The Return of Doctor X
Encyclopedia
The Return of Doctor X is a 1939 American science fiction
-horror
film directed by Vincent Sherman
and starring Wayne Morris, Rosemary Lane, and Humphrey Bogart
as the title character. It was based on the short story
"The Doctor's Secret" by William J. Makin. Despite supposedly being a sequel
to Doctor X
(1933), also produced by Warner Brothers, the films are unrelated.
This was Bogart's only science fiction
or horror film
. He never liked to talk about this film or another film of this period, Swing Your Lady
, both of which he felt were among his worst.
. Reporter Walter Garrett (Wayne Morris) consults with his friend Dr. Mike Rhodes (Dennis Morgan
) which leads them to Rhode's former mentor, hemotologist Dr. Francis Flegg (John Litel
). Flegg is initially unhelpful but when Garrett and Rhodes notice a striking resemblance between Flegg's strange assistant, Marshall Quesne (Humphrey Bogart
) and the late Dr. Maurice Xavier, they confront Flegg. Flegg admits that he used scientific methods to bring Xavier back from the grave and employed a synthetic blood formula to sustain his life. However, the formula is unstable, therefore, Quesne/Xavier must seek out human victims with a rare blood type featured in the formula in order stay alive.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
film directed by Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman
Vincent Sherman was an American director, and actor, who worked in Hollywood. His movies include Mr. Skeffington , Nora Prentiss , and The Young Philadelphians ....
and starring Wayne Morris, Rosemary Lane, and Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as the title character. It was based on the short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"The Doctor's Secret" by William J. Makin. Despite supposedly being a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Doctor X
Doctor X (film)
Doctor X is a First National/Warner Bros. horror and mystery film based on the play of the same name. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Lee Tracy, Fay Wray, and Lionel Atwill....
(1933), also produced by Warner Brothers, the films are unrelated.
This was Bogart's only science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. He never liked to talk about this film or another film of this period, Swing Your Lady
Swing Your Lady
Swing Your Lady is a musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Humphrey Bogart.-Plot:Promoter Ed Hatch comes to the Ozarks with his slow-witted wrestlerJoe Skopapoulos whom he pits against a hillbilly Amazon blacksmith,...
, both of which he felt were among his worst.
Plot
A pair of bizarre murders occur wherein the victims are drained of their rare blood typeBlood type
A blood type is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells . These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system...
. Reporter Walter Garrett (Wayne Morris) consults with his friend Dr. Mike Rhodes (Dennis Morgan
Dennis Morgan
Dennis Morgan was an American actor-singer. Born as Earl Stanley Morner, he used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting his professional name....
) which leads them to Rhode's former mentor, hemotologist Dr. Francis Flegg (John Litel
John Litel
John Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
). Flegg is initially unhelpful but when Garrett and Rhodes notice a striking resemblance between Flegg's strange assistant, Marshall Quesne (Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
) and the late Dr. Maurice Xavier, they confront Flegg. Flegg admits that he used scientific methods to bring Xavier back from the grave and employed a synthetic blood formula to sustain his life. However, the formula is unstable, therefore, Quesne/Xavier must seek out human victims with a rare blood type featured in the formula in order stay alive.
Cast
- Wayne Morris as Walter Garrett (Barnett in the on-screen credits)
- Rosemary Lane as Joan Vance
- Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as Dr. Maurice Xavier, a.k.a. Marshall Quesne - Dennis MorganDennis MorganDennis Morgan was an American actor-singer. Born as Earl Stanley Morner, he used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting his professional name....
as Dr. Mike Rhodes - John LitelJohn LitelJohn Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
as Dr. Francis Flegg - Lya LysLya LysLya Lys , was a German-born Jewish-American actress of French-Russian decent who had a brief career in Hollywood.-Biography:...
as Angela Merrova - Huntz HallHuntz HallHenry Richard "Huntz" Hall was an American radio, theatrical, and motion picture performer noted primarily for his roles in the "Dead End Kids" movies, such as Angels with Dirty Faces , which gave way to the "The Bowery Boys" movie franchise, a prolific and highly successful series of comedies in...
as Pinky