The Return of Doctor X (1939)

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Lee Katz (screenplay)
William J. Makin (story)

Release Date:

2 December 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD...TO HAUNT THE LIVING!!!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Reporter | Doctor | Murder | Actress

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Dec. 16

7:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Wayne Morris	...	Walter 'Wichita' Garrett (onscreen credit reads 'Walter Barnett')
Rosemary Lane	...	Joan Vance
Humphrey Bogart	...	Dr. Maurice Xavier, aka Marshall Quesne
Dennis Morgan	...	Dr. Mike 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 Sgt. Moran
Creighton Hale	...	Hotel Manager
John Ridgely	...	Stanley Rodgers

Also Known As:

The Return of Dr. X (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:H | USA:Approved (PCA #5541)

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

Humphrey Bogart said of this film: "This is one of the pictures that made me march in to [Warner Bros. studio chief Jack L. Warner] and ask for more money again. You can't believe what this one was like. I had a part that somebody like Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff should have played. I was this doctor, brought back to life, and the only thing that nourished this poor bastard was blood. If it had been Jack Warner's blood, or Harry's, or Pop's, maybe I wouldn't have minded as much. The trouble was, they were drinking mine and I was making this stinking movie."

Quotes:

Detective Roy Kincaid: What is this Group 1, Group 4 business?
Dr. Mike Rhodes: Well, you see, medical science has discovered that human blood is divided into four different groups, #1 being the most rare and #4 the most common,. We must see to it that certain of these types are not mixed in the transfusion.
Detective Roy Kincaid: Then would you say that whoever came into Rodgers' room to kill him was looking for #1 blood?
Dr. Mike Rhodes: It's possible. That's why I think the coronor made a mistakre in his report, so do you mind if I make a test of these stains for myself?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: The Return of Doctor X (#1.15)" (1970)

Bogart as the first punk rocker

Bogart has been given a bad press for his role in "The Return of Doctor X." Why he even gave himself a bad press, saying the role was forced on him by the studio, a role intended for Boris Karloff. But actually Bogart's performance is one of the best ingredients in this campy flick. Bogart's two really terrible acting attempts were the same year in "The Oklahoma Kid," where he tried to play dastardly villain, Whip McCord, and "Dark Victory," where Bogart is completely miscast as an Irish horse trainer.

Nineteen thirty nine must have been Bogart's quirky year. He finally found himself in the early 1940's and with "The Maltese Falcon" became a screen icon. In "The Return of Doctor X," with his chalky makeup and streaked hair, Bogart resembles a punk rocker before his time.

The film is not bad entertainment. The weakest part is the attempt by Wayne Morris to be funny. He thinks falling into a room by leaning against a supposedly locked door which suddenly opens is hilarious. So much so that he does it twice. The funniest character is Huntz Hall early in his career. There is one funny line from Morris. After digging up Quesne's body and in a hurry to leave, morris tells the caretaker to "put it back," then rushes off.

The acting is top notch with the best performance coming from John Litel, closely matched by Bogart's left-field mad dead doctor. All in all a curious and worthwhile film, especially for Bogart fans.