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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina
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 Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 6:40 pm Post subject: The Strange Case of Dr. RX (1942) |
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Mad scientist Lionel Atwill murders various law-breakers who escaped justice by exploiting legal technicalities. Detective Patric Knowles is closing in on the vigilante doctor. Atwill captures Knowles and plans to transfer his brain to the body of a gorilla (one of Universal studios most popular horror plot devices).
Shemp Howard ("The 3 Stooges") co-stars. Anne Gwynne is the heroine. Directed by William Nigh.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:18 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Phantom
Solar Explorer
Joined: 06 Sep 2015
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Sun May 03, 2020 1:03 am Post subject: Strange Case of Dr. RX |
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This was in the package of mystery-horror movies from Shock Theatre in the late 1950's.
Someone is carrying out vigilante justice by executing criminals who have been judged innocent in court trials. Samuel S. Hinds hires Patrick Knowles to find out who.
I don't have much affection for it. Most of the film is just talk with no action. It runs about 65 minutes and it isn't until the last ten that it really comes to life, at which point it inexplicably becomes a horror movie with the masked vigilante wheeling Knowles into a laboratory where he keeps a caged ape. There is no explanation for any of this.
Too much time is spent with Mantan Moreland and Shemp Howard who supply the comedy, and the uncovering of the hooded killer lacks real tension.
A sinister Lionel Atwill is wasted in a small role. Anne Gwynne provides the eye candy. But the whole thing is just so-so.
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Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17637
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun May 03, 2020 9:28 am Post subject: |
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Well, hallelujah! A gorgeous print of this movie is available on YouTube! 
_________The Strange Case of Doctor RX 1942
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17637
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2022 12:47 pm Post subject: Re: Strange Case of Dr. RX |
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| Phantom wrote: | Too much time is spent with Mantan Moreland and Shemp Howard who supply the comedy, and the uncovering of the hooded killer lacks real tension.
A sinister Lionel Atwill is wasted in a small role. Anne Gwynne provides the eye candy. But the whole thing is just so-so. |
I always appreciate a review that "adjusts my expectations" for a film so I won't be disappointed when I see it. That's what your review has done, and I appreciated it.
For example, if you start watching a movie with the mistaken idea that it's a comedy, you won't enjoy it because you keep expecting to get humor.
Converse, if you were told a certain film was a moving drama that addressed serious issues, you'll be puzzled and disappointed if it's loaded with comic moments which didn't fit your expectations.
In short, Phantom, I now know what to expect (and what NOT to expect) from The Strange Case of Dr. RX. So, if there a little gold amidst the dross (even a very little . . . ) I'll be more likely to mine a bit of fun from the movie! 
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tmlindsey
Quantum Engineer
Joined: 18 Jul 2022
Posts: 397
Location: NW Florida
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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Just watched this one last night for the first time.
Not remotely impressed. I liked everyone in the cast but it just didn't seem to know what it wanted to be and the "comedy" bits were forced and unfunny.
When the gorilla showed up near the end I just gave an audible WTF and just waited for it to be over.
Not one I'll ever be revisiting.
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