Horror movies from the 1930s don't get more basic and poverty row than "The Crime of Dr. Crespi. The film looks as if it didn't cost much more than the price of an apple and an egg to make, what with its limited number of sober sets and hardly any use of exterior locations, costumes, make-up, or whatsoever. And yet, most genre fans - myself included - seem aligned about this being a spine-chilling and effectively uncanny fright tale thanks to the involvement of some incredibly competent people. The plot, for starters, is inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. His tales, and specifically "The Premature Burial", automatically guarantee horrific atmosphere and grisly themes. Secondly, Erich von Stroheim as the titular Dr. Crespi. Wow, this man is good! His performance alone eliminates the necessity of expensive set-pieces and advanced special effects.
Von Stroheim stars as the brilliant titular surgeon called upon to rescue another doctor who got near-fatally injured in a car accident. This other doctor, however, is also Dr. Crespi's love-rival, so the wrathful doctor sees his change to get his revenge. Von Stroheim's charisma is diabolical, his evil stare is penetrating, his tone of voice is petrifying, and his unpredictable mood swings are menacing. Simply put, he turns this simple thriller into a scary horror film. If you then also have the versatile but criminally underrated Dwight Frye ("Dracula", "Frankenstein") running around in the supportive cast, you can safely conclude it's a hidden gem.
Von Stroheim stars as the brilliant titular surgeon called upon to rescue another doctor who got near-fatally injured in a car accident. This other doctor, however, is also Dr. Crespi's love-rival, so the wrathful doctor sees his change to get his revenge. Von Stroheim's charisma is diabolical, his evil stare is penetrating, his tone of voice is petrifying, and his unpredictable mood swings are menacing. Simply put, he turns this simple thriller into a scary horror film. If you then also have the versatile but criminally underrated Dwight Frye ("Dracula", "Frankenstein") running around in the supportive cast, you can safely conclude it's a hidden gem.