Copyright 1955 by Group Film Productions. Released in the U.S.A. through Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at the 52nd St Trans-Lux: 29 February 1956. U.S. release: 23 February 1956. U.K. release through Rank Film Distributors: September 1955. Australian release through British Empire Films: 29 December 1955. Sydney opening at the State. 8,370 feet. 93 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Now a qualified doctor, Simon Sparrow becomes bored with the life of a general practitioner and signs on as ship's doctor on a cargo steamer en route for the tropics. What with one thing - the ferocious Captain Hogg — and another — a luscious passenger Helene Colbert — Simon has a hectic time, culminating in the removal of Hogg's appendix with Helene acting as nurse. Simon, now a hero to the crew, decides to remain a sea-going doctor, but...
NOTES: Second of the seven Doctor films that commenced with Doctor in the House (1954).
Number three attraction at the U.K. box-office for 1955. Only The Dam Busters and White Christmas did better business. Number eighteen of the twenty top films at Australian ticket windows for 1956.
Dirk Bogarde was voted by British exhibitors and cinema owners not only as the number one British star at the U.K. box office, but as number one over all. James Stewart was second.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: Both the British and Australian censors reckon this one is suitable for the whole family. Who am I to argue against the experts?
COMMENT: Not one for Brigitte Bardot fans. In this one Mademoiselle Bardot forsakes her customary, sultry sex vamping in favor of an entirely different — and in my opinion utterly charming - screen persona. She is cute, beguiling, bewitching, doll-like and completely captivating. I love her entrancing accent, her girlish clothes, her dazzling smile, her air of bemused innocence and naivety in which she seems only half aware of her own attraction.
This modest, shy, retiring Bardot is so much more intriguing than the anything-but-subtle, so-called "sex kitten" she enacts in most of her French-language roles. But as I say, her fans will probably not warm to this far less blatant Bardot.
Bardot is the main reason I look at "Doctor At Sea" whenever I get the opportunity. (In fact, I consider this Doctor to be the only one worth seeing). The rest of the players, led by Dirk Bogarde in his lightweight slapstick mode and the physically and verbally overpowering James Robertson Justice (temporarily deserting his customary role of chief surgeon at St. Swithin's) are pretty much par for this course of strong medical slapstick and mild innuendo.
SYNOPSIS: Now a qualified doctor, Simon Sparrow becomes bored with the life of a general practitioner and signs on as ship's doctor on a cargo steamer en route for the tropics. What with one thing - the ferocious Captain Hogg — and another — a luscious passenger Helene Colbert — Simon has a hectic time, culminating in the removal of Hogg's appendix with Helene acting as nurse. Simon, now a hero to the crew, decides to remain a sea-going doctor, but...
NOTES: Second of the seven Doctor films that commenced with Doctor in the House (1954).
Number three attraction at the U.K. box-office for 1955. Only The Dam Busters and White Christmas did better business. Number eighteen of the twenty top films at Australian ticket windows for 1956.
Dirk Bogarde was voted by British exhibitors and cinema owners not only as the number one British star at the U.K. box office, but as number one over all. James Stewart was second.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: Both the British and Australian censors reckon this one is suitable for the whole family. Who am I to argue against the experts?
COMMENT: Not one for Brigitte Bardot fans. In this one Mademoiselle Bardot forsakes her customary, sultry sex vamping in favor of an entirely different — and in my opinion utterly charming - screen persona. She is cute, beguiling, bewitching, doll-like and completely captivating. I love her entrancing accent, her girlish clothes, her dazzling smile, her air of bemused innocence and naivety in which she seems only half aware of her own attraction.
This modest, shy, retiring Bardot is so much more intriguing than the anything-but-subtle, so-called "sex kitten" she enacts in most of her French-language roles. But as I say, her fans will probably not warm to this far less blatant Bardot.
Bardot is the main reason I look at "Doctor At Sea" whenever I get the opportunity. (In fact, I consider this Doctor to be the only one worth seeing). The rest of the players, led by Dirk Bogarde in his lightweight slapstick mode and the physically and verbally overpowering James Robertson Justice (temporarily deserting his customary role of chief surgeon at St. Swithin's) are pretty much par for this course of strong medical slapstick and mild innuendo.