Trivia / Carry On Doctor

• Actor-Inspired Element: Sid James thought up the line "I wonder what he has for breakfast!" after reading of Dr. Kilmore's exploits on the roof of the nurses' home to replace the less funny line "Blimey, he doesn't do things by halves, does he?!".
• Actor-Shared Background: Hattie Jacques, who played Lavinia, the Matron, was a nurse in the VAD during World War II.
• Blooper:
  • When the ambulance parks at the hospital, its position relative to the door changes between shots.
  • Mr. Bigger's nametag on his bed misspells his name as "Biggir".
  • After Mr. Bigger has been clothed in his hospital gown, his hands change between being under or over the bedcovers depending on the shot.
  • In the closeup of Mr. Bigger on the floor, a nurse is visible behind him, yet in the next shot the nurse isn't yet behind him.
  • When the tea orderly brings tea to Mr. Roper, he has two cups in his hand, but when he hands over the tea there is only one cup.
  • Nurse May's bikini top reties itself once she sees Dr. Kilmore and screams.
  • When Nurse Clarke loses her skirt, her shoe is missing, yet it somehow returns in the next shot.
  • Mr. Roper's medicine disappears between shots when he picks up his newspaper.
• Cast the Runner-Up:
  • Kenneth Williams originally turned down the role of Dr. Tinkle and was given Francis Bigger but found fault with the role and returned to the Tinkle character.
  • Joan Sims was originally asked to play the part of Matron after her earlier success playing a similar part in Doctor in Clover but protested that only Hattie Jacques should play Matron after Carry On Nurse and was happy to play Miss Gibson (a much smaller role) instead.
• Completely Different Title:
  • Hungary: Go on, Doctor!.
• Cowboy BeBop at His Computer: The original VHS release lists "Charlie Roper" at the end of the list of stars on the front of the case, despite the fact that is the name of the character played by Sid James, who is listed right before him!
• Creator Backlash:
  • Kenneth Williams wrote negatively of the script in his diaries:
    They delivered the script of Carry On Doctor today and I read it. It's really a v. good vehicle for Frankie Howerd but all the other parts are lousy. I think that is it. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. I wrote a nice letter to Peter Rogers saying I didn't want to play the part.
  • Julian Holloway later admitted he wasn't remotely proud of his involvement with any of the Carry On films.
• The Danza:
  • Frankie Howerd as Francis Bigger.
  • Kenneth Williams as Dr. Kenneth Tinkle.
  • Jim Dale as Dr. Jim Kilmore.
• Deleted Role:
  • Penelope Keith's role as "Plain Nurse" ended up on the cutting room floor.
  • Jane Murdoch as a nurse.
• Deleted Scene:
  • Henry and Sam having a conversation outside the hospital:
    Henry: Here come the poor bleedin' visitors.
    Sam: Yep. I don't know who to feel more sorry for. Them or the poor muckers they're visitin'.
    Henry: You ever in 'ospital, Sam?
    Sam: Not 'alf! I 'ad mumps when I was thirty. Ooh, shocking it was. My utensils was all swelled up!
    Henry: I know. Something to do with the prostitute gland.
    Sam: That's right. Oh, a right do that was, I'll tell you. You know, the doctor made me promise not to 'ave anything to do with my wife for six months!
    Henry: Get away!
    Sam: Yeh! It was a damn good job I 'ad a girlfriend or I don't know what I'd've done.
  • The "nice pear" scene between Nurse May and Henry originally went longer, with a flat-chested plain nurse coming past next and Henry complaining about the downgrade:
    Plain Nurse: Here I am, Henry.
    Henry: From the sublime to the ridiculous!
  • Mr. Bigger giving Mavis an injection to give to Matron.
  • Mr. Biddle and Mavis leaving the Borough County Hospital together.
• DVD Commentary: With Carry On historian Robert Ross talking to Jim Dale (Dr. Jim Kilmore).
• Edited for Syndication: Nurse May and Henry's "nice looking pear" exchange and Matron's blanket bath scene were cut out from a 2021 airing on ITV3
• Fake Brit:
  • The South African-born Sid James plays the British Mr. Roper.
  • The Czechoslovakian Gertan Klauber as the British wash orderly.
• Follow the Leader: The film was inspired by the success of the Doctor... Series.
• Hostility on the Set: Kenneth Williams didn't like Frankie Howerd, and wrote in his diaries that he was "undoubtedly a very boring man".
• No Stunt Double: Jim Dale did all his own stunts even though a double was on standby.
• Real Life Writes the Plot: Sid James spends most of his screentime sitting in a hospital bed as he had recently suffered a heart attack.
• Referenced by...: The Endeavour episode "Lazaretto" was also set in a hospital ward called Fosdick Ward.
• Throw It In!: When Matron flirts with Dr. Tinkle, Kenneth Williams accidentally bangs his nose on Hattie Jacques and the two of them break character for a second and apologise.
• Uncredited Role:
  • Alexandra Dane as the antenatal instructor.
  • Pat Coombs as the anxious patient who asks Mr. Biddle (disguised as Nurse Clarke) for something to urinate in.
  • We don't find out who plays the invisible Mr. Wrigley.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Carry On Camping originally held this film's place as the 15th Carry On.
  • An early draft had some slight differences:
    • Dr. Tinkle was originally called Dr. Tinker.
    • Surgeon Hardcastle was originally called Surgeon MacKenzie.
    • Nurse Parkin was supposed to be an attractive West Indian nurse.
  • Originally instead of Dr. Tinkle and Matron's first interaction being of her meeting him after his surgery, it was scripted that Matron would tell Dr. Kilmore about his assignment to the outpatients clinic, followed by her telling Dr. Tinkle (after a bout of Judo with Henry) about Mr. Bigger's condition:
    Dr. Tinkle: But there, we mustn't be too hard on Kilmore, Matron. We can't all be brilliant. Some of us have it and some of us don't.
  • For a brief period of time, Kenneth Williams had been set to play Frankie Howerd's role (Francis Bigger) after complaining about his own role (Dr. Tinkle) until he changed his mind.
  • Joan Sims was the first choice to play Matron, but refused to play a role that she knew suited her good friend Hattie Jacques much more and instead settled with the smaller role of Chloe Gibson.
• Working Title: Nurse Carries On Again and Carry On Again Nurse.
• Written-In Infirmity: Sid James spends most of his screentime in bed, as he was recovering from a heart attack.

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