Runtime: 62 minutes
Directed by: Vincent Sherman
Starring: Wayne Morris, Rosemary Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Dennis Morgan, John Litel
From: Warner Bros.
“Humphrey Bogart in a horror movie” is the draw here. As it was the only genre effort he ever participated in and this short 62 minute effort showed on TCM last month, it was recorded for DVR viewing. Way back 8 years ago I saw 1932’s Doctor X, a creepy effort involving cannibalism (yes, it was the Pre-Code era) which I liked but have hazy memories of now. Moot point, as the two films have nothing to do w/ each other.
The tale involves a newspaper reporter who originally was from Wichita-a fact The Return of Doctor X won’t let you forget-and doctor teaming up; the former is fired from his job after he discovers a murdered actress who shows up alive the next day. Subsequently, we get a macabre tale involving blood, a Dr. Xavier-not Charles, an attractive nurse, & an unforgettable role for Bogie. Get this: he’s sweaty, wears one black glove, has a shock of white hair, has some sort of obsession with white rabbits—although there’s no hookah-smoking caterpillars around.
As it’s 1939 and horror had fallen out of favor compared to earlier in the decade; subsequently, the movie is a mystery at the forefront, which contrasted with the original Doctor X. It’s not until early in the second act that Bogie makes his initial appearance. Please understand that rating this movie as average is not due to that and rather because this production was average in every circumstance-with the morbid elements and seeing a Hollywood legend in a bizarre role not enough for me to recommend it. Bogart wasn’t happy with the B movie/supporting roles he got at Warner Brothers so he raised hell about it-thankfully he soon then got roles in pictures like They Drive by Night and High Sierra. After that, the duo of The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca was a catapult to stardom.
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