The Crime of Doctor Crespi

Famed surgeon Andre Crespi is called on the perform a life saving operation on Dr. Stephen Ross, a man who won the heart of the woman (Estelle) that Crespi had fallen for. Crespi manages to perform a successful operation, but during the recuperation, he gives a drug to Ross that gives him the appearance of death. When Ross is pronounced "dead", Dr. Thomas (a staff member at Crespi's hospital) suspects Crespi of killing Ross, but Crespi overwhelms Thomas, and locks him in a closet while Crespi attends the funeral and burial, with Ross still alive. Not sure of what Crespi did, Thomas and colleague Dr. Arnold dig up Ross' body for an autopsy, but when Ross "comes back from the dead", what will happen next? Intriguing film based on Poe's "Premature Burial" with a very sly, mad performance by Von Stroheim and very well done subdued performances by the rest of the cast. The film was shot in the Bronx, so production values are not the peak of excellence, but even the direction could have been better with many close-ups and shots of the actors that are a few seconds too long. A score to the film would have helped, and the romantic subplots w/ the doctors & nurses (2 of them) detract from the main story, but the story is enough to help this B movie. Rating, 6.