CRIME DOCTOR'S MAN HUNT
US, 1945, 61 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warner Baxter, Ellen Drew, William Frawley, Claire Carelton, Francis Pierlot, Myron Healy.
Directed by William Castle.
By the end, the title is misleading. It turns out to be a woman hunt.
This is one of the series of the Crime Doctor mysteries, B-budget supporting features from Colombia Studios throughout the 1940s. The audience sees a bewildered young man at fair, passing a shooting gallery. He later goes to ask help from Dr Ordway. Soon afterwards, Dr Ordway confronts some thugs who have killed the young man. The doctor pretends to be drunk, notes the house where the group came from, in collaboration with the police, begins investigation.
The young man’s fiancee had also come to visit Dr Ordway. She is wealthy, has an older sister who took care of her but who has clashed with their father and left the house.
The investigation involves the young woman at the shooting gallery spending time in prison – but, eventually being able to identify a mysterious woman who visited the gallery. In fact, she has taken one of the guns, set up the abduction of the young man, his death, the cover-up, using a house which is now deserted, her father paying the rent, the house where her mother died.
The doctor and the police set a trap – and, the revelation is that the fiancee, mental problems, has assumed the identity of her sister and perpetrated the crimes.
1. The popularity of the Crime Doctor’s series, Warner Baxter as Dr Ordway? Age and experience, medical, psychological, police investigations, collaboration with the police?
2. The city settings, the streets, apartment blocks, abandoned buildings, mansions, the fair and the shooting gallery? The musical score?
3. The gallery, Philip Armstrong and his wandering, lost, the talking with Ruby, her offering him the shots? His returning, bewildered? His visiting Dr Ordway in his office? Disappearing? Dr Ordway returning home, the men in the street, carrying the dead Philip, his pretending to be drunk, their driving him home?
4. Dr Ordway and his contact with the police, William Frawley and his comic touches as the investigator, his forever making demands on his subordinate, Bradley? The return to the house, the grumpy landlady, the other guests? Ruby and her presence? Interrogation?
5. Dr Ordway going to see Gerald Cotter? Irene and her previous visit, her concern about her fiance? The revelation of his name? Her father, the older sister and her being dismissed, bringing up Irene, the hostilities? Her being under suspicion?
6. The further investigations, the gun responsible coming from the shooting gallery, Ruby and her being put in prison? Dr Ordway and his concern?
7. The visit to the abandoned apartment, the shrine to Cotter’s wife? The fire? The gas explosion in the apartment, the men’s deaths?
8. The melodramatic entrance of the sister’s husband and his tantrums?
9. The mysterious character, Blind, glasses, tough, the commission, her refusing to pay the money? Ruby remembering her, linking her to the gun?
10. The setup, the police, the room, Irene coming to visit – and the revelation about her psychological state, her impersonating her sister, the deaths?
11. By the end, the title being misleading!
