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7.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hurry Doctor! remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've ever wondered what a fever dream looked like in 1931, Hurry Doctor! is probably your best bet. It’s barely a movie, really, but it's the kind of thing you watch when you’re bored and want to see a dog panic because his car has a tummy ache.
Should you watch it? If you like old-school, rubber-hose animation, sure. If you hate weird anthropomorphic machines or just get annoyed by cartoon dogs, keep scrolling.
The whole thing starts with Bimbo trying to get to his date, but the car just... quits. It starts wheezing like an old man on a humid day. Then the doctor arrives. The way the doctor treats the car is honestly pretty funny, pouring oil into it like he’s giving a toddler medicine.
It’s got that jittery, relentless energy of Wiggle Your Ears, where things just happen because the animator decided they should. There’s no real logic here. Why is the car alive? Don't ask.
Some of the background gags are actually sharper than the main plot. I caught a few things in the corner of the frame that made me chuckle, even if the main character is just kind of a frantic mess. It’s not as sweeping as something like Blood and Sand, obviously, but it doesn't try to be. It’s just trying to be a cartoon.
It’s not going to change your life. It’s just a weird, bouncy little artifact. If you’ve seen Patsy and want something shorter and way more surreal, this will hit the spot. Just don't expect a masterpiece.
Also, the animation is super loose. Sometimes the wheels look like they’re made of jelly. It’s charming, in a way, but also kind of unsettling. 🐕🔧