Doctor In Distress (1963)

A young doctor (Dirk Bogarde) must not only deal with the cantankerous hospital administrator's (James Robertson Justice) romantic problems but his own infatuation with an ambitious actress (Samantha Eggar). Directed by Ralph Thomas (DEADLIER THAN THE MALE). The early 1960s was a remarkable time for British cinema. Films like SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, THIS SPORTING LIFE, THE ENTERTAINER etc. But they were still grinding out inane fodder like the CARRY ON series and the DOCTOR franchise. This was the fifth of the seven doctor movies (based on a series of books by Richard Gordon). The Brits, for some reason, loved these DOCTOR movies and this one was one of the year's top grossing films in England. DISTRESS is a rather anemic entry with its flat humor and rather irresponsible look at hospital behavior (doctors arguing with each other in front of a patient, doctors slapping a patient during an operation etc.). At this stage of his career, Bogarde had moved pass such fluff and this was his last appearance in the series. Justice manages to squeeze a few laughs out of the situation but overall, it's a dull one. With Mylene Demongeot, Donald Houston, Leo McKern, Fenella Fielding and Marianne Stone.