Tammy and the Doctor (1963)

Tammy And The Doctor was the big screen debut of Peter Fonda and back in his Easy Rider rebel days he referred to it as Tammy And The Schmuckface. I wonder know in his late 70s how Peter Fonda feels about the film?It was the last of the big screen Tammy films, she would go on to a short lived television series with Debbie Watson. Sandra Dee plays Tammy Tyree of the Mississippi Delta a southern fried version of the little miss fixit roles that Deanna Durbin also did for Universal Studios back in the day.In this film Beulah Bondi the rich old lady to whom Tammy has become attached is taken ill. Specialist Macdonald Carey is in from Los Angeles and he recommends that Bondi have open heart surgery which he will perform. Like every other man of all generations Carey gets taken with her and thinks she will be an asset in giving Bondi a proper attitude toward the surgery.So Tammy gets taken on at the big LA hospital and as she always does her naivete but also her strong common sense wins over everyone around her eventually. Nurse Alice Pearce becomes her best friend. But her real conquest is young doctor Peter Fonda who is a protégé of Carey's.Seeing her going off with Peter Fonda also makes me wonder what happened to Leslie Nielsen and John Gavin in the previous two Tammy films. Or if there were more Tammy films how many of the male sex she would have endeared herself to.One does wonder how Peter Fonda views the film today. For me it's pleasant easy to take entertainment. Tammy does kind of grow on you.

In the final movie in the Tammy trilogy Sandra Dee once again stars and calamities ensue. Tammy's houseboatmate Mrs. Call falls ill and needs an operation. Tammy tags along and gets a job at the hospital to be close by and keep Mrs. Call's spirits up. But of course due to Tammy's naive nature trouble follows wherever she goes and it's a wonder no one dies due to some of the mishaps. This time Tammy falls for a doctor played by Peter Fonda. Bonus points for spotting Adam West as a doctor!

I am also a teenager and have deeply enjoyed this movie. Being from Mississippi Myself, I feel akin to her in her many plights, with dealing with folks that find many southerners to be very "funny peculiar"!! Anyway I know one thing i really enjoyed the Tammy in love song, it was so romantic how he was right there listening. Oh, I just really love this movie!!!!! I really like how Tammy takes God with her where ever she goes and that she isn't afraid to talk about him. Man, I kinda wish they still made movies like this, but with more African-Americans. Movies like this were just so innocent and didn't need all the hype and jive they need now.

I thought this movie was well done, and that Sandra Dee was a very good Tammy Tyree, however I think that Debbie Reynolds did a better job when she originally played this character in Tammy and the Bachelor. I also think that Tammy Tell Me True was a little bit sweeter than this movie. On it's own it is a great film, but when compared to the others, it's just not as good.