Post by ellynmacg on Dec 9, 2018 17:51:00 GMT
Recently, I discovered that a local library has a collection of DVDs of Dr. Kildare, starring Richard Chamberlain and Raymond Massey. Boy, those were the days: thought-provoking scripts, incisive direction, spot-on acting from both regulars and guests, and a general feeling of cast and crew collaborating to create something truly excellent. And I can't forget to mention the sometimes gripping, sometimes poignant, always wonderful music of Jerry (then billed as "Jerrald") Goldsmith. (Of course, the boyishly earnest beauty of RC and the authoritative, reassuring presence of RM were definite pluses. Not to mention that those two actors' speaking voices were Just. So. Perfect.)
Anyway {{wiping drool off chin}}, so far I've watched only the first set of 4 discs (out of 9), for a total of 34 episodes--the 9th disc has only two selections on it. Struggling to get back on topic here, I will mention the last of the four episodes I've seen: "Winter Harvest", guest-starring Charles Bickford as Dr. Charles Dubro, a surgeon much revered over a long, distinguished career, but now slowing down drastically while operating, to the point of endangering his patients' lives. This episode was the first of the four I've watched to relegate "young Jimmy Kildare" to a supporting role; after reporting Dr. Dubro's problem to Gillespie (Dubro's lifelong friend), Kildare gets saddled with a bored, wealthy hypochondriac (amusingly played by a startlingly youthful Gavin MacLeod). But this subplot, besides giving the episode some much-needed levity, also gave RC a chance to show off his lighter side. (Love it when he flashes those blindingly white choppers--what a smile!)
Side Note: one of the many joys of watching Dr. Kildare is playing Spot the (Past, Present, and Future*) Stars. In just the four episodes I have spotted--among others--Beverly Garland, Jack Weston, Ken Berry, a very young and lovely Suzanne Pleshette, Edward Andrews, and Harvey Korman (!). And in the episode under discussion ("Winter Harvest"), besides the aforementioned Charles Bickford, I was delighted to see one of my favorite supporting players, the often (unjustly) overlooked Herschel Bernardi.
*As of the early Sixties
Anyway {{wiping drool off chin}}, so far I've watched only the first set of 4 discs (out of 9), for a total of 34 episodes--the 9th disc has only two selections on it. Struggling to get back on topic here, I will mention the last of the four episodes I've seen: "Winter Harvest", guest-starring Charles Bickford as Dr. Charles Dubro, a surgeon much revered over a long, distinguished career, but now slowing down drastically while operating, to the point of endangering his patients' lives. This episode was the first of the four I've watched to relegate "young Jimmy Kildare" to a supporting role; after reporting Dr. Dubro's problem to Gillespie (Dubro's lifelong friend), Kildare gets saddled with a bored, wealthy hypochondriac (amusingly played by a startlingly youthful Gavin MacLeod). But this subplot, besides giving the episode some much-needed levity, also gave RC a chance to show off his lighter side. (Love it when he flashes those blindingly white choppers--what a smile!)
Side Note: one of the many joys of watching Dr. Kildare is playing Spot the (Past, Present, and Future*) Stars. In just the four episodes I have spotted--among others--Beverly Garland, Jack Weston, Ken Berry, a very young and lovely Suzanne Pleshette, Edward Andrews, and Harvey Korman (!). And in the episode under discussion ("Winter Harvest"), besides the aforementioned Charles Bickford, I was delighted to see one of my favorite supporting players, the often (unjustly) overlooked Herschel Bernardi.
*As of the early Sixties