It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

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

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

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. .

Working out of his Park Avenue office, Dr. Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is a well-respected doctor who handles society's elite. But his real passion is the study of the criminal mind and what makes them tick. He decides the best way to study criminals is to become one himself. After a series of successful robberies, he decides to expand his study and finds a fence for his merchandise. In no time at all, Dr. Clitterhouse is leading a band of thieves on one successful robbery after the next. But not everyone in the gang is happy about taking orders from Dr. Clitterhouse. A real hoodlum named Rocks Valentine (Humphrey Bogart) would like to see Clitterhouse out of the way.The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is one amazing movie! I love "discovering" a wonderfully entertaining film that I've never seen before. The Amazing Dr. Clitterhosue is just a lot of fun. My opinion of Robinson as an actor has softened over the years. As blasphemous as this may sound, there was a time when I really didn't care for him. The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse has finally brought me all the way around on Robinson. Here, he gives a fantastic performance. His portrayal of Clitterhouse is a real joy to behold. The scenes where he meets the gang, especially his handling of the police officer, are as entertaining as anything I've seen him do. The writing here is superb. Robinson is given some of the best dialogue imaginable. And he delivers. What a performance!The rest of the cast is just as strong. Bogart plays the tough-talking thug to perfection. Clare Trevor is Bogart's equal as the fence, Jo Keller. It's interesting to watch her character's transformation from the tough as nails fence to a woman who falls in love. It's just as interesting to watch Robinson's Clitterhouse totally unaware of Keller's feelings as he's blinded by science. The rest of the supporting cast is incredibly strong and enjoyable with Allen Jenkins, Maxie Rosenbloom, and Gale Page giving especially wonderful performances. I've read a few complaints regarding the film's ending. While I would have loved to see more, the finale was more than satisfying for me. It's quite a Catch 22 – Clitterhouse on trial, his attorney using an insanity defense, and Clitterhouse reluctant to be labeled insane as it will negatively affect his scientific work. It's an interesting set- up. It may be a bit rushed, but it plays out nicely.

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-

This is a decent and VERY typical gangster film from Warner Brothers that is so similar to a long string of such films made by this studio during this era. While this might be a negative for some, fans of the genre such as myself will find that this is yet another well-written and well-acted gangster film complete with the usual Warner stars and support cast. In this case, though, the story is a bit unusual in that Edward G. Robinson plays a doctor who infiltrates a mob to test his theories concerning the criminal mind. While I admit this is a little silly, all the usual story elements combine to still make a very watchable and enjoyable film. While not among his or Bogart's best, it is a rousing good time nonetheless.