Director: JOSEPH H. LEWIS. Original screenplay: Al Martin. Photographed in black-and-white by Jerry Ash. Film editor: Ralph Dixon. Art directors: Jack Otterson and Ralph M. DeLacy. Set decorations: Russell A. Gausman. Costumes: Vera West. Music director: Hans J. Salter. Sound recording: Bernard B. Brown and Jess Moulin. Producer: Paul Malvern.Copyright 8 December 1941 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Rialto: 3 January 1942. U.S. release: 27 February 1942. Australian release: 7 May 1942. 6 reels. 5,449 feet. 60 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Shipwrecked on a tropical island, a mad doctor uses his suspended animation techniques to impress the natives.COMMENT: Early "B" film directed by Joseph H. Lewis starts off promisingly but ends up unexpectedly with stock natives on a Pacific Island. Still, director Lewis shows an occasional flair with imaginative compositions, though the plot is one of the silliest we have ever come across. The star of the film, Una Merkel, plays a totally superfluous character and the support cast proves not much better, but Lionel Atwill goes through his role as if believing that his every word was of the greatest importance!

1941's "The Mad Doctor of Market Street" was the second time Lionel Atwill starred as a crazed scientist after receiving top billing over Lon Chaney in "Man Made Monster," but settled for second below Una Merkel here, who was coming off one of her best known roles, playing the ditsy daughter of W.C. Fields in "The Bank Dick." Una's likability survives intact, despite her unfunny material (can't say the same for Nat Pendleton). Nearing the end of her screen career was lovely Claire Dodd, busy at Universal that year ("The Black Cat" and Abbott and Costello's "In the Navy"), while cowardly scoundrel John Eldredge is in familiar form ("The Black Cat" and "Horror Island"). Even Noble Johnson ("King Kong") appears as a dignified native chief, not easy under such studio bound conditions. Atwill's Ralph Benson escapes a murder charge in San Francisco, only to wind up a prisoner on a South Sea island, until a demonstration of his technique on suspended animation on a supposedly dead native woman makes him 'God of Life' among the savages, who grant him his every wish. I certainly can't blame him for coveting Miss Dodd, just as he eyed beautiful Anne Nagel in "Man Made Monster" (here reduced to a cameo as his first victim's widow). Writer Al Martin earlier scripted Lugosi's "Invisible Ghost" (also directed by Joseph H. Lewis), and in 1957 turned out "Invasion of the Saucer Men," a rare science fiction comedy. Included in Universal's popular SHOCK! package of classic horror films issued to television in the late 50's, and aired 3 times on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, Dec 18 1965 (following 1959's "The Hideous Sun Demon"), Dec 28 1974 (followed by 1970's "Night of the Witches"), and Sept 3 1977 (the first feature), paired with the only screening of 1934's "Secret of the Château" (a Claire Dodd double feature!).

This B pic from Universal is not really a horror film, has only a brief opening sequence in Market Street (by far the best part of the movie), and is virtually carried by Lionel Atwill across the finishing line. He's the only thing worth watching in this rather nonsensical film that went out as support to The Wolf Man.Atwill plays Dr. Ralph Benson, who bribes a struggling family man into submitting to a suspended animation experiment, only for the police to burst in to discover the patient dead, and the Mad Doctor (helpfully named as such by a radio announcer!) absconded though an open window, a somewhat remarkable feat for the portly Lionel! Such is the clumsiness of the movie that we're not really sure if the patient could have been revived, or if he has been murdered by Benson - particularly as later on Benson seems to be able to make his process work.Escaping the police, our Mad Doc flees the country in a luxury liner, finding time to push a police agent hunting him over the side! He's no lottery winner that's for sure, as the ship promptly catches fire forcing him to make for the lifeboats. He and some of his fellow passengers - including the compulsory love interests and comic relief types - wash up on a tropical island inhabited by some very peculiar 1940s natives.Atwill quickly takes charge of the situation, posing as The God Of Life by reviving a heart attack victim with an adrenalin shot! The islanders now his willing slaves, he decides to proceed with his dastardly experiments...Apart from the opening scene in Market Street this is a film with little atmosphere, even the familiar Son Of Frankenstein music, used countless times by Universal in the 40s, fails to enliven the proceedings. A few location stock shots are complimented by a fair number of back-projection scenes on the island. The natives all look like they wandered in from Mutiny On The Bounty.In all honesty this isn't a very good movie even by B standards. The comic relief is irritating in the form of Una Merkle and Nat Pendleton and the rest of the characters are briefly sketched stereotypes - even Benson is a bit of a poor specimen of a mad scientist. Lionel Atwill makes the most of it, however, resulting in a performance that's a delight to watch. This is a film that's rarely revived though, and is really for Atwill completists only. It might pass a slow hour on a Sunday afternoon.

This very minor Universal horror film from 1942 is significant for it was the last time Lionel Atwill received a starring role in a film. He was on the outs after this due to the sex scandal that ruined his career and health. He played only minor roles after this and died 4 years later of cancer.The film is very easy to be hard on and Universal has obviously regarded it so low, that it has never made it to video, despite the millions they still make off their classic horror films. What kills the film is a lack of mood or suspense. It is super-pedestrianly directed by Joseph H. Lewis.What makes the film are the change-of-pace settings including a doomed cruise ship and an exotic island. The actors are all excellent too, even if Nat Pendelton and Una Merkel get a little tired with their comic relief act.Ultimately, Atwill rules and is as menacing and sinister as ever. He revives a dead native and is revered as a god by the island tribe. He very selfishly dictates how the other ship survivors will live as only Atwill so slimily could (Sounds like a reality show plot). The other standout is Noble Johnson as the village leader. He is given more dialogue than he ever had in his many previous horror films and he ultimately gives Atwill a run for his money. It was nice to see him in a larger role.Don't expect too much - this is a B film. Atwill fans will delight in seeing his last great lead performance. Atwill may have never had a definitive mad doctor film, but I've always regarded him as the maddest doctor of them all.