The Crime Doctor Solves the Millerson Case

One of the more offbeat "B" detective series of the 1940s was the Crime Doctor. Based on a Max Marcin's successful radio series, the premise has an amnesia victim study to become a renowned psychiatrist--only to learn ten years later that he was once a criminal. Armed with “insider knowledge” of how the criminal mind works, Dr. Robert Orday repays society by bringing villains to justice. Warner Baxter, an Oscar winner as the Cisco Kid in 1929’s In Old Arizona, was the only actor ever to play Ordway on screen. He made ten films for Columbia, starting with 1943's The Crime Doctor.

My favorite may be The Millerson Case (1947), which finds Dr. Ordway taking a well-deserved vacation to do a little hunting and fishing. However, he barely arrives in the rural town of Brook Falls when a local outbreak of "summer complaint" turns out to be typhoid fever. Ordway agrees to assist with vaccinations and documenting those few townsfolk who have died from the disease. Yet, while doing the latter, Ordway discovers that one victim died from poisoning rather typhoid--and it's not long before a murder investigation is launched.

Warner Baxter as Dr. Ordway.

The killer's idea of using the typhoid outbreak to mask the murder is a clever one. For his part, Ordway employs a shooting competition and a handwriting analysis to help solve the case. Unfortunately, much of his investigation consists of asking suspects a few brief questions that yield little relevant information. Of course, it doesn't help that that the first victim turns out to be the local lothario--resulting in a bevy of individuals with motives. 

The cast consists of veteran "B" movie actors such as James Bell. Despite a face full of whiskers, I recognized him instantly from his key roles in two Val Lewton classics from 1943: The Leopard Man and I Walked With a Zombie. The worst performance in The Millerson Case belongs to Mark Dennis, who plays a teen with an intellectual disability; granted, it's a poorly-written part, too. Dennis only appeared in ten movies during his career, but two of those were Peter Bogdoanich's Targets (1968) and Nickelodean (1976).

The Millerson Case lacks the charismatic heroes and snappy writing of "B" detective classics such as The Scarlet Claw and The Falcon and the Co-eds. Still, it's a cut above most of its ilk and there's a welcome lack of comedy relief. Warner Baxter made his last Crime Doctor film in 1949 and died two years later from pneumonia at age 62. He lived with chronic pain for much of his later life due to arthritis. 

The 5 Best "B" Movie Detectives

When it comes to celluloid detectives, some of the best ones hail from "B" film series of the 1930s and 1940s. Shown theatrically before a "major motion picture," some of these series gradually established their own fan bases. Their popularity grew significantly when they appeared frequently on local television stations in the 1960s and 1970s. My picks for five best "B' movie detectives:

1. Sherlock Holmes.  Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce first appeared as Holmes & Watson in the 20th Century-Fox "A" productions of The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (both 1939). Three years years later, Universal launched a low-budget series of twelve Holmes films, set in contemporary London, with the same stars. Despite a handful of lackluster entries (e.g., Pursuit to Algiers), the overall quality is above-average, with the standouts being the clever, atmospheric Scarlet Claw (1944) and 1945's compelling The House of Fear. Fans are also fond of the train-set Terror By Night and the creepy Pearl of Death. Few directors got more out of a low production budget than Roy William Neill.

Toler (far right) as Charlie Chan.

2. Charlie Chan. Earl Derr Bigger's Chinese-American detective has been portrayed by several actors, but the most notable ones are Warner Oland and Sidney Toler. Both actors had long runs as Chan, with Oland making 15 films and Toler headlining 22. All of Oland films and Toler's first 11 were produced by 20th Century-Fox. When the studio decided to end the series, Toler boughts the film rights and the new (less costly) Chan mysteries were released by Monogram. The Chan films are admittedly inconsistent, with the comic relief provided by Charlie's No. 1 or No. 2 sons sometimes overpowering the mystery plots. Still, the series produced its share of snappy little gems like Charlie Chan at the Opera and Castle in the Desert. Plus, Oland and Toler were both delightful, especially when delivering wise sayings like: "Small things sometimes tell large story."

Conway (left) and Sanders (right)
both played The Falcon.

3. The Falcon. Gay Lawrence, better known as The Falcon, was a gentleman detective in the same vein as The Saint. In fact, just to make matters confusing, George Sanders portrayed both characters in 1941. Sanders' Falcon films are modestly entertaining, with the most famous being The Falcon Takes Over, which is based on the Philip Marlowe novel Farewell, My Lovely. By 1942, Sanders was ready for bigger screen roles--though RKO wanted to keep The Falcon series going. So, in The Falcon's Brother, Gay Lawrence is killed and his brother Tom Lawrence takes over--the nifty part is that Tom Lawrence was played by Tom Conway, George Sanders' real-life brother. I've always liked Conway, a solid performer who got stuck in "B" films. He elevates most of his Falcon movies, though (again) sometimes the comic relief is overpowering. That's not the case with The Falcon and the Co-eds. Ignore the lame title--it's one of the finest "B" mysteries ever with a great coastal setting, a sharp plot, and comic relief provided delightfully by three young girls from a boarding school.

4. The Crime Doctor. Warner Baxter was one of the biggest stars of the late 1920s and 1930, winning an Oscar for In Old Arizona and headlining classics such as 42nd Street. Yet, by 1943, he was relegated to "B" films like the Crime Doctor series. Based on a hit radio show, 1943's Crime Doctor was about an amnesia victim who becomes a leading criminal psychologist--only to recover his memory and learn that he was a criminal. It's outlandish, but Baxter makes it work and he's solid throughout the series. Most of the entries are quite satisfying, with the best being The Millerson Case. It has Dr. Ordway vacationing in the Blue Ridge Mountains when a typhoid epidemic causes the town to be quarantined...and then a murder is committed.

5. The Lone Wolf. Louis Joseph Vance introduced Michael Lanyard--a jewel thief who became a private detective--to readers in 1914. Vance's book provided popular material for the movies and there were several Lone Wolf films between 1917 and 1939, including The Lone Wolf Returns with Melvyn Douglas in the title role. In the late 1930s, Columbia Pictures launched a "B" detective series with The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt, starring Warren William as Lanyard. Like Baxter, Williams was on the downside of a very successful screen career. He brought class and charm to the role, with very able assistance from the always amusing Eric Blore as his valet, beginning with the second entry, The Lone Wolf Strikes.

Honorable Mentions:  Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto and Chester Morris as Boston Blackie.