In the Doghouse (film)

In the Doghouse
British quad poster by Tom Chantrell
Directed by	Darcy Conyers
Written by	Michael Pertwee
Based on	It's a Vet's Life by Alex Duncan
Produced by	Earl St. John
Starring	Leslie Phillips Peggy Cummins Hattie Jacques James Booth
Cinematography	Alan Hume
Edited by	Roger Cherrill
Music by	Philip Green
Production company	Rank Films
Release date	1962
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

In the Doghouse, also known as Vet in the Doghouse, is a 1962 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Leslie Phillips and Peggy Cummins. The film was based on the 1961 novel It's a Vet's Life by Alex Duncan.

The title refers to the British expression of a person being "in the doghouse" when a person is ostracised usually relating to a husband for domestic bad behaviour, and usually used in the third person e.g. "he is in the doghouse because... "

Plot

Jimmy Fox-Upton is an accident prone and less than brilliant veterinary student in his final year of college having already failed his finals 4 times. He unexpectedly passes and his good heart outweighs any academic shortcomings.

He takes over an old practice and becomes rivals with a fellow student who opens a very swanky practice around the corner. Jimmy keeps a chimpanzee in the surgery.

The overarching plot revolves around trying to prevent a consignment of horses being sent to France as meat by a Mr Peddle aided by Skeffington.

Near the end of the film a lion escapes into a crowded pet show filled with a variety of both pets and people.

The three main heroes try to sabotage the shipment of horses but end up tied in the back of the lorry with the horses. The chimpanzee unties them.

They then chase Peddle and Skeffington on the rescued horses. This gets in the newspapers.

The vet is then called to Buckingham Palace to treat the corgis.

Cast

• Leslie Phillips as Jimmy Fox-Upton
• Peggy Cummins as Sally Huxley
• Hattie Jacques as Josephine Gudgeon
• James Booth as Bob Skeffington
• Dick Bentley as Mr. Peddle
• Colin Gordon as Dean
• Joan Heal as Mrs. Peddle
• Esma Cannon as Mrs. Raikes
• Fenella Fielding as Miss Fordyce
• Richard Goolden as Mr. Ribart
• Joan Hickson as Miss Gibbs
• Vida Hope as Mrs. Crabtree
• Jacqueline Jones as Rita
• Peggy Thorpe-Bates as Mrs. Muswell
• Harry Locke as Sid West
• Patsy Rowlands as barmaid
• Kynaston Reeves as Colonel
• Joan Young as middle-aged woman
• Judith Furse as massage woman
• Lance Percival as policeman (uncredited)
• George A. Cooper examiner

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Not content with gaining easy laughs by its parade of routine animal jokes, centred round an amiable booby of a vet, this wobbly farce makes a pitch for tears too by dragging in a whimsical toddler and a dear old lady with a dying spaniel. Its story gives the impression of being slapped together for shooting, then severely cut for distribution. But one role that deserves expansion is that given to Fenella Fielding who appears only briefly, exchanging glad-eyes with a lion and outsexing the blonde vamps who undulate through the poodles' beauty parlour run by a villainous vet. This character is played by James Booth in a horsewhip-and-brimstone style of comedy more suited to melodrama or the Demon King in pantomime."

The Radio Times wrote "...makes a fine comic vehicle for Leslie Phillips, who has to resort to his trademark charm to atone for his misadventures as he begins life as a qualified vet (after spending years trying to pass his final exams. However, he also gets to reveal an unexpected action-man side as he thwarts a horse-smuggling ring. ... Despite booming support from Hattie Jacques, this patchy film is perhaps most significant for bringing down the curtain on the career of Peggy Cummins, who made her first film in 1940 at the age of 15."

External links

• In the Doghouse at IMDb
• In the Doghouse at BFI
• In the Doghouse then-and-now location photographs at ReelStreets