THE CRIME DOCTOR’S WARNING

US, 1945, 70 minutes, Black-and-white.
Warner Baxter, John Litel, Dusty Anderson, Coutler Irwin, Miles Mander, John Abbott, Eduardo Cianelli, Franco Corsaro.
Directed by William Castle.

Another in the popular series from the 1940s from Colombia Studios, B-budget supporting films starring Warner Baxter as a psychiatrist who is also skilled as a detective.

This story takes place in the art world, an artist visiting Dr Ordway, experiencing loss of memory at various times. The artist is ambitious, not just to be a commercial artist, has a studio – but is dominated by his severe mother, wheelchair-bound.

A model is murdered and Dr Ordway brought into the investigation. The artist is in a relationship with another model – and she is found murdered in his room. He is arrested, preferring to stay in prison than go to an institution ordered by his mother. Also involved is a flamboyant fellow-artist, his model for many years, mail, who is against female models. There is an also an art dealer (named Malone). The plot is quite complicated, the doctor tracing the actions of the murderer, finally unmasking him, and the young artist freed. (And the villain is Malone!)

1. The popularity of the Crime Doctor series? B-budget, supporting features? The doctor himself, his background, psychiatry, police investigations? Warner Baxter, his screen presence? Medical help? Police investigation? Solving cases?

2. Dr Ordway and his practice? His office, Clive Lake and his visit? His interest in the case? His investigations, interviews, visits? His collaboration with Inspector Dawes? Friendly relationship? The visit to the artist’s studios? Climbing to the roof and getting into the locker room? The key? The attack on him and his home to get the key? His visit to Clive’s mother, her stern possessive attitude? His visit to the art gallery, the director, his giving the money for someone to buy Clive’s painting?

3. Clive, his psychological experiences, blacking out, his paintings, relationship with Connie, her posing, his painting, going up to the roof? At the party, his dancing? His hopes in painting? The dealer buying his painting and his being happy? Going to his mother, her domination? Going with Dr Ordway instead of to an institution? The discovery of Connie’s body under the bed? His arrest, in the cell, his not knowing what was happening?

4. Duval, his flamboyance, paintings, talent? His using Nick Petroni as model? Petroni’s eccentricity, Duval painting only male models? Petroni against female models? Potential killer? Duval, his demands for money? His being shot?

5. The story of the San Francisco painting? Jimmy Gordon and his cutting out silhouettes – including Dr Ordway? Suspicions of his murdering the model from San Francisco? His defiant attitudes?

6. The identity of the third model in the painting, Dr Ordway confronting the director of the Gallery, the wax figure of his wife?

7. The dealer, his motivations, his attack on Dr Ordway, the arrest? Clive and his rehabilitation?