Film / Doctor in Clover

Take a shot - of the greatest pick-me-up of them all.

Robert: And we really ought to get rid of our ghastly moustache. They're right out now, you know.

Dr. Grimsdyke: Oh, no, no. No. It makes me look younger.

Robert: By the time I've finished with you, you'll look so young, you won't even be able to grow a moustache.

— Dr. Gaston Grimsdyke getting a makeover from Robert the hairdresser.

Doctor in Clover is a 1966 film and the sixth of the Doctor... Series. It stars Leslie Phillips, James Robertson Justice, Shirley Anne Field, John Fraser, Joan Sims, Arthur Haynes, Fenella Fielding, Jeremy Lloyd, Noel Purcell, Robert Hutton, Eric Barker, Terry Scott, Norman Vaughan, and Élisabeth Ercy.

After being fired from his job at a men's prison, Dr. Gaston Grimsdyke (Phillips) returns to Hampden Cross Hospital under orders from Sir Lancelot Spratt (Justice), his old medical tutor and quickly befriends Nurse Bancroft (Field). The patients at Hampden Cross are an interesting lot - with the beautiful Tatiana Rubikov (Fielding), unsatisfiable Tarquin Wendover (Haynes), enthusiastic O'Malley (Purcell), and film star Rock Stewart (Hutton).

When Dr. Grimsdyke discovers Professor Halfbeck (Barker) has a senior position for his snooty cousin, Dr. Miles Grimsdyke (Fraser), he plans to get the job before he can. This isn't his only scheme - after seeing that idiot medical student Lambert Symington (Lloyd) has a crush on the beautiful physiotherapist Jeannine Belmont (Ercy), he plans to get her for himself, only to be rejected for being too old.

Meanwhile, Sir Lancelot clashes with the newly appointed Matron, Miss Sweet (Sims), over having a parrot, Tweetypie, kept in Virtue Ward. To cool her down, Sir Lancelot and Dr. Grimsdyke plan to find her a man, so Dr. Grimsdyke tries to get her to fall in love with Symington, only for Matron to believe that Sir Lancelot is her admirer due to having the same initials (L.S.).

Dr. Grimsdyke takes a trip to buy some new clothes and see Robert the hairdresser (Scott) for a new look so as to not let his age put off Jeannine any longer, while Matron tries to get closer to Sir Lancelot at the nurses' party. The next day, Sir Lancelot is so hungover that Miles will have to operate on Wendover, just as a TV producer and commentator Godfrey (Ronnie Stevens and Vaughan) bring the program The Hands of a Surgeon to Hampden Cross to televise a live surgery as Hilarity Ensues.

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Tropes in Clover:

• Accidental Misnaming: When talking about Giselle, Wendover calls it "Gissle".
• Added Alliterative Appeal:
  • Sir Lancelot trains his students to go out into the world and make use of the "most modern medical methods" science can devise.
  • When Sir Lancelot tells off Miss Rubikov for having visitors outside of visiting hours, she remarks that "love laughs at locksmiths".
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • Sydney calls Digger "Digs".
  • Jeannine calls Symington "Symie".
  • An unusually happy Sir Lancelot calls Dr. Grimsdyke "Grimmy" before the nurses' party.
• Afraid of Needles: Just the sight of a needle makes Wendover Faint in Shock.
• Alliterative Name: Gaston Grimsdyke.
• All There in the Script: Several characters' names aren't given in the film:
  • The Irish patient is called "O'Malley".
  • Miss Rubikov's choreographer is called "Len".
  • The Dean is called "Dr. Loftus".
• Ambiguously Gay:
  • Sydney, an actor with an effeminate voice who calls people "dollies".
  • Robert, a rather fey hairdresser.
• Annoying Patient: Wendover is rather a difficult man, constantly arguing with the hospital staff and complaining about his war wound:
  Wendover: Just a minute. I 'ope your 'ands are clean.
  Sir Lancelot: Don't be impertinent! Learn to control your tongue or I'll have you discharged from this hospital forthwith!
  Wendover: Is that a threat? Are you threatenin' me? That's nice, innit? I'm on me deathbed an' I'm bein' threatened. I bet you wouldn't talk to me like that if I was royalty, if I 'ad a crown 'round me 'ead.
  Sir Lancelot: You are not royalty.
  Wendover: No, I know I'm not. I'm just a bit of cannon fodder what fought for King and country an' is now become a guinea pig for the medical profession. All right then, if that's what you want, you want everybody to see my stomach? 'Ere, Nurse, come an' 'ave a look at this. An' the rest of ya can come an' play naughts an' crosses all over it. Come on!
• Ass Shove:
  • As Miss Rubikov is being wheeled through Hampden Cross, Digger stops in front of her gurney and yelps in pain when one of the gurney's rods prods him.
  • Wendover's war wound was caused by shrapnel from a grenade lodged in his rectum.
• Bait-and-Switch: When we first meet Dr. Grimsdyke in the men's prison, it seems as if he's a prisoner for the death penalty with the shadow of a noose on the wall and his grim demeanor at having to go, until it is revealed he's actually the prison's doctor and has been fired after sleeping with the Governor's daughter, while the "noose" was just his tie hanging from the window bars.
• Bandage Mummy: Mr. Parton is in plaster from head to foot, and the idea of Matron trying to give him a blanket bath around all of that is highly amusing to Wendover.
• Battleaxe Nurse: Matron becomes one the second she takes over from Miss Bobsover, ordering the nurses about and complaining about the smallest of errors they make:
  Matron: Now, get this clear, everyone, nurses and patients. You are not here to enjoy yourselves; you are here to get better. And better you are going to get!
• The Big Damn Kiss: A drunken Sir Lancelot gave Matron a great big wet one offscreen during the nurses' party.
• Brief Accent Imitation:
  • Nurse Holiday copies Miss Rubikov's accent when asking Miles to kiss her.
  • Dr. Grimsdyke picks up a French accent when flirting with Jeannine.
• The Casanova: Dr. Grimsdyke is never without a woman on his mind. He gets fired from the men's prison he worked at for sleeping with the Governor's daughter, and once he arrives at Hampden Cross, he almost instantly begins trying to put the moves on Nurse Bancroft and Jeannine.
• Comically Missing the Point: As Wendover explains to Sir Lancelot how he got wounded by shrapnel during the war, Sir Lancelot asks "Rectum?", as in where he was wounded. However, Wendover doesn't understand, thinking that he meant "Wrecked 'em?", and replies that it didn't do them any good.
• Continuity Nod: Sir Lancelot's nickname, "Porker", revealed in Doctor in Distress (1963), is brought up again both by himself and Tweetypie the parrot.
• Covered in Gunge:
  • When Dr. Grimsdyke accidentally sets off a fire extinguisher, it covers himself, Miles, and various other doctors and nurses in foam, before being aimed out a window and covering Sir Lancelot and aimed back inside just in time for the Dean to get a shot right to the face.
  • As everyone laughs themselves silly during the nurses' party, Sir Lancelot tips an awful cream dessert over Dr. Grimsdyke's head.
• Curse Cut Short: Sir Lancelot does to Wendover in the middle of his war wound explanation:
  Wendover: Well, I was bending down in the trenches like a private leading my men over the top, when suddenly - bang - awf goes there's a grenade, an' a lump of shrapnel hits me right up the-
  Sir Lancelot: Rectum?
  Wendover: Well, it didn't do 'em any good.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Although quite a battleaxe normally, Matron loosens up around Sir Lancelot after she believes him to be her secret admirer.
• The Dreaded: Dr. Grimsdyke is one to his cousin, Miles, who wants nothing to do with him:
  Miles: It's my idiot cousin, Gaston Grimsdyke! You don't think he's coming to work here, do you?
• Driven to Suicide: Sir Lancelot considers shooting himself after discovering Matron has a crush on him.
• Drives Like Crazy: Sir Lancelot speeds a lot and has no regard for pedestrians:
  Sir Lancelot: If I catch you jaywalking again, I'll flatten you into the tarmac!
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: A long-haired patient is mistaken for a woman by Dr. Grimsdyke:
  Dr. Grimsdyke: Excuse me, won't you, miss?
  Long-Haired Patient: Watch it, mate.
  Dr. Grimsdyke: I beg your pardon, ah, er... sir.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Miss Rubikov refuses to be called "Tatty":
  Sydney: Now, now, don't excite yourself, Tatty.
  Miss Rubikov: An' don't call me "Tatty"! Me name's Tatiana!
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Miss Sweet is mostly just referred to as Matron, her position in the hospital.
• Eye Scream: When showing him the syringe of Dextranome 90, Dr. Grimsdyke accidentally squirts a bit into Symington's eye.
• Faint in Shock: Before his operation, Wendover catches sight of the needle that is to be used to inject him with anesthetic. It is unneeded, however, as the image of it alone makes Wendover pass out in fright.
• Fictional Document: Dr. Grimsdyke reads Rejuvenation by Drugs and Other Methods by Professor J.V. Kaginovitch after Jeannine rejects him for being too old.
• The Film of the Book: The film is loosely based on Richard Gordon's 1960 novel of the same name.
• Fowl-Mouthed Parrot: Tweetypie, who Sir Lancelot has placed in Virtue Ward to cheer up the patients, calls Matron a "silly old buzzard".
• The Ghost: Margot, a ballerina who works with Miss Rubikov.
• Gratuitous French:
  • Dr. Grimsdyke drops a "charmante" when trying to flirt with Jeannine.
  • As Dr. Grimsdyke attempts to ask out Jeannine, the two say "Non" back and forth.
• Hangover Sensitivity: Both Sir Lancelot and Dr. Grimsdyke feel the effects of their drinking the day after the nurses' party, but Sir Lancelot is worse off thanks to the shot of Dextranome 90 Dr. Grimsdyke accidentally gave him:
  Sir Lancelot: I feel as if my head's been trepanned with a boathook.
  Dr. Grimsdyke: You're lucky. I haven't even got a head.
• Here We Go Again!: After the previous Matron, the disagreeable Miss Sweet, leaves, a new Matron takes her place and immediately starts an argument with Sir Lancelot the way her predecessor had.
• Hospital Hottie:
  • Nurse Holiday, a pretty, young nurse who has a thing for Miles:
    Miles: Well, Nurse Holiday, what can I do for you?
    Nurse Holiday: Kiss me, you kinky thing.
    Miles: Very well. If you think it will, ah, help your complaint.
  • Physiotherapist Jeannine Belmont, the apple of Symington's eye who Dr. Grimsdyke hopes to get for himself. They're not the only two interested in her either; according to her, she's had five doctors and twelve medical students ask her out to dinner.
• I Coulda Been a Contender!: Wendover is quite fond of ballet and bemoans the fact that his father stopped him from pursuing his dreams.
• Implied Death Threat: Nurse Bancroft's fiancé doesn't take kindly to Dr. Grimsdyke's advances on her:
  Nurse Bancroft's Fiancé: I'll see you in Casualty tomorrow, Doctor.
  Dr. Grimsdyke: I won't be in Casualty tomorrow.
  Nurse Bancroft's Fiancé: You will be... if you ask her out again.
• Inconsistent Spelling:
  • The physiotherapist Dr. Grimsdyke is in love with is called "Janine" on the DVD subtitles, but "Jeannine" in the script.
  • The nurse with a thing for Miles' surname is spelt "Holliday" on the DVD subtitles, but "Holiday" in the script.
  • The campy actor who works with Miss Rubikov is called "Sidney" on the DVD subtitles, but "Sydney" in the script.
• In-Series Nickname: Miss Rubikov asks for Miles to call her "Ruby".
• Ironic Name: Miss Sweet the Matron is anything but, with a personality to rival Sir Lancelot's.
• Jump Cut: Just before Miles is sprayed with fire extinguisher foam, the film noticeably skips a second.
• Laughing Gas: Sir Lancelot and Dr. Grimsdyke bring an experimental laughing gas to the nurses' party to liven it up if need be. When Matron stops the music to complain about the alcohol in the orangeade, Dr. Grimsdyke sets it off, and soon Matron and everyone else at the party is in hysterics.
• Layman's Terms: Sir Lancelot isn't impressed with Dr. Grimsdyke's use of the word "yank" in regard to kidney stone removal surgery.
• Love Triangle: Symington is crazy about Jeannine, but Dr. Grimsdyke wants her all to himself.
• Malaproper:
  • The Sister accidentally calls Tweetypie a "patient" instead of a "parrot" when ordering Nurse Bancroft to remove him from Virtue Ward.
  • When Wendover complains of a coronary, he calls it a "corona".
• Man in a Kilt: Sir Lancelot wears a kilt to the nurses' party:
  Sir Lancelot: The kilt has certain considerable advantages. Especially if a chap's got sexy knees.
• Makeover Fail: Dr. Burke gets a new look so he can look younger in an attempt to get with Jeannine. The only issue with this is after his makeover he looks too young and loses the chance to take Professor Halfbeck's job in Canada.
• Market-Based Title: The film was released as Carnaby, M.D. in America due to the international clout Carnaby Street (which featured in the film) carried.
• Married to the Job: Matron does love Sir Lancelot yet knows things won't work between them as she is unable to give up her work in the hospital.
• Mistaken for Gay: When Dr. Grimsdyke tells him he's in love, Miles has to clarify if it's with a woman.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: The American film star Rock Stewart appears to be based on Rock Hudson.
• No Full Name Given:
  • We don't get to know Robert, Godfrey, Sydney, Tommy, Pierre, Caterina, or Sarah's last names.
  • The same can be said for Miss Sweet, Nurse Bancroft, Professor Halfbeck, Nurse Holiday, Preston, Beckwith, Digger, Mr. Tristram, Fleming, Ashby, Grafton, Mrs. Baker, Miss Bobsover, or Mr. Parton's first names.
• Noodle Incident: Wendover mentions shooting down an American plane during the war but gives no further details than the fact he still has the propeller.
• Older Than They Look:
  • Rock Stewart claims to be 35 yet was appearing in films when Dr. Grimsdyke - who is 35 - was only ten.
  • The 35-year-old Dr. Grimsdyke misses out on Professor Halfbeck's Canada job as he looks too young after his makeover.
• One-Steve Limit: Dr. Grimsdyke and Miles share a surname with Richard Grimsdyke from the first film, Doctor in the House (1954).
• On-Set Injury: In-Universe; Rock Stewart is admitted to Hampden Cross after getting a splinter in his finger from a wooden grenade he was holding while making one of his films.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Miss Rubikov uses a posh accent for the ballet, but her normal common voice slips out when she's mad.
• Putting the "Medic" in Comedic: Most of the film's gags come from Dr. Grimsdyke's antics, such as falling in the pool when trying to impress Jeannine the physiotherapist or using Laughing Gas to liven up the nurses' party.
• Rule of Pool:
  • As Dr. Grimsdyke hangs in the air off of some physiotherapy bars to impress Jeannine, Matron asks what on earth he is doing, causing him to lose balance and fall into the pool.
  • When Matron tries to get Dr. Grimsdyke to go back to Research, he backs into Sir Lancelot who is standing at the edge of the pool. Sir Lancelot grabs Dr. Grimsdyke for balance, who in turn grabs hold of Matron, and all three tumble into the water.
• Series Fauxnale: For a while, this film was thought to be the final in the Doctor... Series, to the point where it was a surprise for Leslie Phillips when he was asked to return for Doctor in Trouble four years later.
• Shirtless Scene: Wendover's pajama jacket is removed, leaving his body exposed for his blanket bath from Matron.
• Shot in the Ass: Dr. Grimsdyke gets Symington to give him a shot of Dextranome 90 (claiming that it's a flu shot) in his rear to try and rejuvenate him. When Symington is unable to give him the shot thanks to Jeannine distracting him, Dr. Grimsdyke takes the syringe and backs away, accidentally injecting Sir Lancelot in his rear.
• Shout-Out:
  • Wendover owns copies of The Universal Home Doctor Illustrated and The Home Medical Encyclopedia which he reads to diagnose himself and the other patients.
  • Wendover once saw Miss Rubikov performing La Sylphide and asks to see her do Giselle.
  • At the theatre, Dr. Grimsdyke sees a poster for Four Kinds of Love starring Gina Lollobrigida, Elke Sommer, Virna Lisi, and Monica Vitti.
  • Before the nurses' party, Sir Lancelot tells Dr. Grimsdyke he's ready for "a hard day's night".
• Show Within a Show: The Hands of a Surgeon, which comes to Hampden Cross to televise an operation.
• Shrinking Violet: The nurse with false eyelashes is one, barely able to raise her voice or make eye contact when Matron chews her out for wearing "artificial aids to so-called beauty".
• Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Jeremy Lloyd and Terry Scott make brief appearances in the film's trailer but aren't listed with the other stars, while Noel Purcell, Robert Hutton, Eric Barker, and Norman Vaughan are nowhere to be seen.
• Slippery Skid: Dr. Grimsdyke steps on a patient's meal that has fallen onto the floor and slips backwards into the wall where he sets off a fire extinguisher as he tries to steady himself.
• Tagline: "The NEWEST and FUNNIEST Doctor of them all!".
• Talk to the Fist: Rock Stewart threatens Dr. Grimsdyke with a belt in the mouth after he is accused of being over 35.
• Tampering with Food and Drink: Sir Lancelot never goes to a hospital party without a flask as it makes the orangeade taste better and makes the nurses friendlier. Dr. Grimsdyke has the same idea, as do Preston and some of the other medical students.
• The Teetotaler: Matron doesn't drink or smoke, which Sir Lancelot congratulates her for seeing as her complexion, and by extension her liver, looks very right and proper. When she drinks some spiked orangeade at the nurses' party, she is outraged.
• Tempting Fate: Two in the same scene; just after Dr. Grimsdyke complains about being seen as a liability, he ends up accidentally making a mess when he slips and sets off a fire extinguisher. Then, when Miles tells him to let him have it in an attempt to stop him, he gets a face full of foam.
• Walking Shirtless Scene:
  • Tommy is mostly only seen with swimming shorts on as all of his scenes (barring one) are in the pool.
  • A long-haired patient is without a shirt so Dr. Grimsdyke can mistake him for a woman.
• What Did I Do Last Night?: The morning after the nurses' party, Sir Lancelot gradually regains his memory of what happened. Once he learns that he kissed Matron, who is now in love with him, he considers shooting himself.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Miss Rubikov disappears from the film after her encounter with Wendover, and we never find out if her leg successfully recovered.

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