estherwalker-34710 Review of Tammy and the Doctor

Tammy and the Doctor (1963)

Tammy, as a cute, charming, unforgettable, hospital 'dumb blonde'

[8/10 · 9 November 2021]

What did or do all these prominent actresses have in common?:Lana Turner, Carol Lombard, Doris Day, Adele Jergens, Marylin Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Mame Van Doren, Dolly Parton, Madonna, and Sandra Dee. Give up? All were usually or always peroxide blondes or wore a blonde wig during their acting or singing performances. Some may have still been notable actresses or singers with their natural hair color, but probably none would have become quite the movie or singing star they became, showing their natural hair color. ........... Yes, as demonstrated in this last of the 3 classic 'Tammy' films, Sandy sure looked cute as a young peroxide blonde, her dark brown eyes seemingly giving away her secret. And, her Mississippi 'river girl' persona and extreme 'southern backwoods' lingo made her seem even cuter. I preferred her in her ponytail guise, worn during the first half of this film and all of the 2nd 'Tammy' film. However, Tammy decided to change her hair style to make her look more sophisticated to the other hospital staff and especially to Peter Fonda, as Dr. Chadwick, whom she had set her sights on as her next romantic partner............The films begins where it left off at the end of the 2nd 'Tammy' film, when she was a 'special student' at Seminola College, lacking any prior formal schooling, living with the wealthy elderly Annie Call(Beulah Bondi), on her shanty houseboat. But, there is one important difference. We no longer see handsome John Gavin, as Tom: her college instructor love. We might guess that perhaps he was fired for being seen kissing and hugging Tammy: his student, in daylight, on campus..............Tammy and Annie soon move from the Mississippi to a Los Angeles hospital for a heart valve operation on Annie.((unclear why they had to go so far. Furthermore, Dr. Bentley(MacDonald Cary), who diagnosed her when living in the houseboat, is the chief surgeon at the L. A. hospital!?)). Dr. Bentley suggests that Tammy forget her schooling and accompany Annie, as psychological comfort for her. Agreed. Tammy says her brain can absorb only so much knowledge anyway, and she would be too worried about Annie to concentrate on her studies. ........... Tammy needs a job at the hospital to justify her rooming within the hospital, to be close to Annie. Despite her virtual lack of formal schooling, she is accepted as a housekeeping worker, mopping floors, for example, even during prime hospital hours. As we later discover, she is sleeping in a communal room with various nurses(an odd arrangement, it would seem!). She startles the nurses with the supposedly medicinal contents of her suitcase, including a jar of muddy Mississippi river water. She says it prevents various digestive ailments caused by drinking purified tap water. ............Tammy stops to pick up a colored paper a nurse dropped. Young intern Dr. Chadwick(Peter Fonda, in his first feature film role) happens by, looks at the paper and escorts Tammy into his nearby office. He shocks her by telling her that the test indicates she's pregnant. She quickly denies the possibility, and soon she's making eyes at the bachelor intern as her next potential boyfriend, despite a warning by nurse Millie(Alice Pearse) that Dr. Chadwick is only interested in hearts as objects to perform surgery on............Amazingly, Tammy soon is promoted to being a nurse's assistant, mostly assisting Nurse Millie. But, she makes an embarrassing mistake, and is demoted to housekeeping. This cycle happens several times, she never being fired from working in the hospital. One time, upon entering a patient's room, she drops her food tray when she sees the patient with his chin up, his head suspended by a rope. She gets out her knife and cuts the rope, assuming the patient is trying to hang himself. Actually, his neck is in traction.... Back to mopping floors or processing laundry! Amazingly, sometimes, she even is part of a surgical team, although I never saw what she did, except cutting bandages. But, again, when she messes up, she's back to mopping floors for a spell, until she's 'promoted' again. ............In the 2nd 'Tammy' film, Sandy sings a different 'Tammy's in Love' song from that sung by Debbie Reynolds, in the first 'Tammy' film. Clearly, it didn't go over nearly as well. Thus, in this film, Sandy sings a repeat of the song in the first film. Dr. Chadwick hears it, but, nonetheless, enters a period when he more or less ignores Tammy............. Interestingly, when Tammy prayed, she didn't pray to God nor some saint, but to her deceased grandmother: ancestor worship! ..........Reginald Owen plays the second most notable 'character', who unnecessarily clashes with Tammy when they first meet, giving the impression that he's a contrary, demented, complaining, old s.o.b.. However, he's encouraged to socialize with Annie, eventually they becoming friends, and he seems much more normal...........After Annie's operation is deemed a success, the ending comes really fast, as 3 on and off or simmering romantic relationships are put on the hot plate. Dr, Chadwick leads Tammy outside, and they have a kissing and hugging session to end the film............. Although this film has the lowest mean rating score of the 3 films, at this site, I know that it is the favorite for some reviewers, including me, as it has the most humor, albeit some instances being rather contrived.