Film Snail

6.2

Crime Doctor

NR·1943·66m

Crime

Summary

Robert is found beside the highway with a head injury and amnesia. His amnesia motivates him to become a Physician and the country's leading criminal psychologist.

Cast

Warner Baxter

Dr. Robert J. Ordway / Phillip Morgan

Margaret Lindsay

Grace Fielding

John Litel

Emilio Caspari, the mystery man

Ray Collins

Dr. John Carey

Harold Huber

Joe Dylan

Don Costello

Nick Ferris / Jim Warren

Leon Ames

William Wheeler

Phil Arnold

Third Reporter in Court

Vi Athens

Myrtle Perrin

Betty Blythe

Mrs. Harrington

Paul Bryar

First Reporter in Court

Wallis Clark

Judge

Chester Clute

Headwaiter

Kernan Cripps

Turnkey

Harold De Becker

Bartender

Franklyn Farnum

Juror

Edward Fielding

Governor

Bess Flowers

Patient in Ordway's Office

Kit Guard

Mac, Waiter at Frankie's Bar

Anne Jeffreys

Reporter on Telephone (uncredited)

Charles Jordan

Reporter with Coffee

Eddie Kane

Courtroom Well-wisher

Donald Kerr

Second Reporter in Court

Milton Kibbee

Man in Bar Booth

Reid Kilpatrick

Prison Broadcaster

Adele Mara

Nurse

George McKay

Murphy, Fingerprint Officer

Hans Moebus

Juror

Monty O'Grady

Student

Addison Richards

Prison Warden

Dewey Robinson

Convict

Cosmo Sardo

Convict

Al Shean

Dave, a Convict

Houseley Stevenson

Martin, Parole Board

Harry Strang

Dave, Trustee

Elliott Sullivan

Detective with Hat

Ray Teal

Detective with Pipe (uncredited)

Dorothy Tree

Pearl Adams

Anthony Warde

First Reporter in Court (uncredited)

Constance Worth

Betty, Ordway's Nurse-Receptionist

Craig Woods

Jim, a Convict

Broderick O'Farrell

Night Club Patron

Rose Plumer

Prison Inmate with Pearl

Florence Wix

Patient in Ordway's Office

Crew

Director

Michael Gordon

Screenplay

C. Graham Baker

Screenplay

Louis Lantz

Reviews

Geronimo1967

December 2, 2024

When a man is thrown from a speeding car, he awakens without a clue who he is. It takes ten years for him to rehabilitate into the renowned "Dr. Ordway" (Warner Baxter), a man who ends up esteemed enough to be put in charge of the parole board. It's as he is making a broadcast that an inmate elsewhere (Dorothy Tree) recognises his voice and identifies criminal mastermind "Philip Morgan" - a man whose gang stole $200,000 that is still unaccounted for. It's not just her who has identified him, and pretty swiftly his erstwhile gang are also on his trail wanting their loot. "Ordway" realises that he still has some cards to play in his dealings with their leader "Caspair" (John Litel) that might just help him fully re-establish his identity and hopefully find the money. This is quite an engaging little mystery that allows Baxter to establish his character's credentials as a competent detective whilst using some elementary psychology, the odd shrug and a wry smile to provide us with a decently paced cat-and-mouse drama that presents our protagonist with a sort of lose-lose scenario towards the end. The production is adequate, the dialogue quite entertaining and it amiably sets the scene for more to come.