The Doctor’s Dilemma

Summary

1956 Associated-Rediffusion production for ITV of The Doctor’s Dilemma by George Bernard Shaw.

Theatre play

The Doctor’s Dilemma by [George] Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) [more information]

Play synopsis

'The eponymous dilemma of the play is that of the newly honoured doctor Sir Colenso Ridgeon, who has developed a revolutionary new cure for tuberculosis. However, his private medical practice, with limited staff and resources, can only treat ten patients at a time. From a selection of fifty patients he has selected ten he believes he can cure and who, he believes, are most worthy of being saved. However, when he is approached by a young woman, Jennifer Dubedat, with a deadly ill husband, Louis Dubedat, he admits he can, at a stretch, save one more patient, but that the individual in question must be shown to be most worthy of being saved. However, the situation is complicated when an old friend and colleague reveals, he too, needs treatment. Sir Colenso must choose which patient he will save: a kindly, altruistic poor medical colleague, or an extremely gifted but also very unpleasant, womaniser, bigamist and amoral young artist. Sir Colenso falls instantly in love with the young and vivacious Mrs Dubedat and this makes it even harder for the doctor to separate his motives for the decision of who shall live.' (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doctor’s_Dilemma_(play); accessed 6 September 2014)

Production history

First staged at the Royal Court Theatre on 20 November 1906.

Date of transmission

Wednesday 12 December 1956

Time

8.00-9.30pm

Series

Play of the Week

Channel

ITV

Production company

Associated-Rediffusion (1955-1964)

Credits

Director

John Moxey

Playwright

[George] Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Sets / Settings

John Clements (1910-1988)

Costumes

Peter Rice

Cast

Michael Ashwin	The Newspaper Man
Leo Bieber	Leo Schutzmacher
Clare Bradley	Minnie Tinwell
Lewis Casson	Sir Patrick Cullen
Paul Daneman	Louis Dubedat
Bee Duffell	Emmy
Laurence Hardy	Cutler Walpole
Michael Hordern	Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonington
Stuart Hutchinson	Redpenny
Anthony Ireland (1902-1957)	Sir Colenso Ridgeon
John Ruddock	D. Blenkinsop
Ann Todd	Jennifer Dubedat
Aidan Turner	Mr Danby

Additional details

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

medical drama

Print sources

Title

TV Times, 7 December 1956 (Magazine)

Linking notes

image, p. 18; listing, p. 19; article on actor Ann Todd, p. 29