Review of The Return of Doctor X

This odd little B movie is nowhere near as bad as some have described it. It combines the macabre atmosphere of a horror movie with the typical Warner Brothers milieu of a newsroom filled with wisecracking reporters and salty editors. The one real flaw is the annoying character of the reporter played by Wayne Morris. He seems to be a total dimwit, who's constantly making wrong assumptions and blundering around, making a fool of himself. On the other hand, he's clearly meant to be an irritant to the other characters, especially his grouchy boss, editor Joseph Crehan. His friend the doctor, played by Dennis Morgan, is a nice guy involved in a romance with cute nurse Rosemary Lane. The most intriguing aspect is the odd, ambiguous relationship between Dr. Flegg (John Litel) and his pale, peculiarly cold assistant, Kane (Humphrey Bogart). At times, Kane seems afraid of the glowering, taciturn doctor with the goatee and monocle. At others, Kane seems to taunt and sneer at his mentor with a strange glee. When a patient tells them of her need for blood and how weak she feels, Kane nods and smiles with a creepy satisfaction. He stares through his rimless glasses at Flegg and says, " Did you hear that? You'll never find what you're looking for, Flegg! You're a failure!" Flegg angrily orders Kane to get out, and Kane leaves the room with an unsettling grin on his pallid face. This is one of the best scenes in the picture. There are some great supporting character roles, including the old caretaker at the cemetery, a spookily polite undertaker and assorted hardboiled cops and journalists. The exotic European actress Angela Merrova is played by Lya Lys, who previously had been known for her role in Bunuel's L'Age D'Or. This is no classic, but is still worth seeing for the unexpected appearance of Humphrey Bogart in his only horror movie.