Dallas Character Calling Dr Danvers

Sarah

Sarah

Moderator Emerita
Has anyone ever really called a doctor to get a sedative? I used to think this was normal practice when I was growing up watching Dallas. But I've never really see it happen in real life.

Imagine ringing up your local GP and saying 'Send over Dr Davison, I need a sedative'.

 
Ms Southworth

Ms Southworth

Telly Talk Dream Maker
Doctors making house calls? Yes, I'm familiar with that! I knew that wasn't just a soap opera thing! ;)

But to order a sedative by phone? My answer would have to be no. Usually, it's the doctor who decides what a patient needs.

I've never thought about it before, but I think that when I first watched Dallas (as a tween and later on a teenager), I knew that things on television could be far-stretched (and thus soap opera style)!

In the late 70's and early 80's, I watched the drama series, "The invisible man". Anyone remember this series? Whenever he would take his clothes off, he was invisible underneath! Very handy at times! I knew then that it was all Hollywood tricks ... ... just like a lot of the things that happened on "Dallas" were soap opera storylines (far from the real world I lived in)! :)
 
Angela Channing

Angela Channing

Telly Talk Veteran
Dr Danvers was an irresponsible old quack in the mould of Dr Conrad Murray who treated Michael Jackson. Whenever there was some family argument, stress, trauma or upset he would give Ellie (or sometimes Pam or Sue Ellen) a sedative. He would also administer the drugs on demand. "This has been real upsetting for Mama, can you give her a sedative?" would be the plea. Dr Danvers response was never to point out that Ellie is a strong woman who was willing to shoot a reporter with a shotgun and so was capable of dealing with a little upset, instead he was always ready to hand out sedatives like they were M&Ms. Truly shocking quackery.
 
Matthew Blaisdel

Matthew Blaisdel

Telly Talk Star
I'm afraid there are more than enough doctors hanging around that do exactly what you order them to, as long as you put a valid cheque on the table, especially in the US. In the 80s as well as today. Just look at all that plastic surgery nonsense that is going on.

57233f632200002900254f17.jpeg
 
K

Karin

Moderator
Staff Member
I don't know why but this thread title makes me think of this old song that we used to party to when I was in High School:


It wasn't until many years later that I realized who Doctor Feelgood was. I read in an Elizabeth Taylor biography that there was a doctor in the 1950s/1960s called Max Jacobson who used to supply famous people with different drugs. He was known as Doctor Feelgood in celebrity circles and had lots of famous clients.

And well this is getting off topic but well I guess the point I am trying to get across is that if you have enough money to pay a doctor to make house calls you can probably also pay that doctor to give you anything you want. So hence the Ewings calling their doctor and asking for sedatives.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sarah

Sarah

Moderator Emerita
Karin Schill said:
Was he really?
Remind me I don't seem to remember. Was this about some reference JR made on the show?
Click to expand...

Yes :)

During the dream season when JR was trying to win back Sue Ellen, he referred to Jerry as Dr Feelgood a couple of times:

"You're back awful early, I thought you were out with Dr Feelgood"... ;) It happens in the 'there's a magic between us' scene:

MV5BNTM4ODI5Nzc1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQ4NDU5MjE@._V1_UY1200_CR485,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg
 
Presea

Presea

Telly Talk Addict
The sedative stuff was truly awful and sort of looked sexist, too. It was like they were saying: "These women are too annoying when they cry, so let's hurry up and drug them so they will go to sleep and shut up for a while!" Not to mention that sedatives can be addictive. Dr. Danvers handed that stuff out like it was candy, so it makes me wonder what else he was doing with his job.
 
Justine

Justine

Telly Talk Well-Known Member
Presea said:
The sedative stuff was truly awful and sort of looked sexist, too. It was like they were saying: "These women are too annoying when they cry, so let's hurry up and drug them so they will go to sleep and shut up for a while!" Not to mention that sedatives can be addictive. Dr. Danvers handed that stuff out like it was candy, so it makes me wonder what else he was doing with his job.
Click to expand...

:fp: It’s true - I think Sue Ellen bore the brunt of Dr. Danvers’ malpractice. I re-watched that season 3 scene where Sue Ellen attacked J.R. because he switched her private detectives reports: as soon as Bobby took Sue Ellen upstairs, J.R. was on the phone to request Dr. Danvers come over and “take a look at my wife” :rolleyes:
 
Kenny Coyote

Kenny Coyote

Telly Talk Star
Presea said:
The sedative stuff was truly awful and sort of looked sexist, too. It was like they were saying: "These women are too annoying when they cry, so let's hurry up and drug them so they will go to sleep and shut up for a while!" Not to mention that sedatives can be addictive. Dr. Danvers handed that stuff out like it was candy, so it makes me wonder what else he was doing with his job.
Click to expand...

Actually he was giving a single dose of a sedative which is safer than the usual practice of doctors prescribing a month's supply of sedatives (for people who can't afford house calls). There, there is actually potential for abuse. I like the way he did it, because it was only done when needed, rather than giving someone access to a whole bottle of pills which they may not use responsibly.
 
stevew

stevew

Telly Talk Star
Ms Southworth said:
Doctors making house calls? Yes, I'm familiar with that! I knew that wasn't just a soap opera thing! ;)

But to order a sedative by phone? My answer would have to be no. Usually, it's the doctor who decides what a patient needs.

I've never thought about it before, but I think that when I first watched Dallas (as a tween and later on a teenager), I knew that things on television could be far-stretched (and thus soap opera style)!

In the late 70's and early 80's, I watched the drama series, "The invisible man". Anyone remember this series? Whenever he would take his clothes off, he was invisible underneath! Very handy at times! I knew then that it was all Hollywood tricks ... ... just like a lot of the things that happened on "Dallas" were soap opera storylines (far from the real world I lived in)! :)
Click to expand...

I remember my grandmother saying what she wanted from the doctor including hospital stays and my mother arguing with her. He came to the house too, she was kind of agoraphobic. So I can actually see this. How far he would go to do what she said, if it was dangerous for her, idk. I’d like to think not but my mother use to argue with her over her health constantly. Her housekeeper called her Miss Eleanor but she’s was more like Angela Channing.
 
stevew

stevew

Telly Talk Star
Karin Schill said:
I don't know why but this thread title makes me think of this old song that we used to party to when I was in High School:


It wasn't until many years later that I realized who Doctor Feelgood was. I read in an Elizabeth Taylor biography that there was a doctor in the 1950s/1960s called Max Jacobson who used to supply famous people with different drugs. He was known as Doctor Feelgood in celebrity circles and had lots of famous clients.

And well this is getting off topic but well I guess the point I am trying to get across is that if you have enough money to pay a doctor to make house calls you can probably also pay that doctor to give you anything you want. So hence the Ewings calling their doctor and asking for sedatives.
Click to expand...

So true.
 
Top