Who Killed Doc Robbin (1948)

Director:

Bernard Carr

Writers:

Dorothy Davenport (writer)
Maurice Geraghty (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Plot:

A group of people find themselves trapped in a creepy mansion, complete with secret passageways, a mad doctor and a murderous gorilla.

Plot Keywords:

Armor | Laboratory | Booby Trap | Class Mate | Test Tube

Cast

Larry Olsen	...	William 'Curley' Benson
Eilene Janssen	...	Betty
Peter Miles	...	Dudley (as Gerald Perreau)
Ardda Lynwood	...	Ardda
Dale Belding	...	Speck Jones
Virginia Grey	...	Ann Loring
Don Castle	...	George, Defense Attorney
George Zucco	...	Doc Hugo Robbin
Paul Hurst	...	Jailer
Whitford Kane	...	'Fix-it' Dan Cameron
Wilton Graff	...	Prosecutor
Claire Du Brey	...	Housekeeper (as Claire Dubrey)
Rene Beard	...	Dis (as Renee Beard)
Donald King	...	Dat
Grant Mitchell	...	Judge

Also Known As:

Curley and His Gang in the Haunted Mansion (USA) (TV title)
Laff-Time Part 2 (USA) (subtitle)
Sinister House (UK)

Runtime:

55 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Cinecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:LH | USA:Approved (PCA #12313)

Company:

Hal Roach Studios Inc.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the kids are visiting "Fix it" Dan in jail, Speck is first holding a book with the bound end in his hand, but in the next shot the opened end is in his hand.

Movie Connections:

Follows Curley (1947)

OK, But the Elements Never Quite Come Together

This comic mystery was one of at least a couple of late 1940s efforts by Hal Roach to recapture the atmosphere and success of the "Our Gang" comedies of the past. It had most of the elements, but it never really comes together, and it does not come close to the original.

The setup has a gang of children, resembling the original group in a number of respects, getting involved in a murder mystery. Almost the entire movie takes place either in the courtroom or in the abandoned laboratory of an unstable doctor. These settings, and a far-fetched but interesting story idea involving atomic power, provide enough material for what could have been a good movie.

Though a couple of them show some talent, the child actors are clearly a cut below the members of the original gang, and they never work together with the same camaraderie or chemistry. It could simply be the case that by trying to put them too overtly into the same mold, they did not get the chance to be themselves. Except for George Zucco and, to a lesser extent, Virginia Grey, the adult actors are mostly just adequate as well.

On the plus side, the settings work most of the time. On the minus side, it has a surprising number of dated details and/or stereotypes that you cannot help noticing.

A fair amount of the action does work all right as light entertainment. It's the kind of format and plot setup that sometimes produces some very good movies when they are in the hands of a top-quality cast and crew. In this case, the results are at least watchable most of the time, and are occasionally enjoyable, but not enough so to make it of any general interest.