Antonius Block Oof. Not a good one, even for the camp value. The premise is interesting enough: a "Moon Killer" is on the loose, murdering and surgically cutting off portions of his victims. This leads police to Dr. Xavier and his assistants, all of whom become suspects, and the laboratories these men use have all the requisite special effects circa 1932. The biggest problem with the film is Lee Tracy, who plays a snooping newspaper reporter who clowns around, makes lame jokes, and repeatedly uses an asinine hand buzzer. The film is quite tedious to sit through, and several scenes seem elongated or 'filler' even for a total run time of 77 minutes. Another issue is that despite the use of darkness, shadows, and ominous faces, there really is no tension. The film is predictable and character motivations are absurd, so that even if you suspend disbelief and accept Dr. Xavier's theory about detecting the killer through an elaborate experiment measuring anatomical reaction, you still end up thinking, man, this is so stupid. At least I did anyway. I'm surprised others find it 'creepy' - even the slathering on of "synthetic flesh" does not produce a reaction of horror, as other great films in this genre will. Silly and annoying right up to that last scene at the end.

Leofwine_draca DOCTOR X is a hugely enjoyable murder mystery-cum-horror film, with much talent involved in the proceedings. The actors are all on top form, with Atwill (MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM) giving a super-duper performance as a distinguished yet slightly mad doctor, while all of the suspects are slightly weird and fun to watch, especially the banter between them.Typically with these sort of films, there's a wisecracking journalist involved in the proceedings, whose repeated use of a hand buzzer soon becomes tiring and makes one wish he would just buzz off. Fay Wray (KING KONG) is adept at screaming, while Otto the butler is a dead ringer for Lugosi and gives a sinister role. There are some familiar scenes in the film, such as the blood pressure test, which was used later in THE THING, and the mock play scene even recalls a similar event in HAMLET, where the young Dane tries to reveal the guilt of the king by re-enacting a murder.Along with this are some nice touches, both comedic and spooky (such as the discovery of a skull and crossbones taking shapes in the leaves at the bottom of a cup), but the standout is the main special effect of the 'synthetic flesh' which is truly memorable and earned a credit for the effects, for the first time in a film ever. Although we've seen a lot of effects like it previously, it's still slightly creepy if a bit rubbery. DOCTOR X is a classic horror romp with comic and thriller elements, and it's never boring. Watch it if you dare!

LeonLouisRicci There are Many Enjoyable Elements Incorporated in this Early Talkie/Technicolor Horror Movie. It is Directed with Flair and Style from One of Hollywood's Elite, Michael Curtiz and Shot in a Two-Strip Color Process that was Rare at the Time. It has Horror Icon's Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray. The Exciting Climax Lovingly Displays some Fantastic Horror Makeup and is Filmed in Eerie Closeups and is Quite Impressive. The Sets are Mad-Lab Expressionistic and there is Pre-Code Nastiness and Lurid Inclusions.The Movie is Visually Stunning at Times and is Always Interesting, Using Pulp Magazine Style Art Representations that were Popular at the Time with Bondage and Women in Peril Themes. The Horror Elements may seem Dated but are Still Chilling in a Retro Kind of Way. Fay Wray is a Beauty and is Exploited in a Beach Scene right up to a Money Shot. Lionel Atwill and His Board of Scientists are Creepy and Eccentric with Physical and Mental Scars that are, Again, Pulp Inspired. The Pre-Code Stuff Includes a Whore-House, Cannibalism, a Drug Addict and More. This is a Great Example of Uncensored Hollywood and is Only Brought Down Today by a Heavy Dose of Slapstick Humor and Stilted Love Interest with the Never Appealing Lee Tracy (although He has His Fans).

dougdoepke That two-tone coloring process lends the film a weird, even otherly world, complexion. However, a number of compensations can't make up for an erratic script, containing some good ideas, but unfortunately developed in muddled fashion. Too many scenes don't follow effectively on one another ( e.g. the focus shifts often and abruptly onto peripheral characters). Nor can certain compensations make up for Lee Tracy's inept comedy relief, which comes across more like silly distraction. I agree that the culprit was too easy to spot, removing a key element of plot suspense. On the other hand, some set-ups are genuinely creepy—sinister shadows, sudden close-ups, the Jekyll-Hyde transformation—likely director Curtiz's creative touches.Maybe I shouldn't say it, but the normally sinister Lionel Atwill looks almost aristocratically handsome, playing the head of the clinic in uncharacteristically straight fashion. Still, I expected a maniacal cackle at some point. And, of course, the gruesome proceedings have to have a pretty girl to ease up on the eyes. Frankly, I liked the beach scene, where the luscious Wray bares the sort of curves that sent the big gorilla into a spin a year later. All in all, the premise of a faculty full of eccentrics one of whom is a killer may be a promising one. Nonetheless, in my little book, the script should have been sent back to re-write.