Yeah, I went through a whole lot to get this movie.  Yes, I actually bought the damned thing.   Why?  Because I really wanted to see Dwight in a heroic role.   So I finally got the movie and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised although the movie does have some big flaws.

Dr. Andre Crespi is the brilliant head surgeon of the Taft Clinic and under his supervision are Dr. Thomas and Dr. John Arnold.  Years ago, Dr. Crespi fell in love with a girl who went off and married his best friend Dr. Ross.  Embittered by the years, Dr. Crespi throws himself into his work and takes out his anger on Thomas.  Meanwhile, Dr. Arnold and Miss Rexford the secretary flirt continuously and declare that Dr. Arnold is also a brilliant surgeon although he never does anything to prove it in the course of the film.   

One day, the girl comes in to see Dr. Crespi.  Her husband has been in a car accident and Dr. Crespi is, "The only man who can save him."  He realizes this is the ideal opportunity for revenge and agrees to perform the surgery.  During prep, Dr. Thomas suspects that something's a little off.  Why would Dr. Crespi agree to perform surgery on the guy who he thinks stole his girl?  He tells his suspicions to Dr. Arnold who thinks that Dr. Thomas is being paranoid.  

The surgery's a success.  Dr. Crespi then injects Dr. Ross with a poison to make it look like he's dead.  Dr. Thomas asks Dr. Crespi to fill out the death certificate but the certificate's already been filled out!  Dr. Thomas and Dr. Crespi shoot each other Glares Of Death before Dr. Thomas leaves the room.  The orderlies take Dr. Ross's body to the morgue and Dr. Crespi cops a feel . . .uh comforts the grieving widow.  Dr. Crespi also orders that no autopsy be performed on Dr. Ross and plans the burial for the next day.  Dr. Thomas knows that something's wrong and confronts Dr. Crespi.  Dr. Crespi strangles Dr. Thomas, knocking him unconscious.  Then Dr. Crespi binds and gags Dr. Thomas and locks him in the closet!  Gah, bound Dwight in closet!  I swear, all kid's shows are designed to turn us into closet kidnapping fetishists.

Anyway, so poor Dr. Thomas is trapped in the closet kicking the door and the secretary/nurse can't figure out what the noise is.  Grrrrr.  After the burial, Dr. Crespi comes back and unties Dr. Thomas.  He tells Dr. Thomas that he can go back to work.  What the hell?  If I was guilty of murder and one of my colleagues knew it I sure as hell wouldn't send them back to work.  Especially since he tops it off with some vague threat about sending Dr. Thomas to "The Observation Ward."  Moron.  

Satisfied that he's silenced Dr. Thomas, Dr. Crespi congratulates himself with booze.  The second he's out the door, Dr. Thomas tells Dr. Arnold exactly what happened.  Dr. Arnold just pooh-poohs the whole thing (what kind of dickhead is he) until Dr. Thomas threatens to go to the District Attorney.  Dr. Arnold then argues about how they'll prove anything since the body's buried.  So what do you do?  Grave robbing!  Yup, even though Dwight's playing a doctor, he still has to dig up corpses.  Lucky guy.

So they go to the cemetery and unearth Dr. Ross, not knowing he's still alive.  They take him to the autopsy room and as they are about to perform, the body rises!  The doctors freak out as the awakened Dr. Ross lurches through the hospital corridors.  What is Dr. Crespi doing this whole time?  Gloating and boozing.  Yeah.

So Dr. Ross finds his way to Dr. Crespi's office where the mad surgeon believes that he is being haunted.  Well, at least until every other character in the movie runs into the office.  Dr. Crespi, realizing his number's up, shoots himself.  Dr. Ross and his wife are reunited, Dr. Arnold takes over the clinic and marries Miss Rexford, and Dr. Thomas hits on the comely Miss Gordon.  The End.

One of the movie's greatest flaws is the fact it suffers from "Way-Too-Short-Itis."  They could have padded it out another 20 minutes or so without feeling like padding.  The other biggest flaw, Dr. Crespi just letting Dr. Thomas go.  What?  I'm sorry, that makes no sense.  But the thing that really bothered me was the attitude the other characters had towards Dr. Arnold and Dr. Thomas.  Dr. Arnold is supposedly this brilliant doctor but he is never shown interacting with a patient.  Everyone picks on Dr. Thomas but he never displays any particularly negative qualities.  Oh well.  It's a good find for those interested in 1930's B pictures.  Even though it can be found on a tape entitled "The Worst of Hollywood," in the grand scheme of things, it's actually a decent movie.

"Take It Away!"
Dr. Thomas and Miss Rexford
Dr. Thomas And Dr. Crespi
Dr. Thomas in a Mask
Comforting Mrs. Ross
Filling Out the Death Certificate
Thomas Enters
Thomas Looking At Certificate
Looking Down
Dr. Crespi Wonders
Confronting Dr. Crespi
Dr. Thomas Mad
Crazy Dr. Crespi
Struggling Doctors
Manhandling Dr. Thomas
Unconscious
Helpless
Dr. Crespi Gloats
"Ouch!"
Untying Hands
Thomas Rubbing His Face
"What If We Got the Goods on Crespi?"
Dr. Arnold Agreeing
Shadowy Thomas
Dr. Thomas Puts His Arm Around the Corpse
The Corpse is Alive?!
Oh, Shit
Don't!
"Oh, Dr. Crespi."
Thomas and Miss Gordon
Turns to Talk to Miss Gordon
Raising His Eyebrows

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On to The Wayne Murder Case

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The Crime of Dr. Crespi is property of Republic Pictures.  No infringement of copyright is intended or inferred.  All screencaptures made by me.  Please do not take without permission.