt: I was thinking of the roses, dear. You're apt to confuse pruning with amputating.
• Destructo-Nookie: Miss Strudwick once knew a man who, after reading a sex-help book with his wife, turned up to work with a fractured ankle.
• Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: An instrumental cover of the theme plays when Drs. Hare, Burke, and Barrington go out to dance at the club.
• Double Entendre: When Dr. Hare tells Sally about his dream:
  Dr. Hare: I dreamt about you last night.
  Sally: Did you?
  Dr. Hare: No, you wouldn't let me.
• Dramatic Drop:
  • Dr. Hare drops a surgical tool after hearing that Sir Lancelot is planning to retire.
  • When Sir Lancelot tells Dr. Burke to stop fondling his theatre staff's buttocks, the staff woman in question drops the bedpan she was holding in embarrassment.
  • When Dr. Burke scares Wildewinde, he remarks he nearly dropped his forceps, and when Dr. Burke mentions he could set him in the window and show off a scar on his stomach, he actually drops his forceps.
• Drives Like Crazy:
  • Lady Spratt gets distracted while driving Sir Lancelot to a lecture and nearly plows into the side of a double-decker bus:
    Sir Lancelot: MIND THAT DAMN BUS, WOMAN!
  • Sir Lancelot isn't much better himself. When he has to rush Dr. Hare and himself to get a drug from Dr. Mincing, he speeds and neatly collides with a produce lorry:
    Sir Lancelot: Keep your ruddy Russian salad off the Queen's highway, you blasted oaf!
• Dr. Jerk: Dr. Mincing, who refuses to let Dr. Hare have an experimental drug to save a child's life. Despite the drug being dangerous, Dr. Mincing shows no remorse to the situation at all.
• Establishing Character Moment: Dr. Burke is introduced to the audience as he chats up a nurse, showing that he is a notorious flirt.
• Fauxreigner: Dr. Burke pretends to be a Scotsman named Dr. MacGregor when assisting in Sir Lancelot's surgery.
• Fictional Document:
  • A Touch of Spice by Jack Lane, the book that Dr. Hare reads while he recovers from jaundice.
  • The Garden of Pleasure by Tony Worth, the book that Dr. Hare tells Mr. Green to read to learn about sex.
• The Film of the Book: The film is based on Richard Gordon's 1957 novel of the same name.
• Finding a Bra in Your Car: When he tries to offer Dr. Barrington a cigarette, Dr. Hare opens a desk drawer and finds women's underwear, left over from one of Dr. Burke's patients.
• First-Name Basis: Miss Strudwick is on one with Mr. Green, which confuses Dr. Hare:
  Miss Strudwick: Would you see Harold, please? (Beat) Er, Mr. Harold Green, I mean.
• Get Out!: When the Sister tries to get Sir Lancelot to take a sedative, he roars for her and Dr. Hare to get out of his room.
• The Ghost:
  • Dr. Spencer, a doctor who has a tendency to prescribe a barium meal for most ailments.
  • Godfrey, a pilot patient who was in St. Swithin's for pneumonia that Dr. Hinxman suspects Sally has run off with.
  • Mrs. Blewer, a patient of Dr. Cardew's.
  • Mr. Tadwich, the ex-husband of Mrs. Tadwich.
  • Mrs. Cardew, the wife of Dr. Cardew, who lives in California.
  • Mr. Mencroft, a man who owns several wigs.
  • Lord Cornbilly, who requires a truss.
  • Mrs. Mason, a patient of Dr. Hare's.
  • Dr. Deakin, a chap who's been working on a new serum that isn't generally available yet.
  • Cudliffe, a former patient of Sir Lancelot's who works the phone directory.
  • Mabel, the Spatt's cook.
  • Perkins, the Spratt's butler.
  • Drs. Richardson and Braithwaite, two doctors from St. Swithin's who Sir Lancelot does not trust.
• Help, I'm Stuck!: Mrs. Mimps' son gets his head stuck in a saucepan three times; on the third time, his sibling has also gotten their head stuck in a waste bin.
• Honour Before Reason: Dr. Hare needs an experimental drug to save a young boy's life. Despite Dr. Mincing forbidding him from using the drug due to it being untested and possibly dangerous, Dr. Hare knows it's the boy's only chance and so stops at nothing to make sure he gets it. Thanks to Dr. Hare and the drug, the boy manages to pull through.
• Hospital Hottie:
  • Nurse Sally Nightingale. She's so pretty that when she leaves St. Swithin's, it breaks Dr. Hare's heart.
  • Dr. Barrington is loved by all the male patients, who practically leap at the chance to be examined by her next.
• Hypocrite: Sir Lancelot is quick to complain about Lady Spratt's driving, but once he's behind the wheel, he becomes a reckless menace.
• Ill-Timed Sneeze: When Drs. Hare and Burke are hiding from Professor MacRitchie in Dawn and Leonora's bathroom, Dr. Hare lets out a loud sneeze which alerts her to their presence, causing them to flee from the window.
• Implied Death Threat: Sir Lancelot has no time for the Haystack Club doorman, and lets him know this:
  Haystack Club Doorman: Ooh, a doctor? Well, is somebody ill, sir?
  Sir Lancelot: There'll be somebody at the gates of death hammering for admission if you don't let me in.
• Inconsistent Spelling:
  • Dr. Barrington's nickname is "Nicky" on the DVD subtitles, but "Nikki" in the publicity booklet.
  • The woman whose son's head keeps getting stuck in a saucepan is called "Mrs. Mimp" on the DVD subtitles, but "Mrs. Mimps" in the script.
• Ironic Name: Drs. Richard Hare and Tony Burke have the same surnames as a pair of notorious killers from the 19th century.
• Irony: Dr. Hare gets Dr. Barrington out of bed under the illusion he needs her to help him look for a saucepan when he actually wants to seduce her. When he is about to kiss her, the doorbell rings, revealing Mrs. Mimps and her son... who has once more gotten his head stuck in a saucepan.
• It's All About Me: When Dr. Hare asks Sir Lancelot for help getting a serum from Dr. Mincing to save a sick boy's life, Sir Lancelot remarks that he doesn't mind if Dr. Hare makes a bloody fool of himself but is annoyed at the idea of having to make a bloody fool of himself. However, he does relent after Dr. Hare reminds him of the patient.
• Kinky Spanking: A drunken Leonora spanks Dr. Flower when she and Dawn try to have their way with him.
• Lady Drunk: Dawn and Leonora have too much gin to drink when Drs. Hare and Burke come over to their hut, and the pair are completely trashed when Professor MacRitchie comes to check on them.
• Last-Name Basis: Dr. Hare tries to keep one with Miss Strudwick:
  Dr. Hare: Well, now, let's get on, Miss Strudwick. Er-
  Miss Strudwick: Why don't you call me "Kitten"? Everyone does.
  Dr. Hare: Oh, I think for professional reasons we'll keep it as "Miss Strudwick".
• Layman's Terms: When Dr. Hare tries to explain why Leonora and Dawn think they are drinking gin to the former, Dr. Burke has to simplify it for her to understand:
  Dr. Hare: A bad head cold has the most extraordinary effect on the olfactory and gustatory nerves.
  Leonora: The what?
  Dr. Burke: The pong.
• Lipstick Mark: After reuniting with Dr. Hare, Sally leaves a big red one on his cheek. Dr. Barrington is not amused when she discovers it.
• Love Triangle: Drs. Hare and Hinxman are both in love with Sally and resent the other for getting in their way.
• Male Frontal Nudity: When Dr. Hare tries to escape the burning shower, it is possible to grab a split-second glimpse of Michael Craig's penis.
• Malicious Misnaming: When trying to get Dr. Hare's mind off Sally Nightingale, Dr. Burke calls her "Florence Deadly Nightshade".
• Meaningful Name:
  • Sally Nightingale, a nurse who shares her surname with a famous nurse by the name of Florence.
  • Dr. Flower, fitting for one as Ambiguously Gay as he is.
• Missing Mum: Wildewinde's mother has passed away and when he gets drunk, the thought of her makes him emotional.
• Mistaken Identity: Before he finds out that his new assistant is a woman, Dr. Hare believes Dr. Barrington to be one of Dr. Burke's patients. According to her, she is mistaken for a male all the time:
  Dr. Barrington: Oh, don't worry. It's always happening. When I arrived as a student at St. Saviour's, they put me down for a lodge meeting and a rugger trial.
• Modesty Towel: One is all that Drs. Hare and Burke get to wear during their time spent in the Cold Room at the Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit.
• Noodle Incident: The only reason Dawn and Leonora have nowhere else to be but at the Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit is due to a past event involving Leonora slapping a manager for having to stooge for a comic.
• No Full Name Given:
  • We don't get to know Dawn, Leonora, Susan or George's last names.
  • The same can be said for Dr. Mincing, Lady Spratt, Wildewinde, Mrs. Mimps, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Dr. Flower, Mrs. Tadwich, Mr. Luke, Dr. Harvey, and Dr. Billet's first names.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: Despite Dr. Deakin's drug being needed to save a young child's life, Dr. Mincing refuses to let Dr. Hare have it as he claims it is too dangerous despite knowing the boy will die.
• One-Steve Limit:
  • "Tony" is the first name of both Dr. Burke and the author of The Garden of Pleasure, while it was also the first name of Dr. Benskin from Doctor in the House (1954) and Doctor at Large.
  • Dr. Hare also has the same first name as a lead character from In the House, sharing "Richard" with Grimsdyke.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Dr. Burke's Scottish accent slips due to stress as he prepares to inject Sir Lancelot with anesthetic.
• Opening Monologue: The film starts with a brief one setting the scene at St. Swithin's in 1960.
• Plot Hole: When the police arrive at the Haystack Club, how do Dawn and Leonora know that Sir Lancelot isn't a paid-up member? While it was his first time at the club, for all they know he could have become a member prior to his visit.
• Porn Stash: Dr. Burke keeps one in the secret and confidential drawer at Dr. Cardew's practice:
  Dr. Hare: Yes, well... Dr. Burke was very interested in anatomy.
• Putting the "Medic" in Comedic: Lots of the film's humour comes from the situations Drs. Hare and Burke get themselves into, such as the two of them having to operate on the fearsome Sir Lancelot.
• Rhymes on a Dime: Dr. Cardew does so after he is told he has a call coming from California:
  Dr. Cardew: Put the truss in the bus, Wildewinde.
• Right in Front of Me: As various doctors try to see what's wrong with Dr. Hare, Dr. Burke tells Sir Lancelot not to push and calls him "cock" before he realises who he's talking to.
• The Rival: Dr. Hinxman is to Dr. Hare, ordering him to be confined to complete bedrest so he can have Sally all to himself.
• Rule of Three: Mrs. Mimps brings her son to Dr. Cardew's practice to get his head out of a saucepan three times.
• Same Language Dub:
  • All of Mrs. Mimps' son's lines are dubbed over, as his mouth clearly does not move when he speaks.
  • Dr. Harvey is a short, stout woman and her actress Fay Bura is dubbed over with a deep masculine voice to make her even more of a letdown to Mr. Luke after hearing that he won't be able to see the much prettier Dr. Barrington.
• Shirtless Scene:
  • Drs. Hare and Burke get one during their burning hot shower at the Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit and another shortly after when they are left in the Cold Room.
  • Sir Lancelot gets one when Dr. Hare examines his belly.
• Shout-Out:
  • The librarian tries to get Dr. Hare to read The Captain's Table, which was written by Richard Gordon - the writer of the original Doctor books the films are based on.
  • Sally jokes to Dr. Hare that her name is "Florence Nightingale".
  • When Dr. Hare refuses to be sedated, Sir Lancelot threatens to give him "something that'll make the Sleeping Beauty look like a case of galloping insomnia".
  • One of Dawn and Leonora's stripper acts involves copying famous paintings such as Rokeby Venus by Velázquez and Europa and the Bull by Titian.
  • Dr. Hare gives Dr. Barrington the new copy of The Lancet to read in case she can't sleep.
  • When Dr. Barrington muses on Dr. Hare's past, Dr. Cardew remarks it would be unlikely for him to be an actual Jack the Ripper.
• Shower Scene: Drs. Hare and Burke are forced to deal with a torturously hot shower at the Foulness Anti-Cold Research Unit.
• The Show Must Go Wrong: The lecture Sir Lancelot was supposed to attend is interrupted when he - alongside Leonora and Dawn - comes crashing through the projection screen. However, the doctors in attendance find it wildly amusing and give a standing ovation.
• Speak in Unison: Dawn and Leonora both parrot "Crass infringement of the rules" and "An orgy!" to mock Professor MacRitchie after she scolds them for getting drunk.
• Stock "Yuck!": Dr. Hare is disgusted by the idea of having to eat soya flour soup.
• Suddenly Shouting: Sir Lancelot flies into a rage when Dr. Hare takes too long to see to his stomach issues:
  Sir Lancelot: See your hands are warm. (Beat) GO ON, MAN! YOU'VE SEEN A BELLY BEFORE, HAVEN'T YOU?!
• Tagline: "The newest and funniest".
• Time Skip: After Dr. Hare is diagnosed with jaundice, the film skips ahead eight days to his recovery.
• V-Sign: After Dr. Mincing hangs up the phone he was using, Sir Lancelot flicks him a subtle one while still holding the receiver.
• Woman Scorned: After Dr. Barrington discovers a Lipstick Mark on Dr. Hare's cheek, she kisses Dr. Burke and dances with him to get back at him.

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