The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
| The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse | |
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Theatrical release poster by Tom Chantrell
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| Directed by | Anatole Litvak |
| Produced by | Robert Lord Anatole Litvak |
| Written by |
Barré Lyndon John Wexley John Huston |
| Starring |
Edward G. Robinson Claire Trevor Humphrey Bogart |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
| Edited by | Warren Low |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a 1938 American crime film starring Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart. It was directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. and written by John Wexley and John Huston, based on the first play written by short-story writer Barré Lyndon, which ran for three months on Broadway with Cedric Hardwicke after playing in London.
Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is a wealthy society doctor in New York City who decides to research the medical aspects of the behavior of criminals directly by becoming one. He begins a series of daring jewel robberies, measuring his own blood pressure, temperature and pulse before, during and afterwards, but yearns for a larger sample for his study.
From one of his patients, Police Inspector Lewis Lane (Donald Crisp), he learns the name of the biggest fence in the city, Joe Keller. He goes to meet Keller to sell what he has stolen, only to find out that "Joe" is actually "Jo" (Claire Trevor). The doctor impresses Jo and a gang of thieves headed by 'Rocks' Valentine (Humphrey Bogart) with his exploits, so Jo invites him to join them, and he accepts.
Dr. Clitterhouse pretends to take a six-week vacation in Europe. As "The Professor", he proceeds to wrest leadership of the gang (and the admiration of Jo) away from Rocks, making him extremely resentful. When they rob a fur warehouse, Rocks locks his rival in a cold-storage vault, but Clitterhouse is freed by Butch (Maxie Rosenbloom), a gang member that Jo had assigned to keep watch on him. Afterwards, Clitterhouse announces he is quitting; he has enough data from studying the gang during their robberies, and his "vacation" time is up. He returns the gang to Rocks' control.
However, Rocks learns Dr. Clitterhouse's real identity and shows up at his Park Avenue office. Rocks tries to blackmail the doctor into using his office as a safehouse as they rob the doctor's own wealthy friends. Clitterhouse learns that Rocks will not let him publish his incriminating research, and also realizes that he has not studied the ultimate crime – murder – which will be the final chapter to his book. So, he gives a poisoned drink to Rocks, and he studies his symptoms as he dies. Jo helps dispose of the body in the river, but it is recovered and the poison is detected by the police.
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