I love Edward G. Robinson; I'm always amazed at his performances (see "Scarlett Street" for one his most brilliant and touching performances ever). Although this is far from one of his better films, he turns in a pretty good performance of a doctor "researching" crime by becoming a criminal himself and performing "scientific studies" on his reactions. He eventually joins a gang, headed by Claire Trevor, and uses the gang members as further lab rats. (BTW, for Claire Trevor at her most evil best, see "Born to Kill"!)
While Robinson and Trevor and Bogart all do as best as they can with their material, the movie as a whole just doesn't gel. (This trio will do much better ten years later in "Key Largo".) Well, I can't quite put my finger on it ... maybe it's the way that Trevor so quickly turns Robinson into her Number Two guy; maybe it's the way everyone in the gang (except Bogie; his resentment is about the only believable part in this movie) goes along with this arrangement like it's perfectly OK to have your blood pressure taken and pupils examined and blood drawn after every crime; maybe it's the way the law enforcement officials (police, judge) wipe their sweating brows/faces in such a broad, comic manner; maybe it's the absurd trial and even absurder "verdict" (rendered in the jury box no less) ... it just didn't work for me. I guess this was supposed to be a comedy, but it wasn't funny, just odd.
Oh, gee, one final note. Doctor "Clitterhouse" ????? Surely anyone as smart as EGR's character would've legally changed THAT name a long time ago! :-)
While Robinson and Trevor and Bogart all do as best as they can with their material, the movie as a whole just doesn't gel. (This trio will do much better ten years later in "Key Largo".) Well, I can't quite put my finger on it ... maybe it's the way that Trevor so quickly turns Robinson into her Number Two guy; maybe it's the way everyone in the gang (except Bogie; his resentment is about the only believable part in this movie) goes along with this arrangement like it's perfectly OK to have your blood pressure taken and pupils examined and blood drawn after every crime; maybe it's the way the law enforcement officials (police, judge) wipe their sweating brows/faces in such a broad, comic manner; maybe it's the absurd trial and even absurder "verdict" (rendered in the jury box no less) ... it just didn't work for me. I guess this was supposed to be a comedy, but it wasn't funny, just odd.
Oh, gee, one final note. Doctor "Clitterhouse" ????? Surely anyone as smart as EGR's character would've legally changed THAT name a long time ago! :-)