A Holiday for the Doctor (30 Apr. 1966)

The TARDIS arrives in Tombstone, Arizona in 1891. Where the Doctor is looking for a dentist when he has a toothache, where The Doctor finds the local dentist is the famous Doc Holliday who ... See full summary »

Director:

Rex Tucker

Writer:

Donald Cotton

Stars:

William Hartnell, William Hurndell, Maurice Good

Cast

Episode cast overview:
William Hartnell	...	Dr. Who
William Hurndell	...	Ike Clanton
Maurice Good	...	Phineas Clanton
David Cole	...	Billy Clanton
Peter Purves	...	Steven Taylor
Jackie Lane	...	Dodo
Sheena Marshe	...	Kate
Shane Rimmer	...	Seth Harper
David Graham	...	Charlie
John Alderson	...	Wyatt Earp
Anthony Jacobs	...	Doc. Holliday
Richard Beale	...	Bat Masterson
Lynda Baron	...	Singer (voice)

Storyline

The TARDIS arrives in Tombstone, Arizona in 1891. Where the Doctor is looking for a dentist when he has a toothache, where The Doctor finds the local dentist is the famous Doc Holliday who is in a feud with The Clanton Brothers and their hired gunfighter Johnny Ringo, whilst local sheriff Wyatt Earp is trying to keep the peace. The Doctor, Steven and Dodo find themselves joining forces with The Clanton Brothers and Sheriff Wyatt Earp.

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Plot Keywords:

wyatt earp | dentist | tombstone arizona | doc holliday | toothache | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 1966 (UK)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

24 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donald Sutherland was the original choice to play Wyatt Earp but was not available.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ike Clanton: Now, why for did you do a fool thing like that?

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Connections

References The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

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Soundtracks

"The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon"
(uncredited)
Performed by Peter Purves

User Reviews

Doc Holliday, Doctor Caligari and Doctor Who

In search of a dentist for a toothache, a grumpy Doctor lands the TARDIS in a likely place -- Tombstone Arizona where Doc Holiday practices the profession. Within short order the travelers are arrested by Wyatt Earp and the fun begins.

One of the things that the classic DOCTOR WHO did was the occasional straight historical story, in which the only science-fiction element was the TARDIS and its occupants. This had died out of regular production by 1968 and there is no equivalent in the modern show: there's always an alien monster behind the plot.

This one compensates for its straight historical nature by poking good-natured fun at its fictional nature, starting off with am extremely low Point of View shot from underneath a wagon while "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" is sung in the background. The extreme POV continues throughout the episode, with a moving camera that maintains an independent viewpoint throughout, like the sardonic camera-work that Louis Feuillade had favored fifty years before. The production looks like an American production from the 1950s, and the American accents produced by British actors sound a bit strained, but it's an amusing romp altogether.

The entire roll call of Dime novel shows up in this rare excursion into America, with not only the Earp brothers and the Clantons -- Ike Clanton is played by William Hurndell, who would fill in as the First Doctor when needed after Hartnell's death -- but also Calamity Jane and Johnny Ringo heightening the metafictional nature of the narrative as the Doctor is set up by Doc Holliday as his stalking horse. All in all, an amusing set-up for an unlikely romp, even by the standards of DOCTOR WHO.