Manthast Absolutely amazing

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

alexanderdavies-99382 "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" was a welcome change of pace for Edward G. Robinson. Here, he is cast as a character of great learning and high intelligence. Humphrey Bogart was on his way to becoming a star by the time this film was released in 1938. Once again, this film comes down to a final confrontation between Robinson and Bogart and it is exciting. Out of all the collaborations between Robinson and Bogart, this film and "Key Largo" are their best. Dr. Clitterhouse is a professor and medical practitioner who is involved in the study of crime and of the criminal mind. He decides to get in close upon the workings of a local criminal gang by joining their ranks. Naturally, Bogart doesn't take too kindly to the good doctors intrusion and seeks revenge. I won't give away any plot details but this "Warner Bros." film can claim to being quite original. It is played for laughs but in a more dark and subtle manner. It works well for the film. Edward G. Robinson takes the acting honours in a role he was born for. Being a cultured and well read man in real life served the actor well. His command of English and his diction are impeccable. The film is an adaptation of a successful stage play, where noted theatre actor Cedric Hardwicke took the leading role. The script is well above average, with the emphasis being on character.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . on the title AN AMER1CAN TRAGEDY, surely these three words would be a far more apt name for this film than THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE. This title character, a Park Avenue nut-job quack, gets off "Scot Free" for assassinating a far more valuable member of Society, Rocks Valentine (Humphrey Bogart). Edward G. Robinson's portrayal of the sadistic Sociopath Dr. C. is the most chilling screen villain since James Cagney's PUBLIC ENEMY came out seven years earlier. Rocks is a self-taught inventor. His pencil lead phone trace innovation is worth more than all of Dr. C.'s High-Falluting theories about Criminology put together. But Dr. C. is too consumed by his psychotic monomania to even notice this, poisoning and then toying with the dying Rocks like a kid pulling wings off butterflies. That's why Dr. C. SHOULD have been sent to the Middle East for his execution. Every historic Constitutionally-legal American method of ending his crime spree would be way too Comfy for this amoral cancer on Humanity.

zzippy-2 Great 30's flick, there's nothing quite like it, which is why this film is a true must-see.I think some reviewers tried to take this one a bit TOO seriously - obviously that wasn't the intention.Suspenseful, intriguing, and very wry.There are just SO many top-notch actors in this one, and they each play the part convincingly. A LOT of eye-candy here, and VERY familiar faces.I just found this to be such a treat on an otherwise gloomy day.If this one doesn't make you grin, you totally missed something.I'm still surprised at how serious and confused some reviewers here are on this one. Come on ! The name of the flick is The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse !Wake-up, people !

Robert J. Maxwell The renowned Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson), interested in the criminal personality, joins a gang of thieves anonymously. He finds himself strangely thrilled in their presence. He carries out research, pupilary dilation and whatnot, and eventually plans their big heist. (He gives his part of the proceeds to charity.) Then, his work accomplished, he bids the gang adieu.Alas, one of the more obnoxious of the gangsters, Rocks (Humphrey Bogart), unravels Robinson's professional identity, tracks him down in his office, and tries to blackmail him into coming up with more master plans. Robinson coolly poisons Bogart and dumps his body in the river, believing that the police will attribute the death to accidental drowning.Some doctor! He neglects to put Bogart's body in the bathtub and fill his lungs with water, so the cops find a stomach full of paraldehyde chloride and a homicide. It doesn't take them long to find that Dr. Clitterhouse is responsible.The trial is a mockery (co-written by John Huston). Robinson's lawyer put on a psychiatrist who befogs the air with psychiatric gibberish. Catch-22 applies, the jury concludes. Robinson, the defendant, has only one chance of getting off without being fried -- he must be insane. However, Robinson takes the stand and declares repeatedly and emphatically that he's perfectly sane. Therefore, if he's so convinced he's sane, he must be insane. He gets off with a trip to a psychiatric hospital. "Remarkable," comments Robinson.Humphrey Bogart was making a slew of movies around this time, usually in the same roles -- secondary and villainous. He always made fun of his performance in this film, and of the film itself, lending its title a vulgar change. But, although Bogart's part is stereotyped, the film isn't that bad. The protagonist, Robinson, does a fine job of projecting professional cool. He's believable as a supercilious doctor. He did a much different job of showing a professional man's anxiety in Fritz Lang's superior "The Woman in the Window".Litvak hurries the film along. The motto of the later gangster films was abbreviated to ODTAA -- one damned thing after another. Characters whiz in and out of door. When they speak on the phone, it sounds like this: "Hello, gimme Leftie -- Leftie? Take the envelope and get rid of it -- What? -- No, don't do that -- Yeah, just what I told you -- No, don't come here -- Right." (Hangs up.) The pauses between these snapped-out comments don't last long enough for anyone on the other end of the call to take a deep breath, let alone make a comment or ask a question. Not a second is wasted. Nobody even says good-bye.I kind of like it.