Movielogr

Rating: 8 stars

Tags

warner archive two strip technicolor genetic experiments murder old dark house laboratory

All movies seen on 08/27/2023

View on: IMDb | TMDb

Doctor X (1932)

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Horror | Crime | Mystery

Most recently watched by sleestakk

Overview

A wisecracking New York reporter intrudes on a research scientist’s quest to unmask The Moon Killer.

Length 76 minutes

Actors

Lionel Atwill | Fay Wray | Lee Tracy | Preston Foster | John Wray | Harry Beresford | Arthur Edmund Carewe | Leila Bennett | Robert Warwick | George Rosener | Willard Robertson | Thomas E. Jackson | Harry Holman | Mae Busch | Tom Dugan | Raoul Freeman | Selmer Jackson | Charles McMurphy | Ky Robinson | Louise Beavers

Viewing History (seen 3 times)

Viewing Notes

The last time I saw this was on 35mm at The Music Box theatre in Chicago as part of Cinepocalypse in 2018. While that experience was amazing, this restored release on Blu-ray looks astoundingly good. The color is nothing short of magical, so much so that I wish more horror/thriller movies of the time would have made use of the process. The disc from Warner Archive contains the black and white version as well, which I’ve yet to see.

This film is such an artful blend of high camp, horror, science fiction and mystery. I wouldn’t be surprised if it influenced FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN and/or THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Lee Tracy steals the show as the effeminate reporter and would make a great foundation for a drag performance.

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