Line #65 Film/DoctorInTheHouse1954


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doctorinthehouse.jpg]]
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3	->'''Simon:''' I'm a new medical student.
4	->'''Old Doctor:''' Are you now? Well, I'm a very old doctor.
5	->'''Simon:''' Heh, I was wondering where I should go.
6	->'''Old Doctor:''' Take my advice - straight into another profession.
7	-->-- '''Simon Sparrow''' asking for directions from an '''Old Doctor'''.
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9	''Doctor in the House'' is a 1954 film and the first of the ''Film/DoctorSeries''. It stars Creator/DirkBogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Kenneth More, Donald Sinden, Kay Kendall, Creator/JamesRobertsonJustice, and Creator/DonaldHouston.
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11	Simon Sparrow (Bogarde) arrives at St. Swithin's Hospital to begin the five years of study he needs in order to become a doctor. After leaving his current lodgings to avoid the amorous Milly Groaker (Creator/ShirleyEaton), he ends up sharing a flat with three of his fellow students - lazy Richard Grimsdyke (More), casanova Tony Benskin (Sinden) and rugby-obsessed Taffy Evans (Houston). Constantly looming over the four of them is Sir Lancelot Spratt (Justice), the fearsome and constantly barking chief surgeon.
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13	Despite trying to keep up with his medical studies, Simon is frequently pushed into dates by his flatmates - Nurse Rigor Mortis (Creator/JoanSims) barely speaks to him, while Isobel Minster (Kendall) has far too expensive tastes for Simon to fulfill. Despite rocky interactions at first, it seems as if Nurse Joy Gibson (Pavlow) would be Simon's best chance at finding love.
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15	Despite many misadventures including a rugby match, a car chase and a fall through a skylight, the four still have to try to pass their medical exams as HilarityEnsues.
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17	Not to be mistaken for ''Series/DoctorInTheHouse'', the sitcom of the same name.
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19	----
20	!!Tropes in the House:
21	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Milly's advances are too much for Simon, to the point where he has to move out and find a new place to stay.
22	* AdaptationNameChange: The main character in the novel was called "Richard Gordon" (after the author), however, his name in the film, "Simon Sparrow", was what Richard was renamed in one of the later novels.
23	* AffectionateNickname: Grimsdyke and Taffy call each other "Taff" and "Grim" respectively.
24	* AlliterativeName: '''S'''imon '''S'''parrow.
25	* AllThereInTheScript: Several characters' names aren't said in the film:
26	** The female student who brags about how easy she found the exam is called "Jane".
27	** Miss Minster's first name is "Isobel".
28	** Alfie's last name is "Sprogett".
29	** The first nurse who Tony proposes to is called "May".
30	** One of the men is called "Paul".
31	* AmbiguouslyBi: When Mrs. Groaker explains the house rules to her lodgers, she makes sure to let Mr. Williams know that she doesn't approve of male ''or'' female visitors in his room.
32	* TheBartender: The one at the student's local is nicknamed "the Padre".
33	* BattleaxeNurse: Sister Virtue, who has no time for medical students or disruption in her ward:
34	-->'''Sister Virtue:''' Well, I do not like students, however, I am forced to put up with you. But I warn you, I stand no nonsense in my ward. Is that clear?
35	* {{Blackface}}: Rather shockingly, the only black nurse at St. Swithin's is played by a white actress.
36	* BriefAccentImitation: Grimsdyke puts on a high-pitched voice to pass himself off as a nurse after the riot.
37	* BrilliantButLazy: Grimsdyke isn't as bad at his studies as he seems, only he attempts to be held back on purpose so he can stay in medical school and keep receiving his £1,000 a year allowance.
38	* TheCasanova: Tony. He can't seem to make it through one scene without flirting with or commenting on a girl.
39	* ComedicUnderwearExposure: When Jane brags about how easy the exam was for her, Grimsdyke yells out after that her slip is showing.
40	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Sir Lancelot asks about the "bleeding time" (time before a patient's blood clots), Simon checks his watch:
41	-->'''Sir Lancelot:''' You cut a patient, he bleeds, until the processes of nature form a clot and stop it. This interval is known scientifically as the "bleeding time". You! What's the bleeding time?
42	-->'''Simon:''' Ten past ten, sir.
43	* CrashInThroughTheCeiling: After helping Nurse Gibson get into the nurses' home after hours via the roof, Simon attempts to get back down to the ground, only to fall through a skylight and land in Sister Virtue's room.
44	* CreatorCameo: The author of the original novel, Richard Gordon, appears as Stubbins the anesthetist.
45	* DamselInDistress: Nurse Gibson is taken away by two from St. Crispin's during the riot and has to be rescued by the St. Swithin's medical students.
46	* DeanBitterman: The Dean has a low view of the medical students, seeing them as only wanting to smoke, drink, or lounge around. He also has it in for Simon after his fall through the nurses' home skylight to the point where he tries to sabotage his final exam.
47	* DisguisedInDrag: Grimsdyke tries to pass himself off as a nurse to avoid being arrested after the riot.
48	* DrJerk: Sir Lancelot Spratt, the head surgeon at St. Swithin's. He's a terrifying man and will rage at the medical students at the slightest agitation.
49	* FaintInShock: Simon passes out the first time he sees an operation in person.
50	* FictionalDocument: ''The Student's Friend'' by Gordon Joycey, a book that Simon and Tony have to use when they get stuck during their first time examining patients.
51	* TheFilmOfTheBook: The film is based on Richard Gordon's 1952 novel of the same name.
52	* FreezeFrameBonus: Mr. Briggs' first name is never mentioned in the film, but a quick eye can see on his prescription sheet that it is "William".
53	* TheGhost:
54	** Graham, whose diagnosis Simon discusses with Grimsdyke.
55	** Sir James Willoughby, who once chased Sir Lancelot out of an operating theatre with a muscle scalpel.
56	** Mr. Lodge, a patient tended to by Nurse Gibson.
57	** Mr. Cooper, who sleeps through his wife's seventh childbirth.
58	** Bolton, a member of the St. Swithin's rugby team.
59	** Dr. Stewart, the doctor who asks Simon to take over for him on his first night as a doctor.
60	* HarmlessLadyDisguise: After the riot, Grimsdyke tries to pass himself off as a nurse to avoid being arrested.
61	* HospitalHottie:
62	** Nurse Gibson. She falls in love with Simon over the course of the film and the two get together at the end.
63	** Stella is on track to become one, seeing as she enrolls at St. Swithin's at the end of the film.
64	* LazyBum: Grimsdyke is content to stay as a medical student for as long as possible as he continues to receive an allowance of £1,000 a year as long as he remains studying at St. Swithin's. Unluckily for him, Stella is having none of this and wants to marry a proper doctor:
65	-->'''Grimsdyke:''' But do you realise what this means? I shall have to qualify.
66	-->'''Stella:''' Yes.
67	-->'''Grimsdyke:''' Well, if I qualify, my grandmother's allowance will stop.
68	-->'''Stella:''' Yes.
69	-->'''Grimsdyke:''' Well, if Granny's allowance stops, we won't have... Good heavens, woman. I shall have to ''work!''
70	-->'''Stella:''' Yes!
71	-->'''Grimsdyke:''' And you say you're in love with me?
72	* MistakenForMurderer: As a woman on the bus reads a newspaper article about a murder, Simon drops the skeleton he had purchased for his medical studies. Naturally, the woman makes a connection and lets out a shriek.
73	* MyLocal: The medical students all go to the same pub to drink pints. They call the bartender "the Padre" so the patients won't think the doctors are going down the pub.
74	* NearAndDearBabyNaming: Mrs. Cooper names her newborn "Simon" after Simon delivers him without the aid of a midwife.
75	* NoFullNameGiven:
76	** We don't get to know Stella, Marion, Butch, Elizabeth, or Graham's last names.
77	** The same can be said for Jessup, Sister Virtue, Mrs. Groaker, Grandma Cooper, Mrs. Cooper, Parrish, Stubbins, Mr. Porter, Mr. Williams, or Mr. Barton's first names.
78	* NotSoAboveItAll:
79	** While Sir Lancelot does not approve of how Simon, Tony, Grimsdyke, and Taffy behaved after the rugby match, he still pays their fines for them so they won't be thrown out of St. Swithin's.
80	** Back in his student days, the bitter old Dean got a nurse to ride naked on a large white cart horse.
81	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname:
82	** The bartender is only known as "the Padre", so the patients can believe the doctors are going to chapel rather than across to the pub.
83	** Milly's name is short for "Millicent".
84	* PosthumousCharacter: Mrs. Rivington-Lomax, Grimsdyke's horrible grandmother who set up his allowance.
85	* PuttingTheMedicInComedic: The film revolves around medical students getting into all sorts of trouble, such as a rugby match against a rival hospital ending up with a riot and a car chase over a stolen mascot.
86	* RankUp: Both Simon and Taffy successfully pass their final exam and become doctors. Tony and Grimsdyke aren't so lucky.
87	* SeriousBusiness: St. Swithin's mascot - a stuffed gorilla named Hubert - is treated with the utmost respect. When the St. Crispin's rugby team try to steal him, a riot and car chase ensues to get him back.
88	* ShaggyDogStory: Despite everything the four students have to go through, Grimsdyke and Tony are unable to pass their exams and become doctors. Luckily Simon and Taffy do.
89	* ShirtlessScene: Mr. Briggs takes off his shirt during all three of his examinations.
90	* ShoutOut:
91	** The Dean quotes Creator/CharlesDickens during his start-of-term speech.
92	** Grandma Cooper remarks she's boiled enough water to bath the whole of Dr. Barnardo's.
93	** The Dean once got a nurse to recreate Lady Godiva's naked bike ride on a horse.
94	* StevenUlyssesPerhero: One of the women Simon is set up with is Nurse '''Rigor Mortis''' (although pronounced "Rye-gor"). Rigor mortis is the stage of death where the human body stiffens up.
95	* SuddenlyShouting: Sir Lancelot flies off the handle at the slightest of triggers:
96	-->'''Sir Lancelot:''' And then we come across the surgeon's worst enemy, which is what? ({{Beat}}) Speak up, man! ({{Beat}}) BLOOD, you numbskull!
97	* {{Tagline}}: "Republic's Happy-Go-Laughable Hit!".
98	* TimeSkip:
99	** After Simon's date with Rigor Mortis, the film cuts ahead to the start of his second year of medical school.
100	** After Simon asks Nurse Gibson on a date with the help of Mr. Briggs, the film cuts ahead to his final year.
101	* {{Undercrank}}: Several shots during the car chase are sped up to add to the scene's tensity.

Context Film / DoctorInTheHouse1954