Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Movie review - "The New Interns" (1964) **

 Not as good as the original. The absence of Walter Newman hurts, ditto David Swift. It doesn't have the same density, complexity, sense of authenticity. One of the main characters isn't even an intern - Dean Jones, playing James MacArthur's role from the last movie, who is a proper doctor now. So you don't have that sense of students struggling, wanting to step up.

Michael Callan is back but that's okay because he was kicked out last time. It's good to see him back, he's full of energy. Problem is, he doesn't have a story. In the first film he had a goal - root around and also get a residency with a top doctor, which caused him to romance an older nurse, which led to him getting hooked on drugs. That's a good meaty story. Here he sleezes around, recognises a druggie patient but then sends her off to be cold turkey (a romance between them would've been better), flirts with Barbara Eden, gets in drag to access the nurse's quarters, runs around frantically... puts in a lot of effort but basically doesn't have a proper story. Not enough to do.

George Segal has better luck - he's an ex hood turned doctor whose social worker girlfriend Inger Stevens is raped by hoods, seems to recover then goes into catatonic shock at a party (does that happen?). The hoods turn up under his operating table. That's predictable and dodgy but at least a story.

Dean Jones is married to Stefanie Powers who returns. No mention of her desire to travel and his promise to take her to Hawaii. They want a baby but he's sterile - she has trouble with it so he yells at her, then goes to a party and kisses another girl which is not true to his character in the first film even if his self righteousness is. She "comes to her senses".

George Furth with hair has a secret wife. Dawn Wells from Gilligan's Island pops up. 

Not enough story, not enough medical drama, not enough camraderie. Some parties and low key star power turns from Callan, Eden, Savalas, Segal, Powers, etc.

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