IMDb >
Doctor X (1932)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDoctor X (1932) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 4 | slideshow) |
   |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
27 August 1932 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Out-Thrills Them All!
Plot:
A wisecracking New York reporter intrudes on a research scientist's quest to unmask The Moon Killer. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Top Five Movie Screamers
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 7:09 PM, PDT)
Top Ten Movie Screamers
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 6:53 PM, PDT)
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 7:09 PM, PDT)
Top Ten Movie Screamers
(From Alternative Film Guide. 30 October 2009, 6:53 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Full Moon High
more (36 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Lionel Atwill | ... | Dr. Jerry Xavier |
| Fay Wray | ... | Joanne 'Joan' Xavier |
| Lee Tracy | ... | Lee Taylor, Daily World Reporter |
| Preston Foster | ... | Dr. Wells (Academy of Surgical Research) |
| John Wray | ... | Dr. Haines, Academy of Surgical Research |
| Harry Beresford | ... | Dr. Duke, Academy of Surgical Research |
| Arthur Edmund Carewe | ... | Dr. Rowitz, Academy of Surgical Research |
| Leila Bennett | ... | Mamie, Xavier's Maid |
| Robert Warwick | ... | Police Commissioner Stevens |
| George Rosener | ... | Otto, Dr. X's Butler |
| Willard Robertson | ... | Detective O'Halloran |
| Thomas E. Jackson | ... | Daily World Editor (as Thomas Jackson) |
| Harry Holman | ... | Mike, Waterfront Policeman |
| Mae Busch | ... | Cathouse Madame |
| Tom Dugan | ... | The Sheriff |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
76 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (2-strip Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:Approved (theatrical) |
USA:Unrated (DVD)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The wax statues of the murder victims melted under the hot lights needed for the Technicolor cameras, so real actors were hired to stand in for them.
more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: In the opening scene of the film, Lee Tracy is shown strolling along the New York docks in search of news, when a body arrives at the Mott Street Morgue across the street. In reality, Mott Street, located in New York's old Chinatown district, is fairly well landlocked and nowhere near the either waterfront or dock areas.
more
Quotes:
Lee Taylor, Daily World Reporter:
[to the Piano Player] Hey, Rachmaninoff - how 'bout the Prelude?
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in I'm King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper (2005)
more
Soundtrack:
Agitato
more
FAQ
What does this film have to do with "The Return of Dr. X" (1939)?more
more (36 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Doctor X (1932)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Film Buzz - Remake? | XMorpheus1 |
| Other Two-Strip films? | Jonesh54 |
| {SPOILER ALERT} Who is really Dr. X? | Regionarian |
| Soundtrack and Sound FX | beckersheinz |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Secret of Treasure Island | The Black Widow | King of the Rocket Men | Jungle Drums of Africa | Yi boh lai beng duk |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Horror section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Old dark house thrillers were all the rage in the early talkie era. Doctor X combines a spooky old house with a mad scientist horror story, and as directed by Michael Curtiz in early two-strip Technicolor, it's a quite good show even by today's standards.
Lionel Atwill's Doctor X is a scientist who runs a medical research institute in New York City near where a series of grisly murders have recently occurred. He and his entire teaching staff are suspects in the case, as the police have determined that the killer has some medical knowledge. The ever-helpful doctor seeks to prove the authorities wrong, and transports his staff to the cliffside manor, Blackstone Shoals, to prove them wrong, and gets more than he bargained for.
Newspaperman Lee Tracy is along for the ride, and can't seem to keep his mouth shut, as he continually makes wisecracks. His character is utterly of the time, and as such a fascinating glimpse of a bygone type, both of real life and the movies. Fay Wray is her usual lissome self, with her peculiarly gyrating physicality far more interesting than her delivery of dialog. She's a brunette here, and proves herself once again filmdom's definitive Scream Queen, on at least one occasion shrieking with no provocation whatsoever, as if in preparation for the horror to come.
For a 1932 movie, this one moves quickly. There are enough dour and sinister-looking suspects to keep one guessing the identity of the murderer till near the end. Curtiz shows an often sadistic sense of humor, as when several suspects are manacled to their chairs to witness reenactment of one of the murders, only to have the real killer turn up! The director's control of the material is complete, and he shows himself once more one of great unsung masters of the studio era.