Every so often, I see a movie that I can pretty confidently say is a combination of two films I've seen previously due to their similar plots or reuse of the same actors. In this case, I feel this movie is a cross between Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet and Brother Orchid, although a bunch of films can take the place of the latter. This is because The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse not only features Edward G Robinson and Humphrey Bogart together once again, but they're rivals. This just so happens to be the case in almost every single movie these two appear in side by side, and I'm guessing it's because the screen isn't big enough for two paragons of old cinema. As for me drawing comparisons to Dr. Ehrlich, the similarities couldn't be more obvious once you start watching. Dr. Clitterhouse is about the title character (Robinson) studying the effects crime has on the bodies and minds of people that commit it. Clitterhouse not only researches criminals, but goes one step farther and decides to become one himself in order to more readily access things like blood pressure readings, temperature and so on. Under the guise of a respectable and wealthy physician, he robs several jewels from various places. From a patient of his, Inspector Lane (Donald Crisp), Clitterhouse (whose real name is unknown to most people) learns about Jo Keller, someone who buys and sells stolen items. Upon trying to meet with Jo, Clitterhouse finds out it's a woman (Claire Trevor). Jo's affiliation is with a gang of racketeers led by Rocks Valentine (Humphrey Bogart), and Clitterhouse joins up with him. Shortly after joining, Clitterhouse's intelligence, calm and collected way of speaking in front of cops (and making them look stupid in the process) and humor start to alienate Rocks from him. Jo starts to like Clitterhouse, and it's getting him frustrated. When Clitterhouse and the gang rob a place storing women's coats, Rocks seals Clitterhouse inside a vault and floods it with minus 20 degree air. One of Jo's thugs breaks out Clitterhouse with a blowtorch and he shows up at Rocks' hideout. Rocks, no doubt angry his rival somehow managed to escape execution, is happy to hear Clitterhouse is deciding to leave, since he apparently has done enough research. Rocks, via a device on the underside of his telephone, manages to decipher Clitterhouse's real number and learns his actual name. He shows up to his Park Ave office and threatens him into giving him and his gang total control of it. Rocks looks through Clitterhouse's notes and discovers he has enough things written in it to lock up Rocks and the others for life, but Clitterhouse has not studied what murder does to a criminal's body yet. Jo shows up, and as Rocks tells her to rejoice (now that Clitterhouse is basically their slave) Clitterhouse feigns playing along and proposes a toast of whiskey. Rocks gulps it down, not realizing Clitterhouse has poisoned it. He examines what happens to Rocks' body and mental state as he slowly dies. Jo, knowing they'll get the doctor for this, helps him hide Rocks' body in a river, but the cops find it anyway and discover the chemical in his stomach. At Clitterhouse's trial, he takes offense when someone accuses his book of research as being the work of a madman, and says the insane can only write things that are incomprehensible. Clitterhouse maintains that he is sound of mind and is fully in control of himself, so the jury ultimately arrives at the conclusion that he is nuts. They think Clitterhouse is actually insane since he is trying very hard to prove to everyone that he is not insane, and therefore ready for the chair. Only a lunatic would do that. While I thought some characters and moments of this movie were pretty annoying due to their attempt to tie in comedy with a crime story, it's my belief that The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is an overall alright movie. Like I said before, it reminds me a lot of Dr. Ehrlich (in which Robinson also plays a doctor) but that one is much more serious in tone and in my opinion better. He's still good here, but it couldn't be more predictable seeing him being set in Bogart's sights. I can't think of one other movie that has Robinson facing off against him and living to talk about it. In Key Largo, Bogart kills him, in Kid Galahad, they kill each other, and in Bullets or Ballots, the same happens. At least Robinson lives to see the end of this movie, but Bogart always seems to obliterate him in some way or another. One thing I can say though is Robinson's poison and Bogart definitely have chemistry. Watch this movie if you can't get enough of these two cinematic titans trying to get rid of each other.
Review of The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
