Doctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the seventh and last film in the Doctor series. It was directed by Ralph Thomas and stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip. The cast was rounded out by a number of British comedy actors including James Robertson Justice, Harry Secombe and Angela Scoular. It was based on the 1961 novel Doctor on Toast by Richard Gordon.
Plot
Renowned surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt (James Robertson Justice) arranges a cruise for his patient, the famous television star Basil Beauchamp (Simon Dee). The captain of the ship is Lancelot Spratt's brother George Spratt (Robert Morley).
Doctor Burke (Leslie Phillips) becomes a stowaway by mistake when chasing his girlfriend Ophelia (Angela Scoular) onto the ship to propose to her. She is one of a group of models doing a fashion shoot with camp photographer Roddy (Graham Chapman). Other passengers aboard ship include pools winner Llewellyn Wendover (Harry Secombe) and Mrs. Dailey (Irene Handl), a socially ambitious lady hoping to find a wealthy match for her daughter Dawn (Janet Mahoney).
Burke is pursued by the Master-at-Arms (Freddie Jones) who correctly suspects that he does not have a ticket. Burke tries various ruses to try to escape him, including dressing up as a doctor. Eventually he is caught and exposed as a stowaway. Captain Spratt orders him to serve as an orderly, scrubbing the ship.
When the ship's doctor falls ill from a tropical disease, Burke takes over his duties. He is called into action when a Soviet cargo ship sends a request for help due to a patient with acute appendicitis. Burke is transferred to that ship to perform an operation. By the time he has finished his own ship has departed, and he is forced to stay on board the Soviet vessel until it reaches Grimsby. When the cruise ship finally returns to port, Burke learns his girlfriend has married the ship's doctor, now recovered from his illness.
Meanwhile, Dawn Dailey, having failed to snare Captain Spratt, decides to marry Wendover. She learns after the wedding that he is not as wealthy as she had imagined.
Main cast
Leslie Phillips as Dr. Tony Burke
Harry Secombe as Llewellyn Wendover
Robert Morley as Captain George Spratt
James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt
Simon Dee as Basil Beauchamp
Angela Scoular as Ophelia O'Brien
Irene Handl as Mrs. Dailey
Janet Mahoney as Dawn Dailey
Freddie Jones as Master-at-Arms
Joan Sims as Russian Captain
John Le Mesurier as Purser
Graham Stark as Saterjee
Graham Chapman as Roddy
Jacki Piper as Girl in taxi
Fred Emney as Father
Yuri Borienko as Sick Russian
Gerald Sim as 1st Doctor
Yutte Stensgaard as Eve (Model) Jimmy Thompson as Ship's Doctor Sylvana Henriques as Model Marcia Fox as Jean Tom Kempinski as Stedman Green Anthony Sharp as Chief Surgeon Marianne Stone as Spinster John Bluthal as TV Doctor
Production
The film was based on the book Doctor on Toast, published in 1961. The plot of the book focused on Dr Grymsdyke and was different from the final film.
The original intention was for James Robertson Justice to play two roles, Sir Lancelot Spratt and his twin-brother Captain George Spratt (a variation of the part of Captain Hogg that he had played in Doctor at Sea) – "the best part of any we'd done together" according to producer Betty Box.
However, shortly before filming, Justice had a cerebral stroke and was rushed from his home near Inverness to Aberdeen for brain surgery. Justice recovered and wanted to play both roles as planned but the filmmakers decided he would be unable to do so, in part because he now had an uncontrollable tremor in his right arm. The part of Captain Spratt was offered to Robert Morley (who had been considered for the role of Lancelot Spratt in Doctor in the House but had wanted too much money). James Robertson Justice still played the smaller role of Lancelot. "It must have taken every ounce of energy he possessed to do it", said Box. "We knew he needed the money and paid him for both parts – he certainly deserved it for long and loyal service."