Sorry, this movie sucks

Nice effects though.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A sterling performance by Edward G. Robinson as the erudite Dr. Clitterhouse: physician to the wealthy. But, recently, he has adopted the additional vocation of cat burglar, in order to study the psychological and physiological changes that occur in criminals. Toward this goal, he concluded that he would make the most practical subject of study, concentrating on stealing pricy jewelry. Since he wasn't interested in keeping the items, he was directed to a fence(a person who buys stolen items for a low price, and sells them for a profit.). Said person turned out to be a woman(Claire Trevor, as Jo Keller). She was connected to a gang of thieves, lead by 'Rocky' Valentine(Humphrey Bogart)(Any relation to film criminal Jimmy Valentine: "Alias Jimmy Valentine"?). Dr. Clitterhouse soon makes peace with most of the gang, except for Valentine, who resents his influence. Soon, he's directing their criminal activities, and monitoring their physiological parameters during the heist. During their last heist, Valentine tries to kill him by locking him in a refrigerated room and turning the refrigeration to lowest temperature..... After this heist, Clitterhouse announced he was quitting crime. However, Valentine had the idea of using his office as the gang's hideout, taking his medical notes as a bargaining chip, at gunpoint. Clitterhouse suddenly said he had neglected to study the greatest crime of all: murder. Valentine asked for a drink. Clitterhouse added an undetectable poison to his drink, and began monitoring his reactions until he was dead. He tried to mask his murder by throwing the body in the river. But, it was soon found, and some evidence pointed to him as a suspect. Eventually, he was charged with the crime. He told his whole story to his lawyer, and the question arose whether he should be declared legally sane or insane when he committed the murder. If the latter, he would not get the death penalty. What do you think? The trial proceedings is the most humorous part of the film. ...... So, is this a crime drama or a comedy. I see aspects of both, thus it should not be categorized as exclusively one or the other. Perhaps one of the intended, if subtle, humerous features is the title, as two reviewers already pointed out. The word Clitterhouse bears a passing similarity to the word cliterous. It merely has 3 extra letters, scattered around. I did find ,on the web, a couple of references to this name in the UK. I suspect the writer was trying to tweak the nose of the film censors. .

This is certainly one of a kind. Edward G. Robinson is the only character to do what this guy does. For purposes of research into the criminal mind, he becomes a jewel thief. First he studies himself (of course that has limited value as research), so he needs to get into a gang to study them. Of course, he is a criminal himself because others are being victimized by him. Humphrey Bogart is a sociopath and Robinson makes him his guinea pig. It leads to a study of the most serious of crimes and a trip to court and the risk of execution. Robinson's cool Dr. Clitterhouse is a remarkably original, underplayed character. HIs motivations are pure; his methods are severe.

What a fun movie! Edward G. Robinson plays a respected doctor who decides that the only way to truly understand criminal behavior for an academic study he is writing is to become a criminal himself. He joins a thieving ring run by Jo Keller (Claire Trevor, looking hotsy-totsy) and proceeds to both help the thieves with their crimes while at the same time studying them for the biological and psychological effects of their actions. Trouble arises when Jo's right-hand man, played by Humphrey Bogart, begins to feel like a third wheel, and blackmails Robinson when he discovers his true identity.This film is a real treat. It's funny, creepy and suspenseful, all at the same time. Robinson begins to enjoy being a criminal, and his detached approach to crime makes him capable of committing murder without a second thought. Is he sane or insane? That's the question a jury must answer at the film's climax, and one the viewer still won't be able to answer after the movie's over.Robinson, Trevor and Bogart have enough chemistry together to start a fire, and the three of them would team up again 10 years later for another terrific film, John Huston's "Key Largo." Anatole Litvak provides the fluid direction.Grade: A-

John Huston co-authored the script for THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE and whatever fun he was having with the concept of a respected doctor who turns to crime in order to become a method criminologist by joining a hoodlum gang of thieves, it doesn't quite jell.At no time does director Anatole Litvak let us know that this is supposed to be a comedy or spoof of Warner gangster films. However, audiences must have found the idea more than a little offbeat to be taken seriously.Making things further unbelievable is the way CLAIRE TREVOR plays the gun moll with such intensity, but immediately takes a liking to the amazing doctor after opposing his very presence among them. Her shift to tender romantic feelings is blatantly unrealistic.HUMPHREY BOGART's role at least makes sense. He's the only gang member to take an instant dislike to the good doctor when he sees how assured he is in taking charge of things the moment he lands in the den of thieves. But the story takes a grim twist toward the end, dealing with Bogart's fate.Another absurd angle is the gang's willingness to have the doctor performing his blood tests on them as a part of his research project every time they go on a heist. Add to this the courtroom ending with some unbelievable happenings and you have a crime drama (or is it a crime comedy?), that rarely makes any sense and strains credibility at every turn.EDWARD G. ROBINSON is fine as the doctor and has one especially good scene where he plays cat-and-mouse with THURSTON HALL to find out whether the man will be willing to represent him at trial.Robinson, Bogart, Trevor and director Huston would all reunite ten years later for a much finer film--KEY LARGO--which utilized Trevor's talent in a much more rewarding way.At best, this is a curiosity that holds the interest but can make you impatient with the absurdity of it all.