Crime Doctor (1943)

3/21/07

Movie: Crime Doctor (1943)
Setting: 'Kings County' unidentified state; 1932-1942

First in a series of films taken from the radio. Warner Baxter is an amnesia victim, who unable to remember his past, becomes a psychiatrist. Ten years after losing his memory Dr. Robert Ordway is appointed head of the state parole board, around this time some men show up claiming he is really 'Phil Morgan' a man who helped organize a hist of $200,000 dollars. This money was hidden by Morgan in an attempt to cheat his associates, it was in their attempt to beat the information out of him that Phillip lost his memory. Of course Dr. Ordway is able to recover his memory, apprehend the criminals and return the stolen money, only to be granted a retroactive ten year sentence for his crimes, thus enabling him to remain a free man and have further adventures. Enjoyable and relatively short, I wouldn't mind seeing other entry's in this series. Crime Doctor also features a never fully developed sub-plot about the rehabilitation of a decorated World War One vet who committed manslaughter.

Factoid: Female characters repeatedly comment on how 'attractive' Dr. Ordway supposedly is. This is probably due to the fact that actor Warner Baxter was in his 50's when he played this part, probably to old for the role, and the studio wanted to remind audiences that the character was suppose to be viewed as dashing.

Also recommend in films about men with thin mustaches and amnesia: Random Harvest