Doctor at Sea [VHS]

VCI Entertainment and The Rank Collection presents "DOCTOR AT SEA" (1955) (93 min/Color) -- Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Brigitte Bardot, James Robertson Justice, Brenda de Banzie, Maurice Denham, Michael Medwin, Hubert Gregg, James Kenney, Raymond Huntley, Geoffrey Keen, Noel Purcell, Jill Adams, Joan Sims

Directed by: Ralph Thomas

VCI has restored another great film from the British Invasion vaults.

Not in the same league as the first film (Doctor in the House), but is still fun to watch.

One of my favorites of the series James Robertson Justice is playing a different character -- a 'Doctor' film without Sir Lancelot, what were they thinking. He is playing Captain Hogg repeating a few blustering spaced out roars.

Dirk Bogarde is back as the hapless medic Doctor Simon Sparrow, who plays with his usual excellence. Nowhere to be seen are most of the supporting cast from the first film. Veteran actor Maurice Denham makes the most of a supporting role, plus familiar British faces fill out the rest of the cast.

Brigitte Bardot, in her first English-speaking role is a welcome distraction. A shower scene especially raises our hero's temperature!
English film crew did a magnificent job on Brigitte: out of the many thousand of shots spanning her entire career, those from 'Doctor at Sea' are among the very best.

For this reason alone it is really worth watching this film.

Nominated BAFTA Film Award for Best British Screenplay (Nicholas Phipps) and (Jack Davies)

For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
Photo Gallery

BIOS:
1. Ralph Thomas (Director)
Date of Birth: 10 August 1915 - Hull, Yorkshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 17 March 2001 - London, England, UK

2. Dirk Bogarde [aka: Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde]
Date of Birth: 28 March 1921 - Hampstead, London, England, UK
Date of Death: 8 May 1999 - Chelsea, London, England, UK

3. James Robertson Justice [aka: James Norval Harald Justice]
Date of Birth: 15 June 1907 - Lewisham, London, England, UK
Date of Death: 2 July 1975 - Winchester, Hampshire, England, UK

4. Brigitte Bardot
Date of Birth: 28 September 1934 - Paris, France

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 93 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment #8663 ~ (August 2, 2011)

This film made me laugh from start to finish. The film is in the vein of the carry on film's type story line, without the campness. The story follows a junior doctor, Dirk Bogarte, who runs away to sea to excape a shotgun wedding and his escapades with the eccentric sailors and officers on board. The movie is well cast with excellent all round performances - especially from James Robertson Justice (Mr Scrumptious from Chitty chitty bang bang) as the Captain and Brigitte Bardot oozing sex appeal as a passenger. One of the best of the 'Doctor' series and well worth adding to your DVD collection.

An average, very English fifties comedy, set on a freight ship.

Nevertheless this film offers two outstanding dimensions. The first is leading man Dirk Bogarde, who plays with his usual excellence. The second is Brigitte Bardot, adding much charm with her English-with-a-French-accent.
By the way, the English film crew did a magnificent job on Brigitte: from the many thousand of shots spanning her entire career, those from 'Doctor at Sea' are among the very finest. That alone makes it worth watching this movie.