CARRY ON DOCTOR
A film review by Graeme Huggan
Copyright 1996 Graeme Huggan The second of four Carry on films set in a hospital is considered one of the most memorable of the Carry on genre, as it establishes the on/off relationship between the characters of Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques and it surpasses it's highly successful predecessor (Carry on Nurse) with funnier sub-plots and jokes. The main story is about Dr.Kilmore (Jim Dale) who thinks that Sandra May (Barbara Windsor) is going to commit suicide on the roof as her amorous advances towards Dr.Tinkle (Kenneth Williams) have gone unwanted, but really she is just having a quick sunbathe! When Kilmore goes to investigate, he is accused of peering at her. The formidable Matron helps Dr.Tinkle to sack Kilmore, although Tinkle needs to persuade her not to mention the night when she and Kilmore found May in his room with him. Other story threads include Francis Bigger's fall off a stage while preaching and his subsequent stay in the hospital, with him dead set on believing that he is going to die. Bernard Bresslaw plays a patient who is constantly trying to get into the women's ward to meet a girl (Dilys Laye) he likes. Hattie Jacques is great as Matron, Kenneth Williams plays Dr.Tinkle to perfection and there is a good comic performance by Frankie Howerd. Joan Sims has a small, 'out-of-character' and ineffective role as Bigger's bride-to-be, and Sid James is a patient in the hospital whose blood pressure increase may have something to do with him stirring the thermometer in his coffee. He is in bed for most of the film, as in real life, Sid had just recently suffered a heart attack. His role is therefore given less importance. Two actors who also appear in small parts are Barbara Windsor, who is effective but leaves the film with 25 minutes to go, and Charles Hawtrey, for although he does not appear in many scenes, is quite funny as someone who is suffering from a sympathetic pregnancy! The film is good overall, although at certain points it does seem to lull and some of the jokes don't quite reach the mark. However, due to the strong character performances and a sense of high spirits all the way through the film, I would recommend everyone to watch this film.
My Star Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
By Graeme Huggan
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