Doctors, Nurses, Diseases, and Hospitals, part 1

Hello, my friends, old and new! As many of you know (and many of you don't) I am a doctor of medicine. I was toying with the idea of preparing a story on the subject - I was wondering, however, if there was enough material for it. What do you know - there was actually material for four stories - and I actually left a lot out! So, without further ado, let's begin with the first part.

There are a lot of TV shows concerning doctors - and some have been very successful. I will skip over those I've never watched, like General Hospital or Grey's Anatomy - and present those that I did watch, two at a time. I begin with Ben Casey, a show that ran in the US from 1961 to 1966 and was broadcast in many countries throughout the 60s and early 70s. Featuring handsome Vince Edwards (photo) in the titular role and good character actor Sam Jaffe, the show left its mark on that particular period.

These are the opening credits:

This is a scene from an episode, featuring Chester Morris:

Doctor Who is not about an actual doctor... although he does his fair share of fighting against threats to mankind. The threats in his case are (usually) not germs, more like alien species with a penchant for invading the Earth. It is probably the most iconic British TV series, running for more than 50 years (with a 15-year hiatus in the 90s and early 00s. The show is still going on, beloved all over the world - and will probably go on for many years to come. These are the original opening credits:

These are the latest opening credits:

The series inspired a #1 UK single. The Timelords, an alias for KLF released Doctorin' The Tardis in 1988, predominantly a mash-up of the Doctor Who theme music, Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll (Part Two) with sections from Blockbuster! by Sweet and Let's Get Together Tonite by Steve Walsh. Here it is:

The medical profession also left its mark in the movies: today we'll examine movies from the 20s, 30s, and 40s.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) by Robert Wiene is an expressionistic masterpiece. Here's the trailer:

Many people assume that Frankenstein is the monster, but it actually is the name of the doctor who created it, as witnessed in this classic 1931 film by James Whale. Here's a scene:

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940), by William Dieterle, has nothing to do with guns. It is the chronicle of Dr. Paul Ehrlich, who used Salvarsan to treat syphilis before the discovery of penicillin. A tabu subject for that time. This is the trailer:

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), Fritz Lang's masterpiece, was banned in Nazi Germany "as a menace to public health and safety." Here's a scene:

How did the medical profession fare at the Oscars? Not bad, actually. These are the actors and actresses who were nominated or won an Oscar for portraying a doctor or a nurse in the 30s and 40s:

Fredric March (winner: 1930-31) for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This is the transformation scene:

Claudette Colbert (nominated: 1935) for Private Worlds.

Paul Muni (winner: 1936) for The Story of Louis Pasteur. This is the trailer:

Thomas Mitchell (nominated: 1937) for The Hurricane.

Robert Donat (nominated: 1938) for The Citadel.

Thomas Mitchell (winner: 1939) Stagecoach. Here's a short scene:

Walter Pidgeon (nominated: 1943) for Madame Curie.

Greer Garson (nominated: 1943) for Madame Curie.

Paulette Goddard (nominated: 1943) for So Proudly We Hail!

Michael Chekhov (nominated: 1945) for Spellbound.

Rosalind Russell (nominated: 1946) for Sister Kenny.

Lew Ayres (nominated: 1948) for Johnny Belinda.

Now, it's time for the songs: Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren recorded the novelty song Goodness Gracious Me! in order to promote their movie, The Millionairess (1960). The song, which was produced by the great George Martin, a couple of years before he began working with the Beatles, became a big worldwide hit. The song's lyrics contain medical terms such as pulse, stethoscope and a number of morbid conditions, including allergy, beriberi, dysentery, measles, thrombosis, sleeping sickness, influenza, inflammation, whooping cough, and night starvation. Here it is:

Now, let's meet a few of the acts that have a "medical" name. Dr. John is one of the most prominent. Right Place Wrong Time is his biggest hit:

... While Litanie Des Saints is my favorite one of his:

Dr. Hook were very popular in the 70's and early 80s. Sylvia's Mother was one of their biggest hits:

... So was A Little Bit More:

Dr. Feelgood was a fine rock group. Here they are with Milk And Alcohol:

... And this is Down At The Doctors by Dr. Feelgood. So it's doctor times two. This is it:

Dr. Dre is another prominent artist and producer, perhaps the most successful doctor of them all. Here's Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang, featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg:

This is another doctor times two. It's I Need a Doctor by Dr. Dre, featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey:

Now, let's listen to a few songs with medical titles. Here's the incomparable Aretha Franklin with one of my favorites of hers, Doctor Feelgood:

The Beatles gave us Doctor Robert:

... While the Rolling Stones gave us Dear Doctor:

The Who obviously liked the profession. This is their Doctor Jimmy:

There's also a doctor song in the Who's Tommy. Let's listen to the movie version of There’s A Doctor/Go To The Mirror, as performed by Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, and Jack Nicholson as the doctor:

Queen gave us Sheer Heart Attack, the album, but Sheer Heart Attack, the song, was included in the News Of The World album:

Doctor My Eyes was a hit in the US by its songwriter, Jackson Browne:

... While, in the UK, it became a hit by the Jackson 5:

This is Doctor! Doctor! by the Thompson Twins:

Here's Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) by Robert Palmer:

Two movies that we've discussed above had songs inspired by them: first, let's listen to Dr. Mabuse by Propaganda:

... and this is Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group:

My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me To The Doctor) was a song by Dead Or Alive:

UFO gave us Doctor, Doctor:

Motörhead contributed to the genre with Doctor Rock:

Calling Dr. Love was one of Kiss' most popular songs:

Finally, for today, Bon Jovi had a #1 US hit with Bad Medicine:

More of this next time, maybe even tomorrow. Later, babies!