The Return of Doctor X Blu Ray Review (Warner Archive Collection)

The Return of Doctor X is a 1939 horror film directed by Vincent Sherman (All Through the Night, The Naked Earth, Backfire, Baretta, The Damned Don’t Cry, and Underground). It was written by Lee Katz (Waterfront, Heart of the North, British Intelligence, and No Place to Go). It’s a sequel to 1932’s Doctor X. After a murderous doctor is executed, he is revived with human blood–and soon people with that blood type begin to disappear. When an eager reporter stumbles across a popular actress who was thought to be dead, he can’t help noticing that her skin is unnaturally pale and that she keeps her face concealed beneath a long black veil. Suspecting that evil is afoot, he investigates the terrifying world of a psychotic doctor Marshall Quesne (played by: Humphrey Bogart from Casablanca, The African Queen, The Desperate Hours, Sabrina, Key Largo, The Petrified Forest, Angels with Dirty Faces, The Maltese Falcon, Sahara, We’re No Angels, and In a Lonely Place) and is drawn into a series of unsolved murders!!!! I’ve actually never seen the original Doctor X but luckily The Return of Doctor X is one those sequels that you don’t need to see the previous one. The script is more of a suspense thriller, crime, and mystery in the beginning before it gets darker. It takes the familiar Frankenstein concept and it mixes it with the vampire sub-genre. The legendary Humphrey Bogart never did horror films so The Return of Doctor X is a true rarity. Bogart wasn’t really happy with this production, he actually asked the studio for more money after it started. Regardless, Humphrey Bogart was always a professional despite not being a big fan of the genre or it’s material. He kills it as Marshall Quesne. It was something completely different for the iconic actor and it really stands out compared to a good amount of his acclaimed work. He proved that he could do anything when it came to cinema with this. The rest of the supporting cast includes Rosemary Lane (All by Myself), Wayne Morris (Paths of Glory), Dennis Morgan (It’s a Great Feeling), John Litel (Murder in the Air), Lya Lys (Confessions of a Nazi Spy), Huntz Hall (Ghost Chasers), Charles C. Wilson (Satan Met a Lady), and Vera Lewis (The Roaring Twenties). It has a creepy atmosphere that really elevates The Return of Doctor X and it’s overall vibe. The special fx makeup is fantastic especially for being done in the late 30’s. The final act really keeps you on your toes, it’s morbidly entertaining. At a quick 62 minutes, The Return of Doctor X goes by fast and there’s never a dull moment. It has some solid twists. It’s a shame that Humphrey Bogart hated horror so much because he would have been a nice addition to so many other features back in the day. The Warner Archive Collection continues to resurrect old school horror and I’m ready to see what’s next from their vaults. RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and list the special features from the Warner Archive Collection! This 1080p (1.37:1) unrated transfer is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. I did some research, I looked up some of the older versions on home video and this blu ray blows them all away. I can’t believe how great this Doctor X sequel looks, the black and white shines in HD. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track on the disc. The audio really surprised me here, I didn’t think it would on this level. All of the dialogue is crisp, the suspense is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director Vincent Sherman and author Steve Haberman. It has two classic cartoons from the Werner Bros vaults which includes the little over 7 minute “Doggone Modern” from Chuck Jones and the almost 7 minute “Porky’s Hotel” from Bob Clampett. It has the original “Theatrical Trailer”. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!