1932 was a dangerous year to go to the movies. It was a banner year for horror, early science fiction, and all the other genres covered by then-contemporary pulps. A shortlist of 1932 films includes: The Most Dangerous Game, Freaks, Island of Lost Souls, White Zombie, Scarface, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Mummy. Nestled in between these classics is a little-studied and less recognized piece of pure pulp mastery: 1932’s Doctor X.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, who would later win acclaim for his work on Casablanca, Doctor X is a early sci-fi film that includes heavy doses of horror and mystery. Doctor X was an attempt by the First National Picture company to muscle in on the territory already conquered by Universal, and although the film was popular in its day, it is nowhere near as universally (see what I did there?) beloved as say Tod Browning’s Dracula or Frankenstein. For source material, the producers and screenwriters Earl Baldwin and Robert Tasker used a 1928 play called The Terror by some bubba named Howard Warren Comstock. I could find precious little about The Terror other than information about another play called The Terror written by British pulp maestro Edgar Wallace. Suffice it to say that if Doctor X is an adaptation of a play, then that play premiered at the Grand Guignol.
The plot of Doctor X is as follows: a plucky reporter named Lee Taylor (played charmingly by Lee Tracy) is on the beat of the “Moon Murders,” a series of gruesome murders in New York City that so far have all occurred on the night of the full moon. Taylor stumbles upon the latest murder by scoping out the Mott Street Morgue, where he sees two NYPD detectives (played by Robert Warwick and Willard Robertson) enter with Doctor Xavier (played by horror great Lionel Atwill). Dr. Xavier informs the policemen that the latest victim had suffered a partially eaten bicep by the cannibal killer. In response, the cops let the good doctor know that they suspect his involvement. More specifically, because one of the murder weapons seems to be a scalpel imported directly from Vienna, the theory is that the killer is a member of Dr. Xavier’s private research institute.
The institute’s members all have kinks and quirks that make them suspicious. For instance, the monocle-wearing Dr. Rowitz (Arthur Edmund Carewe) may write poetry, by his true interest is the moon and its effect on the human psyche. Then there’s Dr. Haines (John Wray), a consumer of nudie magazines and possible sexual sicko. And while the cranky Dr. Duke (Harry Bereford) is confined to a wheelchair, Dr. Wells (Preston Foster) is a researcher on the taboo topic of cannibalism. In order to avoid the eyes of the New York press, Dr. Xavier invites all of the men to his secluded mansion out on Long Island. There the goal is to conduct a series of experiments to find out who the killer is. Dr. Xavier’s best plans crumble when Taylor shows up and starts falling in love with his daughter (played by the lovely Fay Wray). Even worse, the killer gets loose in the mansion and starts knocking off the eggheads.
Doctor X was a shocking movie for its time. Filmed and presented in 2-strip Technicolor, it looks and feels a little uncanny. It is certainly distinct from the other black-and-white films of the era. Doctor X also engages in salacious and sickening matters, from having a scene in a cathouse to talking about sexual perversion and murder. The true genius though is in the reveal. I will not give it away, but here’s a taste: the murderer coats himself in “synthetic flesh” in order to regenerate new tissue. The make-up is spooky in extremis. No amount of comedic relief from the housekeepers Mamie (played by 1930s comedy star Leila Bennett) and Otto (played by George Rosener) can completely wipe away the terror.
A brief film at 78 minutes or so, Doctor X is a feast for the eyes and soup for the soul. This is cinematic pulp at its apex, with stunning visuals, fun characters, and an outlandish story. Do yourself a favor, droog, and watch this fun little flicker. It’s literally free on the Internet, so stop wasting time already. It pairs well with red wine and the full moon.