You're the Doctor
| You're the Doctor | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Original trade advertisement poster | |
| Directed by | Roy Lockwood |
| Written by | |
| Produced by | A. George Smith |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Faithfull |
Production company | New Georgian |
| Distributed by | British Independent Exhibitors' Distributors (UK) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
You're the Doctor is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Roy Lockwood and starring Barry K. Barnes, Googie Withers and Norma Varden.[1][2] It was written by Guy Beauchamp, H. F. Maltby and Beaufoy Milton, and concerns a young woman who pretends to be ill to avoid going on a cruise with her parents, which leads to a series of confusions. It was made at Isleworth Studios.[3]
Preservation status
[edit]The British Film Institute National Archive holds a collection of ephemera and stills but no film or video materials.[1]
Plot
[edit]Helen, daughter of a chemical tycoon, fakes illness to avoid a yachting trip – a ploy by her snobby mother Lady Beatrice to force her into marrying wealthy, idiotoic Reggie Bisset. When job-seeking chemist John Merriden is mistaken for a doctor, Helen coerces him into prescribing her a stay in a nursing home. Suspicious of her daughter, Lady Beatrice begins snooping, prompting Helen to flee to the countryside. Forced to accompany her to avoid charges of impersonating a doctor, John joins Helen in a series of misadventures across local pubs, church halls, and rural retreats.[4]
Cast
[edit]- Barry K. Barnes as John Meriden
- Googie Withers as Helen Firmstone
- Norma Varden as Lady Beatrice
- Joan White as Jane
- Gus McNaughton as Kemp
- Paul Blake as Reggie Bissett
- James Harcourt as William Firmstone
- Margaret Yarde as Mrs Taggart
- Aubrey Mallalieu as vicar
- Bruce Seton as Appleby
- Eliot Makeham as Prout
Critical reception
[edit]The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The story is entertaining if improbable. The treatment is uneven. After a slow and rather stiff opening the action becomes fast and there are some amusing sequences, notably one in a country inn. On the other hand there are some very weak and would-be funny scenes on board a yacht. The cast is hampered by rather trite dialogue."[5]
Kine Weekly wrote: "Here we have a romantic comedy of happy heritage and easy exuberance. ... At the kick-off the treatment is a little selfconscious, but once the action gets out-of-doors really bright gags roll up in breezy sequence. The director has, apart from somewhat artificially presented yachting excerpts, marshalled fundamentals with a first-rate sense of comedy. The principal players, too, perform with infectious enthusiasm."[4]
TV Guide called the film a "Strained idea cleverly carried off."[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "You're the Doctor". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "BFI | Film & TV Database | You're the Doctor (1938)". BFI. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ↑ Wood, Linda (1986). British Films, 1927–1939 (PDF). British Film Institute. p. 99. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2022.
- 1 2 "You're the Doctor". Kine Weekly (1644): 33. 20 October 1938. ProQuest 2339692334.
- ↑ "You're the Doctor". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 5 (49): 256. 1 January 1938. ProQuest 1305796688.
- ↑ "You're the Doctor". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015.