The Mad Doctor

Basil Rathbone stars with Ellen Drew in The Mad Doctor from 1940.

Rathbone plays a psychiatrist, George Sebastien, who is a black widower, marrying women for their money and then killing them. The last time, the doctor in charge of his wife's case (Ralph Morgan) is suspicious, but Sebastien convinces his assistant (Martin Kosleck) that the old man is harmless. As usual, they pick up stakes, this time moving to New York City.

Sebastien becomes aware of a beautiful young woman, Linda Boothe (Drew) who is depressed and suicidal. He agrees to take her case.

Her boyfriend (John Howard) doesn't believe in psychiatry and wants to discredit him. As a reporter, he writes a series of negative articles.

The problem here is that Howard takes such an instant dislike to the doctor that it just comes off as jealousy. However, Sebastien does get to the reason for Linda's problems - her own father's suicide - and helps her.

Sebastien has actually fallen for Linda and believes he has been cured of his desire to kill. That apparently arose from his first wife cheating on him.

This is a very entertaining if strange film. One wonders about the relationship between Sebastien and his assistant, who is furious that Sebastien wants to marry Linda and stop killing.

Rathbone is terrific - romantic, charming, and evil. Drew is a lovely actress and ideal in her role. Martin Kosleck as the bizarre assistant is just right.

Recommended. Rathbone is always good.

This Unusual Film "Forecasts" an Anticipation of a Sub-Genre of Film-Noir. The Mental-Health Field...

It was Perhaps, the Dark Genre Most Go-To Subject-Matter with Psychiatry and the Many Unknowns and Rife with Controversy.

To Diagnosis Apart from the Usual Scientific Method that Resulted in "Evidence" from the Material-World.

The Methods Used in the Dual Practices of "Health-Care" were Mostly Diametrically Opposed in the Historical-Record. But with Sigmund Freud and His Peers Bringing the Field into Close Proximity "Hard-Science".

Treating Suffering Patients Needs, by Qualified Practitioners, Should be Taken Seriously. Not Dismissed and Ridiculed.

In 1940, the "Mad" in the Title Makes the Movie Sound Like a "Horror Movie". But, This Film Never Stray from its Roots of "Thriller",

It Explores Very-Dark, Complex Behavior.

Basil Rathbone Creating Charm, a Suave Demeanor, with a Confident Delivery of His "Svengali-Like" Power,

Dreamy-Eyed Ellen Drew is Overwhelmed by a Childhood Death or Her Father, by Suicide with Ensuing Nightmares.

She is Fine as a Victim of Trauma, and Handles the Complexity with an Essential Performance.

Another Reason this Forgotten Film is Required Viewing...

A Quirky Element that was Extremely Rare and Almost Non-Existent in "The Code" Years. An In-Your-Face Gay Couple. The Movie Doesn't Try and Hide it, although it Never Verbally Reveals it, but it's On-Screen with a Multitude of Stereo-Typical Behavior by Rathbone and His Companion.

It's On-Screen for Every-One from the Trailer-Park to the Penthouse to Understand. It's there, No Subtlety.

"The Mad Doctor" is a Hidden-Gem...

Wildly Unknown, and a Treat for Film-Fans that Love Discovering and Appreciating Movies that have a Certain Anti-Routine Approach and Takes Chances...

Willing to Create Outside Conventional Attitudes and Expectations in the World of "The Most Popular Art-Form of the 20th Century".

Doctor Ralph Morgan calls at Basil Rathbone's home. His patient, Rathbone's wife, has died. Morgan is suspicious; she was recovering. He does nothing about it.

His suspicions are justified. Rathbone speaks with his manservant, Martin Kosleck, of how much he despised his rich wife and her stupid town, just like his other victims. They will return to New York, and he to his practice as a psychiatrist. There he is hired to deal with Ellen Drew, a depressed and suicidal socialite whose newspaper boyfriend, John Howard, has his suspicions. His investigations lead him to Morgan, even as Miss Drew marries Rathbone.

Rathbone offers his usual graceful performance as a man struggling with redemption. Most noteworthy of all, however, is Ellen Drew's performance as someone suicidal when we first meet her, to someone lighthearted after the ordinary pleasures of Coney Island. Alas, there is no sign of revival of her psychoses at the end, but in that era, endings had to be happy, even in a movie that focuses on Rathbone's attempts to deal with his own dark desires.

Hecht and MacArthur did uncredited work on the script, and they undoubtedly gave the producers what they asked for; neither was director Tim Whelan the man to stand up for a darker vision; he had returned to the US doing work on Korda's THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, and this was his first movie after that. It was no time to antagonize the brass at Paramount.

I remember seeing THE MAD DOCTOR on TV back in the early 1960s and although I didn't see it again until the release of this Blu-Ray half a century later, parts of it, especially the ending, had remained with me. Why this film has not made its bow on home video until now is beyond me. It's an A Movie, as can be seen by the big budget, but with B Movie sensibilities regarding its use of character players outside of Rathbone and its overall Film Noir look which is due to cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff. Even the title sounds like a B Movie. However the strongest element in the whole mix is the screenplay. More about that later.

The plot concerns a suave Svengali-like psychiatrist played by Rathbone who marries wealthy women and then disposes of them. He meets a wealthy socialite who has suicidal tendencies (Ellen Drew) and plans to make her his next victim. Can her reporter boyfriend (John Howard), whom she has rejected, save her in time? Nothing out of the ordinary there. What IS different in THE MAD DOCTOR is the relationship between Rathbone and his constant companion played by Martin Kosleck. It is clearly a gay relationship in everything but name and how it got past the 1940 censors is a question worth asking.

The screenplay was originally written by top writers Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur in the early 1930s and intended for John Barrymore (hence the Svengali angle). It was originally called "The Monster" and later "Destiny". That explains the quality dialogue which is one of the movie's highlights. When Barrymore bowed out, the script sat on the shelf for 5 years before Paramount used it. They had changes made by Howard W. Green who received sole screen credit. Although full of dark moments, there is a lightness of touch from director Tim Whelan which adds to the enjoyment. Kino deserves credit for resurrecting this forgotten gem. Once you see it, you'll wonder why it stayed hidden for so long...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

There is something really quite sinister to Basil Rathbone's title performance in this rather intimidating psychological thriller. We know from the outset that he has disposed of his wife "Ida" - ostensibly pneumonia - but the local physician "Dr. Downer" (Ralph Morgan) is suspicious. Shortly after cleaning up on the inheritance, he moves with his friend "Maurice" (Martin Kosleck) to start afresh. Now you don't have to be Einstein to recognise that these two men are more than just roomies, and that causes a bit of consternation when "Dr. Sebastian" finds new prey. This time, in the guise of the deeply troubled "Linda" (Ellen Drew). With a marriage and a trip to Quito on the cards, might history be about to repeat itself? Well, fortunately for "Linda" reporter "Sawyer" (John Howard) is also a bit suspicious of the man, and after a bit of investigation and a chat with "Downer", the two begin to piece together quite a different persona for Rathbone than the one he has been successful peddling thus far. Can they act in time to thwart his malevolent plan? Tim Whelan allows his star to exude menace here. The script is really only adequate, but the pace is good and the gradually accumulating sense of peril - and a wonderfully seedy contribution from the increasingly envious "Maurice" leads us towards a conclusion where nothing is predictable. Actually, on that front I was a little disappointed, but all in all, this is a dark and effective tale of manipulation that is well worth a watch.