The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938)
Grade: B-
Synopsis: A doctor (Edward G. Robinson) joins a gang of criminals in order to study the physiological effects of crime and tangles with a hood (Humphrey Bogart) over a woman (Claire Trevor).
Despite its 70’s-porn sounding title, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a pretty good movie. The script by John Huston and John Wexley is clever and crackles with great dialog, the direction is tight, and the performances are all top-notch.
Edward G. Robinson does a great job in the lead, pulling off a slow, deliberate descent into madness that’s refreshingly subtle. In an era where so many stage adaptations feature copious over-emoting, Robinson is remarkably restrained.
Opposite Robinson, Claire Trevor is solid, in a role that, admittedly, doesn’t give her a whole lot to do, as is Humphrey Bogart, who manages to infuse his one-dimensional character with genuine menace. Interestingly, these three leads would reunite with John Huston for Key Largo (1948) ten years later.
Running only 87 minutes, the film moves at a brisk pace, mostly at the expense of Trevor and Bogart’s characters, but what they lose in characterization they make up for with sheer charisma.
Bottom Line: Despite what was likely an assembly line production, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a solid crime thriller.
