It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Lionel Atwill lifted a few average horror films to the status of being tolerable. Luckily, he was able to achieve this by being a theatre- trained actor who was a genuine talent. "The Mad Doctor of Market Street" is a typical example. He plays another mad scientist who is forced to leave the United States after causing the death of a patient whilst conducting some bizarre experiments. Lionel Atwill finishes up by being shipwrecked on a desert island along with other people and then attempts to conquer the island's inhabitants. Strictly speaking, this is routine stuff but worth seeing...just.

1941's "The Mad Doctor of Market Street" was the second time Lionel Atwill starred as a crazed scientist after receiving top billing over Lon Chaney in "Man Made Monster," but settled for second below Una Merkel here, who was coming off one of her best known roles, playing the ditsy daughter of W.C. Fields in "The Bank Dick." Una's likability survives intact, despite her unfunny material (can't say the same for Nat Pendleton). Nearing the end of her screen career was lovely Claire Dodd, busy at Universal that year ("The Black Cat" and Abbott and Costello's "In the Navy"), while cowardly scoundrel John Eldredge is in familiar form ("The Black Cat" and "Horror Island"). Even Noble Johnson ("King Kong") appears as a dignified native chief, not easy under such studio bound conditions. Atwill's Ralph Benson escapes a murder charge in San Francisco, only to wind up a prisoner on a South Sea island, until a demonstration of his technique on suspended animation on a supposedly dead native woman makes him 'God of Life' among the savages, who grant him his every wish. I certainly can't blame him for coveting Miss Dodd, just as he eyed beautiful Anne Nagel in "Man Made Monster" (here reduced to a cameo as his first victim's widow). Writer Al Martin earlier scripted Lugosi's "Invisible Ghost" (also directed by Joseph H. Lewis), and in 1957 turned out "Invasion of the Saucer Men," a rare science fiction comedy. Included in Universal's popular SHOCK! package of classic horror films issued to television in the late 50's, and aired 3 times on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, Dec 18 1965 (following 1959's "The Hideous Sun Demon"), Dec 28 1974 (followed by 1970's "Night of the Witches"), and Sept 3 1977 (the first feature), paired with the only screening of 1934's "Secret of the Château" (a Claire Dodd double feature!).

They say that a great movie is one which transcends all genres, what they didn't say is that a movie can cover all genres and not be great.This belief of mine is reflected best by this obscure little programmer for Universal. This utterly mad little movie can't decide just what it wants to be. This can be considered a good thing or a bad thing, but the sudden shift in tone and settings definitely makes this one worth a watch.The film begins like a noir thriller, as a man in a trench coat and fedora enters into a shadowy room in a shadowy building as lightning flashes and rain pours like a scene from a Will Eisner story. Then it shifts into horror mode as we meet mad doctor Ralph Benson( A delightfully deranged Lionel Atwill, yes our old friend from 'Doctor X'), who fouls up his experiment with suspended animation and accidentally kills his patient. Then it turns into a crime thriller as the police pursue Benson, then it becomes a murder mystery set aboard a ship where Benson kills a detective, then a romantic comedy, then a disaster movie, then a shipwreck adventure, then a redux of 'The Man Who Would Be King' with overtones of 'Hawaii' & the much later 'Gilligan's Island'. Insanity, thy name is 'Mad Doctor of Market Street'.That said, the film is fun to watch. The film's romantic lead initially starts out as yet another comedy relief character, then becomes a typical stolid hero after being upstaged by the heroine's obnoxious Aunt (Una Merkel, annoying as hell, but at least not as annoying as that other Una; 'O Connor.)and a rather likable big lug named Red(Nat Pendleton)in the comedy department. Such lines like the heading of my review abound, it's either charmingly cringe inducing, or infuriating depending on your point of view.That said, Atwill gives a suitably creepy performance despite all the comedy, knowing when to ham it up and when to keep quietly restrained. An especially creepy moment is when he comes close to pointlessly murdering a curious native only to be narrowly stopped. There are some genuinely suspenseful moment as well, and when Benson is exposed by the natives it actually is a clever plot device. For such a stylistically disjointed film, it is amazingly cohesive, plot wise.See this mad little movie to believe it.~

This very minor Universal horror film from 1942 is significant for it was the last time Lionel Atwill received a starring role in a film. He was on the outs after this due to the sex scandal that ruined his career and health. He played only minor roles after this and died 4 years later of cancer.The film is very easy to be hard on and Universal has obviously regarded it so low, that it has never made it to video, despite the millions they still make off their classic horror films. What kills the film is a lack of mood or suspense. It is super-pedestrianly directed by Joseph H. Lewis.What makes the film are the change-of-pace settings including a doomed cruise ship and an exotic island. The actors are all excellent too, even if Nat Pendelton and Una Merkel get a little tired with their comic relief act.Ultimately, Atwill rules and is as menacing and sinister as ever. He revives a dead native and is revered as a god by the island tribe. He very selfishly dictates how the other ship survivors will live as only Atwill so slimily could (Sounds like a reality show plot). The other standout is Noble Johnson as the village leader. He is given more dialogue than he ever had in his many previous horror films and he ultimately gives Atwill a run for his money. It was nice to see him in a larger role.Don't expect too much - this is a B film. Atwill fans will delight in seeing his last great lead performance. Atwill may have never had a definitive mad doctor film, but I've always regarded him as the maddest doctor of them all.