The Doctor's Dilemma

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Trailer—The Doctor's Dilemma

The Doctor's Dilemma

Not much about the film itself - just a few wacky observations . . . A very astute version of Shaw's classic play - director Anthony Asquith, allows the characters to revel in the pathos that The Doctor spills over each scene. Although Dirk Bogarde has his comedy smirk on, his performance is utterly commanding. A nice little quote is *when you're as old as I am it doesn't matter how old a man is when he dies* :) In the latter scenes, the high jinks continue with (poor) old Dirk in shot in the background. The colouring of the film is quite brutal - but lends a hand to the mystery of the plot - IMHO. A nifty film for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I had just seen it for the first time, and was afraid my friend who has...um..certain resources...would forget to--um--make it available to me. But he did, he did. I found all the acting, including Caron's. more than satisfactory. Morley and Aylmer are especially funny as two of the doctors ("stimulate the phagocites!" "Bah! A blackguard is a blackguard!") Boqarde is at his most delightful and easy as a gifted but COMPLETELY amoral artist. Oddly, his innocent wife knows all about it in a way. He only has two weaknesses, she says: money and women. Jane Austen says love and money are all there is, so I guess...that about covers it. Yes, the technicolor is a bit brutal... "Remember the burning bush?"

It's rare to come upon such clever and witty dialogue and such an admirable rogue. While this film turns the medical profession onto its hat (not a difficult trick) it does it in a delightful way that captivates and entertains. The twists and turns of the various attitudes is a pleasure to behold. Sure, Caron is a crappy actress who is way over her head among these great actors, but her stilted acting does suit her role. In any case, her acting is overshadowed by the brilliant play and the wonderful performances around her. This is a movie that must be listened to. It wasn't until I devoted my entire attention to it that I really began to appreciate it.

Dr Maurice Evans must choose between treating a good, simple country doctor or a painter and scoundrel whose wife seems appealing. The Dr.'s colleagues are hilarious, and there's a beautiful scene in a greenhouse for which Anthony Asquith and Cecil Beaton should be praised.

An interesting but not particularly engaging George Bernard Shaw satirical play is given a serviceable cinematic treatment from director Asquith - who clearly had fared much better with PYGMALION (1938) - but, nonetheless, the film is buoyed by a good cast (Leslie Caron, Dirk Bogarde, Alastair Sim. Robert Morley, Felix Aylmer, Michael Gwynne, Alec McCowen) and production values (cinematographer Robert Krasker, composer Joseph Kosma, costumer Cecil Beaton, production designer Paul Sheriff). As it happens, some performers acquit themselves better than others: Bogarde is fun as an impoverished but Machiavellian painter dying of tuberculosis and Sim and Morley are their usual pompous selves as two renowned "quacks" competing to treat him so to earn favors from his lovely wife (an unfortunately out-of-her-league Caron).

I love this film. Alistair Sim and Robert Morley are marvelous as they advocate the various and absurd treatments they'd used on their patient. But I'm appalled that this film isn't available for home viewing, especially when you consider how many crummy films have been released on tape or DVD. Could it be that Shaw's estate has refused to release the distribution rights for home viewing? If so, then someone out there -- perhaps the Criterion Collection -- can convince the copyright holder to relent. "Dilemma" may not be the best adaptation of a Shaw play (I think top honors go to "Pygmalion"), but it catches the play's flavor. The dialog is sharp and witty, and Dirk Bogarde gives another fine performance as the ailing man. This would be a fine addition to any collection.