Doctor X (1932)

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Memorable, crazy movie

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It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

"Warner Bros" proved they could certainly deliver the goods when it came to horror films - "Dr. X" and "Mystery of the Wax Museum" are easily on a par with the best of "Universal" horror films.Based upon a popular play, "Dr. X" is about a series of so-called "Moonlight" killings. The police are baffled but they still suspect a group of scientists who indulge in rather unusual, secretive research and experiments.Lionel Atwill - in his first major film after years as a theatre actor - turns in a fine performance as the scientist who oversees the said research. Lee Tracy as the customary wise- cracking journalist is good and better than I expected. Fay Wray does her usual but adds a good deal to the proceedings. Some of the films content is quite graphic for 1930s audiences and I wouldn't be surprised if the film ran into censorship trouble upon its general release in 1932.The direction by Michael Curtiz is both assured and imaginative. He gives the film an expressionistic feel in the way of shadows and arched camera angles.A classic of its kind and it is worthy of repeated viewings.

Entertaining pre-code chiller that was the first color [2 strip technicolor], talking horror film. Eerie, atmospheric, with some well timed humor as well. Ray Rannahan was behind the camera and Fred Jackman Jr produced the special effects. Both were outstanding. Michael Curtiz was Warner's top director and he came through Lionel Atwill played Doctor X and was his sinister self. Fay Wray was the damsel in distress and invents the "scream queen" role. Its Lee Tracy who is the star. Playing the anything to get the story newspaper reporter he strikes the right cord , of brass, sarcastic humor, and quick witted bravery in his portrayal of Lee Taylor. He really foreshadows Bob Hope' Larry Lawrence in 1941's "Ghostbreakers". The scene where he wants to use the pay phone in the 'cat house" is a hoot.After Universal released Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931 and made a bundle and the other studio's jumped on the bandwagon. Doctor X was based on a play Howard W Comstock and was Warner Brother's first attempt to jump into the horror genera.

Doctor X isn't the story of just one but five mad scientists, all complete with mad scientist laboratories: simmering flasks, bubbling beakers, sizzling Jacob's Ladders, popping power breakers & crazy theories. Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Captain Blood, Yankee Doodle Dandee) uses shadow effectively to throw us red herrings, cast menace and provide a rich atmosphere. Lionel Atwill is Doctor X (Xavier), owner of a seaside mansion that is home to four more great scientists happily working away until a series of murders throws suspicion on the gaggle of geeks. Lee Tracy is a newspaper reporter with a fondness for practical jokes (hand buzzer, exploding cigars) looking for a scoop and determined to do anything to get it. Fay Ray is Joanne Xavier, Doctor X's daughter. Here she is strong, determined, confident and independent; although still gets some opportunities to exercise her exquisite screams. Fay Ray could display an unmatched sensuous vulnerability that played so well in King Kong and which we get to see for a few seconds near the end of Doctor X. The downside is that the story is preposterous, sometimes goofy and has trouble deciding if it wants to be a comedy or suspenseful thriller. Doctor X, determined to prevent bad press, rigs a silly experiment to find the killer himself and when the experiment goes fatally wrong, decides to up the ante and do it again. What I found implausible is that the other scientists would risk their lives, again, and that Doctor X would risk his daughter's life without adequate precautions but that is what happens. In a dark comedy this would work but here it just seems silly. Lee Tracy's many scenes of practical jokes not only drags the pace but seem out of place against the otherwise dark and serious tone.

What is the secret of Doctor Xavier's Academy of Surgical Research, where nearby a grisly murder occurs each month during the full moon? The mystery shouldn't be spoiled here, but it involves cannibalism, sleeping gas, schizophrenia, and synthetic flesh. All this is more than enough to keep wisecracking ace reporter Lee Tracy busy, with two or three interludes reserved for dalliance with Fay Wray. Goodness knows if this macabre Vitaphone curiosity was meant to be taken seriously, but the restored two-tone Technicolor print is enormously entertaining when seen today. The film's thick Gothic mood and décor (with all it's flashing and crackling laboratory hardware) will certainly recommend it to fans of early Hollywood horror esoterica.