Rank's "Doctor" cash cow was,by 1966,in a Persistent Vegetative State. Mr Leslie Phillips - an acquired taste - was playing Dr Gaston Grimsdike as a complete moron,Mr James Robertson Justice's Sir Lancelot Spratt had evolved from a marvellous snarling misanthropic rottweiller to a big fluffy bunny.If that were not bad enough the cast was full of refugees from TV comedy showing off so blatantly you could almost see them saying "Look at me,mum,I'm in a movie". We have come a long way from Mr Richard Gordon's original rather witty and touching creation to the point where Miss Fenella Fielding can say to Mr Arthur Haynes - not a characterisation that sat easily on the big screen - "Will you hold my crutch?",presumably meant to have them rolling in the aisles. And what a waste of Miss Shirley Anne Field.Here we have one of the most talented and refreshing actresses of her era getting less screen time than Mr Roddy Maud - Roxby.Three years before she had totally eclipsed Mr Steve McQueen(no easy task) in "The War Lover" and now Rank gave her a few distinctly unfunny lines and some background appearances in what is a strong contender for one of the longest and least amusing "comedy" scenes in British movies - and goodness me that's a pretty strong field.I refer you to the "hilarious" section fortunately near the end where Mr Phillips empties a cylinder of "laughing gas" during a hospital party and,surprise,surprise,everybody laughs,and laughs,and laughs and laughs.Then they laugh some more.Unfortunately their laughter is not infectious. There is an appearance by a young French actress who obviously somebody thought,wrongly,was on the threshold of a brilliant career.Her ability to act was marginally less than that of Mr Robertson Justice's parrot. Mr John Fraser has quite a big part - yes,I know - that's about the level of the script - and proves beyond doubt that comedy is not his forte. In the absence of the great Miss Hattie Jacques,Miss Joan Sims plays the Matron but she is merely petulant where Miss Jacques would be domineering. Medical comedy is an entertainment staple but it needs to be more than just leering,smutty and scatological."Green Wing" on Channel Four is leering ,smutty and scatological,but it is also sublimely funny and brilliantly acted."Doctor in Clover" hits three out of the five. Unfortunately they are the wrong three.
Review of Carnaby, M.D.
