Doctor X

Directed by Michael Curtiz, Doctor X follows mad scientist Jerry Xavier (Lionel Atwill) as he attempts to determine which of his colleagues is a notorious serial killer. It’s intriguing subject matter that is, at the outset, employed to decidedly underwhelming and uninvolving effect by Curtiz, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by Robert Tasker and Earl Baldwin, delivers an exceedingly slow, exceedingly talky drama that contains few elements designed to capture the viewer’s interest and attention – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by a first half that could hardly be less compelling (or more repetitive). (The narrative initially seems to consist entirely of a series of interviews with various lackluster characters.) There’s little doubt, then, that Doctor X‘s tolerable vibe is due, in its early stages, to the striking, Technicolor-enhanced visuals and a smattering of entertaining periphery performances, with, in terms of the latter, Lee Tracy’s quirky turn as a tenacious reporter certainly an ongoing highlight, and it’s clear, ultimately, that the picture benefits from an agreeably over-the-top final stretch, complete with a monster-movie-like transformation, that ensures it concludes on a memorable, positive note – thus securing the film’s place as an uneven yet decent-enough endeavor that feels long at just 76 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****