Cast
Bing Crosby as Dr. Leonard Cook
Frank Converse as Jimmy Tennyson
Blythe Danner as Janey Rausch
Barnard Hughes as Elias Hart
Bethel Leslie as Essie Bullitt
A young doctor returns to his New England home town after a long absence. He visits with the town's kindly old physician, Dr. Cook, a man he has admired since childhood. However, he soon finds out that the old doctor is keeping a mysterious secret.
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Note:
(a) Recorded September 1970.
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“‘Doctor Cook’s Garden’ was an unusually satisfying entry in ABC’s ‘Movie Of The Week’ series. . . For Bing Crosby, the title role was an acting triumph. In his long list of films, ‘Garden’ was only his second straight acting role (the other was ‘Country Girl’ in 1955’) and he has indeed come a long way since his first ‘doctor’ film - ‘Doctor Rhythm’ in 1938. Playing a part that could have easily been hammed up, Crosby let the fictive character take over - no small trick for a star with a 40-year identity as a singer and light comedy artist.”
(‘Variety’ 20th January 1971)
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“Although it was never distributed for theatrical release, this 1971 television movie must be included because it contains one of the performer’s most memorable acting portrayals. . . . An enormously effective horror film produced for television by ABC and Paramount, Dr. Cook’s Garden is of particular interest because it is the first time the performer ever portrayed a villain. There can be no doubt that Doctor Cook was a deranged individual, but Crosby’s performance in the role is far above most other portrayals of screen psychos.”
(From ‘The Films of Bing Crosby’ by Robert Bookbinder)
