The Return of Doctor X (1939)

A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood.

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Lee Katz (screen play), William J. Makin (from a story by)

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Wayne Morris

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Marshall Quesne
Rosemary Lane	...	Joan Vance
Wayne Morris	...	Walter Garrett
Dennis Morgan	...	Michael Rhodes
John Litel	...	Dr. Francis Flegg
Lya Lys	...	Angela Merrova
Huntz Hall	...	Pinky
Charles C. Wilson	...	Detective Roy Kincaid (as Charles Wilson)
Vera Lewis	...	Miss Sweetman
Howard C. Hickman	...	Chairman (scenes deleted) (as Howard Hickman)
Olin Howland	...	Undertaker
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Guide (scenes deleted)
Cliff Saum	...	Detective Sergeant Moran
Creighton Hale	...	Hotel Manager
John Ridgely	...	Rodgers

Storyline

New York newspaper reporter Walter Barnett finds himself out of a job after he claims to have found actress Angela Merrova dead in her apartment - only the next day she showed up alive and threatened to sue the paper. Determined to investigate he discovers her involvement with a strange doctor who is an expert on human blood. Barnett then finds a connection to a series of gruesome murders where the victims were all found drained of blood.

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Plot Keywords:

blood | murder | reporter | doctor | newspaper | 

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Taglines:

He lives to kill and kills to live!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Volta do Dr. X

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Boris Karloff was to star as Dr. X.

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Goofs

When Wayne Morris discovers the murdered woman the telephone is on the floor with the handset off the cradle. In the next scene he picks up the same telephone to call the police. It is now on the table instead of the floor.

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Quotes

Dr. Francis Flegg: Interesting stuff, blood.

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Connections

Follows Doctor X (1932)

User Reviews

Average "B" thriller stands out do the presence of mis-cast Bogart.

Had this film not cast Humphrey Bogart as the title mad scientist, this film would probably regarded as just another 1930's big studio "B" thriller. Bogart tries hard , but he is Bogart, and its just to hard to take seeing him playing an executed mad scientist brought back from the dead who is now a scientific vampire. Supposedly, Boris Karloff was slated to play the title role, but was not available.

I have to admit I was very impressed with the films art direction (credited to Esdras Hartley.) The laboratory of Dr. Flegg consists of a maze of glass tubes dripping a dark fluid in beakers, and has the look of a giant circulatory system, reflecting the films emphasis on blood.

Hollywood legend has it that Bogart was having trouble with WB brass at the time with the type roles they were giving him. The WB brass wanted to punish him by casting him in this and KING OF THE UNDERWORLD in order show Bogie who was boss.