Return of Doctor X, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Dec 23, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
-
Director
Vincent ShermanRelease Date(s)
1939 (October 29, 2024)Studio(s)
Warner Bros. (Warner Archive Collection)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: B
Review
The Return of Doctor X is most notable for the fact that it’s the only horror film Humphrey Bogart ever appeared in. The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca were still a few years off and Bogart, a Warner Bros. contract actor, had to appear in whatever the studio ordered. The film has similarities to Doctor X, made seven years earlier, but the plots and characters are completely different.
Ambitious newspaper reporter Walter Barnett (Wayne Morris, Double Alibi) sets up an exclusive interview with famous actress Angela Merrova (Lya Lys, Murder in the Air) in her suite at the Park Plaza Hotel. When he arrives, he discovers her dead on the floor amid evidence that she was murdered. He first calls his editor and asks him to publish an extra edition with the news, scooping all the other papers in town. By the time the police arrive, the body has vanished and so has Barnett’s credibility. And the next day Angela reappears, very much alive, declaring that she’s suing the newspaper. Barnett is fired on the spot.
Barnett is convinced something strange is afoot and resolves to get to the bottom of the mystery. He consults his friend Dr. Mike Rhodes (Dennis Morgan, The Great Ziegfeld), but the doctor is skeptical and busy. He’s due in surgery immediately with his irascible mentor, hematologist and surgeon Dr. Flegg (John Litel, The Enchanted Forest), and can’t be bothered with Barnett’s inquiries.
Several other peculiar crimes occur and it seems that only Barnett can see a connection. His persistence leads him to Dr. Flegg and his assistant, Dr. Quesne (Bogart), a weird-looking individual with a pasty face, white skunk stripe in his hair, and dead eyes. When we first see him, he’s stroking a lab rabbit menacingly. A nurse, Joan Vance (Rosemary Lane, The Oklahoma Kid), becomes involved in the intrigue and eventually becomes the film’s damsel in distress.
From a routine murder mystery, the film develops into a mad-scientist horror flick with Bogart as the resident “monster.” Dragging one leg as his character dutifully goes about his experiments for Dr. Flegg, his appearance is unsettling, and even Rhodes and Barnett comment on how bizarre it is. Quesne (pronounced Cain) is the kind of role that usually went to Boris Karloff, so it’s quite surprising to see Bogart essaying a creepy persona, and doing a good job. In fact, his performance is what makes a viewing worthwhile.
Morris, as the wisecracking reporter, adds levity to a number of scenes to balance the gruesome elements of the plot. Warner Bros. had made a foray into the horror genre in the early 1930s but abandoned it to concentrate on gangster and crime pictures for its bread and butter. It’s thus unusual to find horror a prime element in 1939’s The Return of Doctor X.
Morris’ performance as the reporter contrasts with Morgan’s as his friend Dr. Rhodes. One always has a wisecrack, while the other plays his role straight. Litel, as Dr. Flegg, is appropriately arrogant and condescending as the venerable hematologist who harbors a grim secret that the viewer can easily figure out well before it’s revealed.
Director Vincent Sherman moves the story along briskly and there isn’t a wasted or padded scene. This is in keeping with Warner’s rat-tat-tat style of pacing. Low angles and atmospheric shadows enhance the mood, especially in the film’s second half as the plot moves into the realm of horror. The film would have benefited from greater suspense, but with its short running time, driving the plot forward was the priority.
The Return of Doctor X was shot by director of photography Sidney Hickox on 35mm black & white film with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the Academy aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Warner Archive’s new transfer is sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. The quality of the natural film grain is excellent. Detail is well delineated in equipment in Dr. Flegg’s lab, the newspaper editor’s office, a hospital operating room, and a cemetery tombstone. The cinematography reflects expressionistic touches in the film’s second half, with low angles casting atmospheric shadows on walls. Black levels are deep and rich.
The soundtrack is English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio. English SDH subtitles are available. Dialogue is clear and distinct. Bogart’s manner of speaking is slow and deliberate, adding another odd element to his characterization. Morris speaks quickly, especially when delivering his character’s wisecracks. Sound effects include gun shots, the gurgling and bubbling of scientific equipment, and car motors.
Bonus materials on the Blu-ray release from the Warner Archive Collection include the following:
- Archival Audio Commentary by Vincent Sherman and Dr. Steve Haberman
- Dog Gone Modern (7:26)
- Porky’s Hotel (6:48)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:33)
Commentary – Author and film historian Steve Haberman discusses how The Return of Dr. X was developed. Warner Bros. announced a sequel to Doctor X based on the short story The Doctor’s Secret by William J. Mankin, with Boris Karloff as the star. The studio hoped to add Bela Lugosi to the cast. This version was set in 1885 England. Instead, the studio economized by setting the action in a present-day American city, scheduled a 21-day shoot, and jettisoned the plan to cast expensive stars in favor of contract actor Humphrey Bogart. Comedy was emphasized over Gothic atmosphere. The director himself, Vincent Sherman, provides an extensive overview of his career. He had worked in theater, studied the films of William Wyler and the art of filmmaking, and was a writer and director at Warner Bros. for years. Sherman says Bogart did the best he could with the roles handed to him. He and Bogart got along because of their similar background in theater. Sherman felt the combination of comedy and horror would work with an audience. He always liked to put something hopeful in his pictures. For The Return of Doctor X, Sherman was influenced by James Whale’s Frankenstein. He requested lots of scientific equipment for a scene in which a rabbit is brought back to life. Studio head Jack Warner was always pushing Sherman to work quickly. He appreciated the security of being under contract to a studio. Haberman explains the similarities and differences between Doctor X and The Return of Doctor X, noting that despite its title, the latter is not a sequel. He provides career overviews of Wayne Morris, Rosemary Lane, and Dennis Morgan. He describes The Return of Doctor X as a “male bonding film” that “works best as a B unit thriller with horror overtones.”
Dog Gone Modern – In this 1939 Technicolor Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, two curious dogs enter a model home equipped with an assortment of modern inventions, including a robot programmed to sweep up anything that touches the floor. The dogs push various buttons as machines get carried away and overstep their intended functions. Mel Blanc provides voice characterizations.
Porky’s Hotel – Robert Clampett directed this 1939 black & white Looney Tunes cartoon. Porky Pig is the proprietor of a hotel in the small town of Donut Center. A goat with gout checks in for a rest, but a talkative young duck prevents him from getting any, especially when the duck starts chasing after a fly with a hammer.
The Return of Doctor X is fun, particularly for Bogart’s quirky performance and chilling appearance. Even though the role may be low on the actor’s and critics’ list of favorites, he does an excellent job of adding a memorable, supernatural touch to the picture. Director Vincent Sherman took two genres and treated them independently rather than blending them consistently throughout. This might be due partly to how Barnett’s investigation unfolds, but the jocularity often seems intrusive and unnecessary. Assorted revelations can be figured out quite easily, so the mystery element is not especially strong.
- Dennis Seuling