On a rainy night in 1940, welcome to Midury...I thought I saw my dreams, far away, coming true...whatever I've done, whoever I've been, I love you...
Beautifully filmed and told by director Tim Whelan and cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff, this is a forgotten gem with masterful analogue effects, rain even drips from the opening titles...
It was initially released in London in December 1940 as A Date with Destiny, and as The Mad Doctor in the USA in February 1941.
A film noir thriller with a touch of gothic, and costumes by Edith Head, it is presented here in its finest quality...You're like all the other clever ones, clever until they meet a woman, and then they suddenly become fools...enjoy...
The Mad Doctor 1940 Trailer • The Mad Doctor 1940 (1941) Trailer - A Fil...
Stars: Basil Rathbone, Ellen Drew, John Howard, Barbara Jo Allen (Vera Vague), Ralph Morgan, Martin Kosleck, Kitty Kelly, Hugh O'Connell
Director: Tim Whelan
Writers & Screenplay: Howard J. Green, Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Insights:
Production
The working titles of this film were A Date with Destiny and Destiny. Although screen credits and the Paramount Produced Properties listing indicate that the film is based on a screenplay by Howard J. Green, early drafts of the screenplay titled "The Monster" and re-titled "Destiny" were written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. The contributions of Hecht and MacArthur to the final screenplay have not been confirmed. HR news items indicate that actors Ruth Rogers, Wanda McKay and Max Wagner were cast in the film; however, their appearance in the completed film has not been confirmed. According to modern sources, Basil Rathbone did not accept his part in this film until specific changes were made to the script. The HR review called the film "one of the top efforts of its type" due to the "beautifully imaginative direction of Tim Whelan and the stunning performance of Basil Rathbone".
The Mad Doctor was in production from January 22 until mid-March 1940, and was released on December 20, 1940 (London, UK) as A Date with Destiny, and on February 14, 1941 (United States) as The Mad Doctor (hence the release date confusion). Paramount Pictures credits Howard J. Green for the screenplay, but early drafts titled "The Monster" and "Destiny" were written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. Before he accepted a role in the film, Basil Rathbone required changes to the script.
Reception
The Hollywood Reporter called the film "one of the top efforts of its type", which it attributed to the "beautifully imaginative direction of Tim Whelan and the stunning performance of Basil Rathbone".
Taglines
HE HYPNOTIZED WOMEN TO THEIR DOOM! (print ad - Lubbock Morning Avalanche - Palace Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - April 19, 1941 - all caps)
BLOOD CHILLING! HEART THRILLING! The amazing drama of a fiend who fascinates women...lures them with love...and then destroys them! (Print Ad- Nashua Telegraph, ((Nashua, NH)) 10 February 1941)
As easily as he loves...HE KILLS! (Print Ad- Union Press-Courier, ((Patton, Penna.)) 3 April 1941)
COLD BLOODED KILLER AND SOCIETY CLUBMAN! (Print Ad- Madera Daily Tribune, ((Madera, Calif.)) 11 March 1941)
Quotes
Maurice Gretz: You're like all the other clever ones, clever until they meet a woman, and then they suddenly become fools.
Dr. George Sebastian: I thought I saw my dreams, far away, coming true. Whatever I've done, whoever I've been, I love you.
Soundtrack
Aloha 'Oe - Music by Queen Liliuokalani
The Nightingale and the Rose - Music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Subtitles
I added original subtitles in English and other languages (Thanks to Marcato, Kilo, and Cinear), as well as some I translated myself. YouTube should translate the originals into other languages quite well. I can also translate them into another language if you'd like, just leave a comment to let me know...
PERFORMANCE:
0:00:00 REEL ONE
0:20:00 REEL TWO
0:40:00 REEL THREE
1:00:00 REEL FOUR
1:20:00 REEL FIVE
Main Cast:
Basil Rathbone as Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Frederick Langamann
Ellen Drew as Linda Boothe
John Howard as Gil Sawyer
Barbara Jo Allen as Louise Watkins
Ralph Morgan as Dr. Charles Downer
Martin Kosleck as Maurice Gretz
Kitty Kelly as Winnie
Hugh O'Connell as Lawrence Watkins
William 'Billy' Benedict as Mickey Barnes
Henry Victor as Furber
Douglas Kennedy as Hotel Clerk
George Chandler as Elevator Operator
Edward Earle as Librarian
Howard M. Mitchell as Butler
Max Wagner as Taxicab Driver
Sheila Ryan as Hostess at Charity Bazaar
Wanda McKay as Woman at Charity Bazaar
Norma Varden as Woman at Charity Bazaar
Technical Details:
Producer George M. Arthur
Cinematography Ted Tetzlaff
Editor Archie Marshek
Music Victor Young
Production Company & Distributor Paramount Pictures
Release Dates
December 20, 1940 (UK)
February 14, 1941 (US)
Running Time 90 minutes
Colour Process B&W
Aspect Ratio 1.37:1
Country United States
Language English
Thanks to the invaluable IMDB, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia for much of this information.
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