SPOILERS AHEAD!
A First National picture that has Edward G Robinson riffing yet again on Little Caesar. Caesar had an overtly aggressive psychopath heading a dopey, intimidated crime gang; The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse sees Robinson mastermind a gang in the guise of an inquisitive, intellectually curious and gentle Park Avenue physician.
Revealing unabashedly to the nurse he employs that he's secretly researching criminal ways in order to publish observed findings and better educate police, Clitterhouse shows her gems he grabbed from his wealthy clients. He latches on to a gang while looking for a fence to relieve him of the goods; though eccentric (overly talkative, using a strange soft-r upscale accent) he wins the gang's trust and slowly takes over the planning of increasingly more daring robberies, all in the name of research. Clitterhouse is characterized by a purely logical mind: his behaviour becomes more and more outrageously risky, but he justifies it as necessary in his quest to gather data first-hand.
Revealing unabashedly to the nurse he employs that he's secretly researching criminal ways in order to publish observed findings and better educate police, Clitterhouse shows her gems he grabbed from his wealthy clients. He latches on to a gang while looking for a fence to relieve him of the goods; though eccentric (overly talkative, using a strange soft-r upscale accent) he wins the gang's trust and slowly takes over the planning of increasingly more daring robberies, all in the name of research. Clitterhouse is characterized by a purely logical mind: his behaviour becomes more and more outrageously risky, but he justifies it as necessary in his quest to gather data first-hand.
I was fascinated how the film builds Clitterhouse to be a strangely alluring and yet asexual character. I would also argue that despite his lack of stereotypical good looks, Robinson has come across as more attractive in other roles: less flimsy and more emotionally invested. Bogart's tough guy "Rocks" is jealous of and threatened by Clitterhouse's fine clothes and fancy words. But he is more intimidated by Clitterhouse's power over women. The gang's head is a tough blonde named Jo who gravitates towards Clitterhouse, wearing flashier and flashier outfits with no apparent effect. Although he shows no real interest in either women, Clitterhouse arouses the same unquestioning loyalty from his nurse who, it is implied, assisted in providing him with an alibi because of her attraction to him.
The story flips, transforming the vulnerable academic into the aggressor. The film concludes with a courtroom scene which struck me as one of the strangest made during this time period: a character guilty of murder gets off the hook! How did the studios get away with this? I have been racking my brains since last night - are there any other examples of characters that get away with murder while the Production Code was in effect?
Butch: "I gotta brother in the university."
Clitterhouse: "Indeed! Well, I must add that to your case history. Which university?"
Butch: "See, what's the name of the joint... Harvard."
Clitterhouse: "Harvard! Really! What does your brother do there?"
Butch: "Preserved in alcohol- he's got two heads."
The guys relieve Vogue Furs of its contents.
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