Doctor X is 1932 American pre-code horror film starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, and Lee Tracy and was the first horror film to use the two-strip technicolor process.
Plot[]
A reporter investigates a serial killer's recent murders and arrives at a castle where a scientist and his guests are conducting an experiment.
Cast[]
- Lionel Atwill as Dr. Jerry Xavier
- Fay Wray as Joanne Xavier
- Lee Tracy as Lee Taylor
- Preston Foster as Dr. Wells
- John Wray as Dr. Haines
- Harry Beresford as Dr. Duke
- Arthur Edmund Carewe as Dr. Rowitz
- Leila Bennett as Mamie
- Robert Warwick as Police Commissioner Stevens
- George Rossener as Otto
Production[]
The film was the second Warner Bros. feature to be filmed in the improved Technicolor process, which removed grain and improved both the color and clarity of a reel's images. This improved process had initially been used on The Runaround (1931) and resulted in an attempt at a color revival by the studios late in 1931. However, facing public apathy, the studios quickly retreated from their ambitious plans for color films late in 1932.
During production, an alternative black-and-white version was shot and still exists, although side-by-side comparison shows that most takes between the two are the same. Differences in takes are minor, such as Tracy's ad-lib with a skeleton in the closet, and Mae Busch's dialogue as a madam at a brothel. The black-and-white version was offered to exhibitors (much to Technicolor's dismay) as an alternative upon the initial release of the film.
The film was produced in the pre-Code era of Hollywood and contains adult themes throughout, such as those of cannibalism and rape.
Following the success of Doctor X at the box office, Warner Bros. followed up with Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), which also starred Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill and was directed by Curtiz. Mystery of the Wax Museum was again shot in Technicolor to fulfill Warner Bros.' contract with Technicolor Inc., which ensured that no black-and-white cameras were present on the set. The film became the last two-color Technicolor feature released by a major studio.
Anton Grot designed the sets for both Doctor X and Mystery of the Wax Museum had their sets. The makeup was designed by Max Factor, who at that point had been associated with beauty makeup. Mystery of the Wax Museum also shared Factor's horror makeup design.
Doctor X was the first of three Curtiz films with Lionel Atwill, along with Mystery of the Wax Museum and the 1935 Errol Flynn adventure film Captain Blood. Doctor X was also the first of three films that costarred Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray. They would later star together in The Mystery of the Wax Museum and The Vampire Bat.
Reception[]
Time magazine's reviewer wrote: "Doctor X is a routine nightmare ... and is intended for avid patrons of synthetic horror rather than for normal cinemaddicts." However, Doctor X was well-received by many critics and proved to be a success at the box office. Because of the popularity of the film, Warner Bros. followed it with Mystery of the Wax Museum. Despite the title, The Return of Doctor X (1939) is not considered a sequel. However, the 1942 Universal horror movie Night Monster, which also co-stars Atwill as a doctor, has a similar plot and virtually the same denouement.
Box office[]
According to Warner Bros., the film earned $405,000 domestically and $189,000 foreign.