I remember seeing THE MAD DOCTOR on TV back in the early 1960s and although I didn’t see it again until the release of this Blu-Ray half a century later, parts of it, especially the ending, had remained with me. Why this film has not made its bow on home video until now is beyond me. It’s an A Movie, as can be seen by the big budget, but with B Movie sensibilities regarding its use of character players outside of Rathbone and its overall Film Noir look which is due to cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff. Even the title sounds like a B Movie. However the strongest element in the whole mix is the screenplay. More about that later.
The plot concerns a suave Svengali-like psychiatrist played by Rathbone who marries wealthy women and then disposes of them. He meets a wealthy socialite who has suicidal tendencies (Ellen Drew) and plans to make her his next victim. Can her reporter boyfriend (John Howard), whom she has rejected, save her in time? Nothing out of the ordinary there. What IS different in THE MAD DOCTOR is the relationship between Rathbone and his constant companion played by Martin Kosleck. It is clearly a Gay relationship in everything but name and how it got past the 1940 censors is a question worth asking.
The screenplay was originally written by top writers Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur in the early 1930s and intended for John Barrymore (hence the Svengali angle). It was originally called “The Monster” and later “Destiny”. That explains the quality dialogue which is one of the movie’s highlights. When Barrymore bowed out, the script sat on the shelf for 5 years before Paramount used it. They had changes made by Howard W. Green who received sole screen credit. Although full of dark moments, there is a lightness of touch from director Tim Whelan which adds to the enjoyment.
Kino deserves credit for resurrecting this forgotten gem. Once you see it, you’ll wonder why it stayed hidden for so long. Although available on You Tube and other streaming sites, the quality of their prints is not very good. This print looks great, which it needs to, in order to show off the contrast between light and shadow of the photography. The sound is also clean and clear so that you won’t miss any of the choice dialogue. It even comes with subtitles. What I could have done without is the guest commentary by David Del Valle. While he knows his stuff and imparts some interesting information, his snarky tone is a real distraction. Fortunately it’s optional.
The Capsule Critic 