Doctor at Sea (1955)

A bachelor doctor goes to sea to escape the boredom of shore practice, but studies the nurses more than medicine, and Brigitte Bardot is around.

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writers:

Richard Gordon (by), Richard Gordon (adapted for the screen by)

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Brenda de Banzie, Brigitte Bardot

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Dr. Simon Sparrow
Brenda de Banzie	...	Muriel Mallet
Brigitte Bardot	...	Hélène Colbert
James Robertson Justice	...	Capt. Hogg
Maurice Denham	...	Easter
Michael Medwin	...	Sub-lieutenant Trail
Hubert Gregg	...	Archer
James Kenney	...	Fellowes
Raymond Huntley	...	Capt. Beamish
Geoffrey Keen	...	Hornbeam
George Coulouris	...	'Chippie' the Carpenter
Noel Purcell	...	Corbie
Jill Adams	...	Jill
Joan Sims	...	Wendy Thomas
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Whimble

Storyline

With a view to escaping both boredom as a junior G.P. and unwanted womanly advances, young doctor Simon Sparrow becomes a medical officer on "the Lotus", an all-male cargo ship. As soon as he sets foot on board, Simon encounters various eccentric characters (including quick-tempered, authoritarian, whisky- addicted captain Hogg)and gets involved in many an embarrassing situation (including seasickness). In Rio he gets to know Hélène Colbert , a sexy young French singer and falls under her spell. When woman hater Hogg is forced to take on two female characters, Muriel Mallet, the daughter of the shipping company and her friend ... Hélène on his freighter, Simon is delighted!

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | nurse | sequel | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

HILARITY ON THE HIGH SEAS! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Noiva do Comandante

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Group Film Productions Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Easter reads a Diana Dors 3D book in his bunk. Diana Dors appears (uncredited) in a short speaking role at the evening party on the deck of the ship earlier in the movie. She does not it is Jill Adams.

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Goofs

Simon sees his name plate altered from "MD" to "BF". As a newly qualified doctor he would only have been a Bachelor of Medicine ("MB"). The joke would have been better made by deleting the "M" and adding an "F".

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Quotes

Dr. Simon Sparrow: A Rolls Royce is the ambition of almost every newly qualified doctor.

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Connections

Followed by Doctor in Love (1960)

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Soundtracks

Je Ne Sais Pas
Written and Composed by Hubert Gregg
Performed by Brigitte Bardot (dubbed by Jill Day) (uncredited)

User Reviews

DOCTOR AT SEA (Ralph Thomas, 1955) **1/2

The second in the popular British comedy series already shows signs of flagging from the class evident in the original film. For one thing, the change of setting proves a bit of a quandary: it both opens up and cramps the jokes (while generally ship-bound, we do get a stretch on dry land – which sees the hero first involved with a drunken blonde and falling foul of her father and then put to jail for being 'under the influence' himself!).

Incidentally, while Dirk Bogarde reprises his role of Simon Sparrow, both James Robertson Justice and George Coulouris (who were also in DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE [1954]) play new characters here – the former's gruffness, while amusing at first, borders on caricature eventually; similarly, Brenda de Banzie's middle-aged passenger (pampered daughter of the seafaring company's President) is somewhat over bearing, evoking memories of Kay Walsh in an episode from the portmanteau film TRIO (1950). Bogarde's love interest, then, is rather incongruously filled by Brigitte Bardot – who's undeniably attractive but not yet the sex symbol of subsequent repute (although she does get to be seen taking a shower at one point).

Gags and innuendo sometimes approach the broad humor one normally associates with the rival "Carry On" series (which was actually still three years away from its inception) and CARRY ON CRUISING (1962) in particular (both films, in fact, culminated in a party on deck which ends in disaster).