Having marveled at the new Blu-Ray release of MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933), I decided to watch its immediate predecessor DOCTOR X (1932) which I have as part of the 2006 HOLLYWOOD’S LEGEND OF HORROR DVD set. This film also used the same two color Technicolor process and even featured the same performers, Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray, as well as the same director, Michael Curtiz. The restored print came from the UCLA archives. It was good for 2006 but now it’s time for a Blu-Ray restoration like WAX MUSEUM recently got. That Blu-Ray restoration has just been released.
DOCTOR X definitely qualifies as a pre-Code horror film although, since Warner Bros-First National didn’t do “horror” films , it was sold to exhibitors as a mystery movie with horrific overtones just as WAX MUSEUM would be. Yet how many mystery films of the era feature a serial killer, cannibalism, prostitution, and synthetic flesh? Director Michael Curtiz, who was still early in his career, had come from Europe and was familiar with the techniques of German Expressionism. Its odd camera angles and distinctive sets were ideal for this material. Throw in the two color Technicolor process and you have a visually striking movie that stays with you.
Lionel Atwill stars as the title character (the X stands for Xavier) whose clinic is peopled with eccentric scientists. One of them is the “Moon Killer” who kills only during the full moon and then takes a bite out of his victims. Investigating the murders is intrepid reporter Lee Taylor (Lee Tracy) who develops a fondness for Xavier’s daughter (Fay Wray) during the investigation. The climax occurs at the clinic when the killer is unmasked after a most unusual visual transformation takes place courtesy of make up specialist Max Factor. Although Tracy’s comic relief rubs some people the wrong way, the wise cracking reporter was a staple at Warner Brothers in the 1930s. It also looks like a forerunner to the Bob Hope characters in CAT & THE CANARY and THE GHOST BREAKERS.
The movie’s success led to WAX MUSEUM which was an even bigger success. For this Blu-Ray release UCLA uses the latest digital technology to create a fully restored color version and it looks fantastic. As a bonus Warner Brothers offers the alternate B&W version which had a different cameraman and uses some different angles and lighting. There’s also a short feature on Michael Curtiz’s 3 horror films (DOCTOR X, MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM, THE WALKING DEAD) as well as a restoration comparison. If you also have MUSEUM, then watch them back to back. They make a perfect double feature.
The Capsule Critic 