Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Return of Doctor X Blu-ray Movie Review

Bogey bites back.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 6, 2024

"Humphrey Bogart plays a vampire" is the shrewd but transparent bit of stunt casting that gives first-time director Vincent Sherman's The Return of Doctor X its fangs, but this mostly light-toned horror film doesn't exactly go for the jugular. Having exhausted all my puns for the movie portion of this review in its opening paragraph, however, I've no choice but to jump right to the plot synopsis and do my best to play it straight from here on out. Wish me luck.

Despite sounding like a sequel to the 1932 two-strip Technicolor film Doctor X and even sharing a few minor narrative similarities, The Return of Doctor X stands completely on its own. Bogey even takes his sweet time to show up, as the bulk of this film follows eager reporter Walter Garrett (Wayne Morris) as he investigates the violent murder of actress Angela Merrova (Lya Lys)... who actually ends up being alive but very pale only days later. Walter's already been fired from the newspaper for his "bungling" of the situation and instead goes rogue by enlisting the help of friend Dr. Mike Rhodes (Dennis Morgan); he's an intern at the very same hospital as Dr. Francis Flegg (John Vitel), whose expertise in hematology is needed due to the strange blood found at that apparent crime scene as well as a second one soon after. Flegg is unhelpful at first but our two heroes keep digging anyway, eventually finding themselves on a better path that's still uniquely perplexing. The problem may not lie with Flegg but rather his oddball assistant Marshall Quesne (Bogart), whose pale demeanor seems to closely match that of the recently "resurrected" Angela Merrova.

Even at just 62 minutes, The Return of Doctor X still feels somewhat padded and, though not directly connected, it shares a few nagging similarities to Doctor X including a reliance on lightweight humor that doesn't always register. (There's still plenty of room for at least some levity due to the story's innate sense of ridiculousness, which to its credit at least sidesteps most of the typical supernatural elements by way of pseudo-science.) Walter and Dr. Mike serve as a pretty likeable team, zipping from one location to another while dutifully attempting to fit some rather oddly-shaped puzzle pieces together. But try as it might, The Return of Doctor X doesn't fully deliver from a villainous perspective; Flegg is an obvious red herring and Bogart just can't grab the reins like he ought to; it's obvious that he resented the role and can't help but bring down a chunk of this film in the process. Even so, there's a certain car-crash curiosity of seeing a celebrated icon of Golden Age Hollywood barely trying to mask his indistinguishable voice... and if nothing else, his true colors only account for a surprisingly small portion of the film's already slim running time.

Perhaps I'm being a bit to hard on The Return of Doctor X, as it does feature capable direction from a first-timer as well a few entertaining twists and moody cinematography when and where it really counts. But it's probably mostly because I'd just watched an inarguably better 1930s horror film newly released by Warner Archive: Michael Curtiz's The Walking Dead, which coincidentally also concerns a tale of murder, resurrection, and questionable doctors. In any case, it's at least afforded a rock-solid Blu-ray package with great A/V specs and a few worthwhile legacy extras.

The Return of Doctor X Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Similar to the above-linked The Walking Dead, Warner Archive's dazzling new 1080p transfer of The Return of Doctor X is sourced from a brand-new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative which has been thoroughly cleaned but not robbed of its natural film grain. Since both films feature moody cinematography and similar elements of nor filmmaking in addition to a touch of German Expressionism, you can take my base evaluation of that other film and apply it to just about every facet of this outstanding Blu-ray presentation: excellent fine detail, robust black levels, excellent contrast, and a purely film-like appearance. Disc encoding is very similar as well, with the film running at a supportively high bit rate on this dual-layered disc, but a few minor instances of macro blocking and mild posterization keep this one from earning perfect marks. It's still a great-looking presentation on the whole, however, and similarly a solid leap beyond its appearance on DVD as part of Warner Bros.' own 2006 Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection.

The Return of Doctor X Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix does a fine job with its one-channel source material, which is forgivably limited by its age but nonetheless gets the job done with largely crisp dialogue, well-balanced effects, and plenty of room left over for the score by Bernhard Kaun, who incidentally also provided the music for The Walking Dead. It's a workmanlike presentation overall, one with very few bells and whistles but plenty of era-specific atmosphere.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras below.

The Return of Doctor X Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed artwork and a few solid extras.

• Audio Commentary - This DVD-era track features late director Vincent Sherman (d. 2006) and author/film historian Dr. Steve Haberman; obviously the latter serves as more of a moderator but he moves things along smoothly. The end result is an entertaining and informative track, one that clearly benefits from having a mixture of perspectives including their shared accounts of the film's early development (which includes the studio's original plan to make a straight Technicolor sequel directed by Michael Curtiz), production, casting, reception, and legacy. This still remains a very solid track whether or not you've heard it already.

• Classic Cartoons - A pair of nicely-restored Merrie Melodies shorts from the WB vault.

• Doggone Modern (7:26) - Last available on Laserdisc, this 1939 Chuck Jones short sparkles in full color and features a pair of curious puppies investigating a new all-electric model home. Fun fact: the story was later reworked for Chuck Jones' 1947 short "House Hunting Mice" with a few key plot twists.
• Porky's Hotel (6:48) - Another 1939 short, this black-and-white outing was directed by Bob Clampett and follows Porky's misadventures as owner of a hotel. Last seen on the Porky Pig 101 DVD set.

• Original Theatrical Trailer (2:33) - Notable for its ample use of alternate angles and even unused scenes.

The Return of Doctor X Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite its name, Vincent Sherman's The Return of Doctor X is not a direct sequel to Michael Curtiz's 1932 two-strip Technicolor film Doctor X, instead based on a 1938 short story called The Doctor's Secret while sharing a few very mild similarities to the original film. It might normally be fine enough on its own merits and kind of stands up as a curious horror/mystery hybrid, and the odd stunt casting of contract player Humphrey Bogart as a vampire is both the most intriguing and most vaguely disappointing thing about it. Either way, die-hard fans of the cast and crew would do well in seeking out Warner Archive's new Blu-ray, both for its sterling A/V merits and decent collection of extras.