The Return of Doctor X

IMDb RATING

5.7/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Dennis Morgan, and Wayne Morris in The Return of Doctor X (1939)

A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood.

Play trailer2:34

1 Video

70 Photos

B-Horror Monster Horror Supernatural Horror Suspense Mystery Whodunnit Zombie Horror Horror Mystery Sci-Fi Thriller

A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood.A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood.A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.7/10

2.7K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Chairman
(scenes deleted)

Olin Howland

Undertaker

Arthur Aylesworth

Guide
(scenes deleted)

Cliff Saum

Detective Sgt. Moran

Creighton Hale

Hotel Manager

John Ridgely

Rodgers

Joseph Crehan

Editor
(as Joe Crehan)

Glenn Langan

Interne
(as Glen Langan)

William Hopper

Interne
(as DeWolf Hopper)

Director
- Vincent Sherman
Writers
- Lee Katz
- William J. Makin
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

6.4

Doctor X

6.6

The Walking Dead

6.4

King of the Underworld

6.2

The Mask of Fu Manchu

6.8

7.0

6.5

6.4

7.6

7.2

7.2

6.3

The Wagons Roll at Night

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Humphrey Bogart said of this film: "This is one of the pictures that made me march in to [Warner Bros. studio chief Jack L. Warner] and ask for more money again. You can't believe what this one was like. I had a part that somebody like Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff should have played. I was this doctor, brought back to life, and the only thing that nourished this poor bastard was blood. If it had been Jack Warner's blood or [Harry Warner's] or [Sam Warner's] maybe I wouldn't have minded as much. The trouble was, they were drinking mine and I was making this rotten movie."

Goofs
When Bogart abducts Rosemary Lane, they leave in a light-colored, late 1930's cab. As the police pursue them, it changes to a black vintage car. When they arrive at the hide-out in the woods, it is a newer light-colored cab again.

Quotes
Dr. Francis Flegg: Interesting stuff, blood.

Crazy credits
In the opening credits, the three stars' order of billing is Morris, Lane, Bogart. But at the end, Bogart is listed first and Morris third.

Connections
Featured in Hollywood and the Stars: The Man Called Bogart (1963)

User reviews65

Review

Featured review

7/10

Quirky little gem

I love this film and that's the reason I'm adding a review to a film that already has 30 reviews. First of all, many previous reviewers complain that this is not a typical horror movie from the period. For example there is no Karloff or Lugosi in a starring role. That is true, but the film plays more like a breezy, fast paced Warner Bros. B' crime film. I have no problem with that. Although the horror isn't stressed, the finale with Bogart taking the girl to the abandoned farm house is pretty spooky.

I argue with those saying the cast isn't very good. While Bogart isn't at home playing a corpse who has returned to life, he doesn't disappoint. John Litel, is over the top (and great) as the doctor who returns Bogart from the dead. Finally Wayne Morris, who is the real star of the film, plays the wise guy reporter investigating the strange happenings. The rest of the cast is well above average for a "chunk it out as fast as possible" B' picture. This includes, Dennis Morgan, Rosemary Lane, Huntz Hall, and the spooky Lya Lys.

This is no masterpiece, but this is fast and fun and never boring for a second. Ah, if only there were only more films like this. Who doesn't love a Bogart zombie film? Must viewing for any film buff.