The Hospital (1971)

An over-burdened doctor struggles to find meaning in his life while a murderer stalks the halls of his hospital.

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writer:

Paddy Chayefsky (by)

Stars:

George C. Scott, Diana Rigg, Barnard Hughes

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	Dr. Bock
Diana Rigg	...	Barbara
Barnard Hughes	...	Drummond / Dr. Mallory
Richard Dysart	...	Dr. Welbeck (as Richard A. Dysart)
Stephen Elliott	...	Dr. Sundstrom
Donald Harron	...	Milton Mead
Andrew Duncan	...	William Mead
Nancy Marchand	...	Mrs. Christie
Jordan Charney	...	Hitchcock
Roberts Blossom	...	Guernsey
Lenny Baker	...	Dr. Schaefer
Richard Hamilton	...	Dr. Ronald Casey
Arthur Junaluska	...	Mr. Blacktree
Kate Harrington	...	Nurse Dunne
Katherine Helmond	...	Marilyn Mead

Storyline

Dr. Herbert Bock (George C. Scott), the chief of medicine in a New York City teaching hospital, is contemplating suicide. He's impotent, his wife has left him, and his children aren't speaking to him. His hospital is also suffering from a recent spate of inexplicable deaths. In the midst of these setbacks, Bock is romantically drawn to the much younger Barbara Drummond (Dame Diana Rigg), whose father is a patient. As Barbara restores Bock's will to live, it turns out that the hospital deaths are murders.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | hospital | doctor | new york city | dead patient | 

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Taglines:

Behind the lab coat beats the heart of a man who's been pushed to the edge.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1995, it being deemed a "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" work.

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Goofs

About ten minutes into the movie, as the characters walk down a hospital hallway, followed by the camera, a technician and his microphone are revealed behind a nurse's cart. The camera then tightens the shot around the actors.

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Quotes

Edmund Drummond: So at 9:15 this morning I rang for my nurse...
Bock: Rang for your nurse?
Edmund Drummond: To ensure one full hour of uninterrupted privacy.
Bock: Good.

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Crazy Credits

Although Barnard Hughes played two distinct roles, the end credits lists Hughes as playing the role of Drummond but not Dr. Mallory.

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Connections

Referenced in Lovelace (2013)

User Reviews

My brief review of the film

An overly dark and rather dreary satire, it is nevertheless full of interesting ideas, and George C. Scott delivers very well as a suicidal hospital administrator even if he has a few over-the-top moments. The whole script in fact feels a bit outrageous and over-the-top, in a manner that lacks realism. However the heart of the script, like with Chayefsky's other films, such as 'Marty' and 'Network', centers around anger, and this emotion is dealt with throughout the film, with some interesting thoughts on how to cope with it, but no real answers. Anyway, The Hospital is an interesting enough watch, with a murder subplot that proves to be thought-provoking later on, even if mystifying at first. Diana Rigg is great, and even if somewhat flawed, this is good stuff.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

L'hôpital

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$19,711,560

Company Credits

Production Co:

Simcha Productions., Simcha Productions.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1