Before the High Sierras and Casablancas sealed Bogart as a bonafide star, he was still struggling to attain his status as an actor deserved of parts equal to James Cagney (The Roaring Twenties, Angels with Dirty Faces, King of the Underworld, and Dark Victory established that Bogie was someone on the rise, just needing that one part to ignite him as a Hollywood dynamo). The titular character in this minor science fiction mad scientist film is not the kind of part Bogart was built for. However, this is a cult curiosity if there ever was one if just because Bogart's name is attached to it (no matter how disgusted Bogart was with Jack Warner for allowing him to be cast in something like this movie). Quite frankly, the plot is ludicrous, but with Boris Karloff (who was to be in it and would have made it work) as Dr. Xavier, at least The Return of Dr. X could have fit nicely in with some of the other mad scientist films he was adding to his resume at Warners. However, Bogart stars as a reanimated corpse who needs blood in order to continue living. Yes, you read that right, Bogart of so many masterpieces that would come afterward is a pasty-faced walking revived corpse, with a white streak part in his hair (!) who was fried in the electric chair for starving a baby in an experiment! Now do you see why Bogart was a little ticked off? Anyway, a newspaper reporter (Wayne Morris, with his "aww shucks, golly gee" charm) from Wichita, Kansas, goes to interview a retired theater actress (Lya Lys), finding her dead, but when he gets her demise on the front page of the paper (before even calling the cops!), with the police later not finding a body, he's in hot water...and unemployment when she turns up in the office of the editor-in-chief of the paper planning to sue! Luckily, Morris is friends with a staff physician (Dennis Morgan, Christmas in Connecticut) who works with a renowned surgeon and "blood specialist, Dr. Flegg (John Litel). Litel has perfected a method to revive humans, doing so to Lys, after Dr. X (under the alias of Quesne) kills her for her rare blood type. Soon X eyes a nurse (Rosemary Lane, getting second billing surprisingly, although her part is quite small) Morgan fancies as her blood is also a rare type quite desired.Complete with a rabbit's revival thanks to Litel, Morris given access to view the body of a male blood donor when Morgan is called by police to a crime scene, Morgan and Morris digging up (with a graveyard caretaker's permission) the casket of Xavier to see him not there, Morris getting chance after chance to resurrect his career when most would be on a bus back home to the small town a failure, Bogart looking like a zombie walking around with a scowl (probably intentionally ill with being stuck in this), Morgan quite patient with his persistent buddy reporter always looking for help, and the idea that Morris is always hanging around in the right places to get the goods with Morgan, quite the intellectual and agreeable doctor always level-headed despite the crazy he finds himself involved in, how could this film *not* be of interest to B-movie lovers? It is just surreal seeing Bogart listening in from behind a window as the scientist who gave him a rebirth talks to the two men investigating his violent handiwork, his makeup giving him a cadaverous look, suspicious from the moment he emerges on screen for the first time (although, the cast seems oblivious to it!), maintaining a ghoulish appearance. The ending is typical "police and heroes chase after the villainous psycho who has kidnapped the damsel in distress certain to be killed if they don't reach her in time" action resulting predictably. Bogart, rightfully so, wouldn't talk about this film, considering it a stain on his resume, while someone like Karloff seemed perfectly fit (if sadly stuck with the stigma of being an actor typically associated with just "boogeymen") for the part. It is surprising Warners wouldn't "protect" an actor like Bogie from these kinds of parts, but this is, all the same, a unique film for those interested in seeing actors--right before superstardom--reduced to camp, having to grind their way to the top.

What's worse than a bad horror movie? A dull one, and this one's both. It tries to be both scary and funny but is neither. If they had decided to go either way it could have been, well probably still pretty bad, but at least they would have failed trying. Now it's seems slow even at just over an hour. Bogie is about as scary as a Halloween pumpkin and he's hardly in the movie at all. Just shows how much regard Jack Warner had for this future screen legend.Instead we're given an annoying wisecracking reporter and a dreamboat doctor, corny dialog and a routine chase sequence that's over before it begins. The only scary thing about this movie is that they decided this was good enough to release, and that it even made a big profit! Lucky for Bogart they didn't go for Son Of Doctor X, Bride of Doctor X or Revenge of Doctor X. Watch it once to see how low Bogie had to go before his rise to stardom and then rinse away the aftertaste with, say a dose of Maltese Falcon or Big Sleep. This movie sent me into a Big Sleep. (Believe me, this is still a better joke than any in this movie.)

A typical B movie from Warners. Wayne Morris, the central figure, is a big hulking ambitious wisecracking reporter. Now there's a novel character for you. He uncovers a mystery involving a pasty-faced actress whom he finds murdered, then who appears alive, then dead again. It has something to do with some weird blood spots that Morris finds at the scene of the crime. His boss fires him for filing a false story after finding the dead body. Boy, is he puzzled.He enlists the help of his friend, Dennis Morgan, an earnest and handsome physician who works for the arrogant and somewhat sinister Dr. John Litel. But if the viewer thinks that Litel is strange, wait until he or she sees Litel's assistant. Humphrey Bogart first appears carrying a rabbit and stroking it. He introduces himself in a nasal voice that, well, could it be an attempt to do Peter Lorre? No matter. It's promptly dropped anyway and Bogey speaks slowly but normally thereafter. Sill, it's a startling introduction to the character. Bogart's face is made up all in white, like a mime's, and his eyes are deep in shadow behind those rimless glasses. The overall impression is one of a bloodless freak.That actually turns out to be the literal case. Bogart is a mad scientist who starved a baby to death just to see how long it took to die. Executed for the act, Litel brought him back to life with synthetic blood because Bogart is a hematological genius. (I hope you're following this.) Morris and Morgan rush around the city streets in a convertible, with the pretty Rosemary Lane squeezed between them. The mystery is slowly unraveled, the disarticulation encapsulating a couple of laughs.Here's a sample of a comic moment. In search of the actress's mortal remains, Morris and Morgan visit a mortuary, called "undertaker" at the time, and ask to take a look at the body. Satisfied that she was stabbed by a scalpel-like instrument and drained of blood, the pair take their leave, thanking the undertaker. Morris adds, "I'll be seeing you." And the undertaker replies, "I'm sure you will." Morris gets a quick reaction shot, then exeunt.Director Vincent Sherman did what he could with the material -- a blend of murder mystery, horror story, and low-key comedy. I guess, this being Warners, there was no way to avoid the final shoot out that concluded all their gangster movies. And, what with its namesake being what it was, they could hardly dispense with all the electronic junk in the basement laboratory of the screwball scientists.I thought it was amusing rather than anything else, and only for Humphrey Bogart's singular appearance as a movie monster. He certainly earned his stripes.

Humphrey Bogart is credited with seven films in 1939, Warner Brothers kept him pretty busy back in the day before he attained A list stardom. The films vary in quality from a superb supporting performance in Dark Victory, to a gangster classic like The Roaring Twenties, right down to Bogey's one excursion into science fiction of sorts.As Bogey put it he was in a part better cast by Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff. With that pasty make up and streak of white in his hair to signify his lack of hemoglobin, Bogey never looked more ridiculous on screen. He'd have to wait until the following year to sound his most ridiculous as a Mexican bandit in Virginia City.The heroes of this piece are reporter Wayne Morris and doctor Dennis Morgan. Morris goes for an interview with stage star Lya Lys and finds her quite dead. Now this lunkhead decides not to call the police, but instead to scoop the other papers and calls his boss to get out an extra. When the police in the form of Charles Wilson arrive, no Lya Lys dead or alive is to be found. Of course Morris gets fired, especially after Lys shows up threatening lawsuit.Puzzled Morris brings in a consult his good friend Dr. Morgan and this leads them to John Litel, another doctor working on some ghoulish experiments. He's brought back to life another doctor played by Humphrey Bogart who was also doing some experiments along the same lines.Litel's created some synthetic blood, but it just ain't as good as the real item and Bogey's on a never ending quest for folks with compatible blood like Lys and nurse Rosemary Lane who Morgan's been seeing. If you're thinking this plot sounds ridiculous it's just as ridiculous seeing it on the screen big or small. The film certainly did need a classic horror actor like Lugosi or Karloff to give it some life, them not their blood. Was Jack Warner thinking that maybe if successful this would broaden Bogey's casting range? Who knows because Humphrey Bogart hated this one almost as much as the film he considered his worst, Swing Your Lady.The Return Of Doctor X has to be seen, especially by fans of Humphrey Bogart, to see just how bad some of his films were before High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon.