Life in Emergency Ward 10 ** (1959, Charles Tingwell, Michael Craig, Wilfrid Hyde White, Dorothy Alison, Glyn Owen, Rosemary Miller, Frederick Bartman, Joan Sims, Pauline Stroud) – Classic Movie Review 5745

Director Robert Day’s 1959 cinema spin-off film of Britain’s first twice-weekly TV serial Emergency Ward 10, which ran for 10 years between 1957 and 1967, has enormous nostalgia value.

Re-creating his TV role, Aussie heart-throb Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell features as house-doctor Dr Alan Dawson, ably abetted by doctor Michael Craig (Dr Stephen Russell), doctor Glyn Owen (Dr Paddy O’Meara), professor Wilfrid Hyde White (Professor Bourne-Evans), doctor Frederick Bartman (Dr Simon Forrester), sister Dorothy Alison (Sister Jane Fraser), matron Enid Lindsey (as Matron), nurse Pauline Stroud (as Nurse Vincent) and many other familiar faces of the era.

Alas, the creaky standard hospital drama plot and some stiff acting swiftly confined this to the morgue of antique British TV spin-off features.

With the story and screenplay by Tessa Diamond and Hazel Adair, it may have its drawbacks as drama and as a movie but it is certainly an extremely interesting time-warp piece though, with some lovely iconic performers.

Also in the cast are Rosemary Miller, Joan Sims, Rupert Davies, Sheila Sweet, Maurice Kaufmann, David Lodge, Christina Gregg, Kenneth J Warren, Jean Aubrey, Tony Quinn and Dorothy Gordon.

Alas there is no sign of series star Jill Browne as Nurse Carole Young or Desmond Carrington as Dr Chris Anderson.

Tunbridge Wells-born Pauline Stroud (born on 21 March 1930) is still fondly recalled for Lady Godiva Rides Again [Bikini Baby] (1951), Her Three Bachelors (1953), Simon and Laura (1955) and Life in Emergency Ward 10 (1959).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5745

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