1940's "The Mad Doctor" is a sadly generic but wholly appropriate title for this Paramount feature, one of their rare genre efforts (working titles "The Monster" and "A Date with Destiny"). In the title role of Dr. George Sebastian, Basil Rathbone is not a 'mad doctor' as in 'mad scientist,' but a psychotic faux psychiatrist living with partner Maurice Gretz (Martin Kosleck),both wanted for murder in Vienna, having relocated to America. With the sudden demise of Sebastian's third wife, he takes up residence in New York City, where he begins another practice, meeting up with potential wife number four, hypochondriac Linda Boothe (Ellen Drew),whom Maurice believes would be the perfect candidate due to her suicidal tendencies (that would save them the trouble of bumping her off). Lurking in the background is Dr. Charles Downer (Ralph Morgan),a longtime friend of Sebastian's late wife, whose suspicions about her untimely death are soon confirmed, at his peril. This Ben Hecht story is loaded with promise, yet fudges its attempts at suspense with sketchy characterizations, virtually none of whom engender any sympathy, particularly the heroine, apparently as dim as the scatterbrained sister (Barbara Allen) that introduced her to Dr. Sebastian. The binding relationship between the doctor and Maurice is by far the most intriguing aspect to the film, but little footage is devoted to their villainy, the pace slowed to a crawl by endless romantic twaddle. The final third almost makes up for all these faults, but the excellent cast is left pretty much on their own. Ellen Drew was much better, and far more sympathetic, in another Paramount, "The Monster and the Girl," while Martin Kosleck easily steals his scenes from the rather surprisingly uninspired Rathbone (much better in "Kind Lady"),soon to enjoy one of his finest villains opposite Tyrone Power in "The Mark of Zorro."

One of Basil Rathbone's most chilling performances (and there have been quite a few),this psychological thriller isn't anything new, but the execution of a familiar story is brilliantly done. He's a non-practicing doctor who has made the habit of marrying wealthy older women and then killing them for their money, making sure that the autopsy shows it was by natural causes.

His assistant is very loyal companion Martin Kosleck, following him around like Mary's little lamb, and obviously the masterminds between how the murders are committed. In his latest crime, Rathbone is suspected by local doctor Ralph Morgan of having somehow contributed to a patient's death, her having had no signs that she was severely ill. Rathbone ends up in New York where he becomes a loyal therapist to a emotionally troubled Ellen Drew who at one point seems to attempt suicide through a hypnotic trance. With her as his latest attended victim, it's a race for handsome John Howard to try to stop him, bringing Morgan to New York to expose the dastardly duo.

Well done and fraught with tension, this thriller has little moments of brilliant horror, one of which involves a scene at a Time Square subway station. Rathbone and Kosleck reminded me of the two killers from Hitchcock's classic thriller "Rope", and how their relationship somehow wasn't noticed by the sensors is pretty amazing. This has great photography and some genuinely spooky moments, particularly Drew's unemotional walk to a skyscraper rooftop edge and her attempt to jump off, seemingly unaware of what she is doing. This one really is worth searching out simply for the intense atmosphere it provides that will keep you glued to your seat.

Doctor Ralph Morgan calls at Basil Rathbone's home. His patient, Rathbone's wife, has died. Morgan is suspicious; she was recovering. He does nothing about it.

His suspicions are justified. Rathbone speaks with his manservant, Martin Kosleck, of how much he despised his rich wife and her stupid town, just like his other victims. They will return to New York, and he to his practice as a psychiatrist. There he is hired to deal with Ellen Drew, a depressed and suicidal socialite whose newspaper boyfriend, John Howard, has his suspicions. His investigations lead him to Morgan, even as Miss Drew marries Rathbone.

Rathbone offers his usual graceful performance as a man struggling with redemption. Most noteworthy of all, however, is Ellen Drew's performance as someone suicidal when we first meet her, to someone lighthearted after the ordinary pleasures of Coney Island. Alas, there is no sign of revival of her psychoses at the end, but in that era, endings had to be happy, even in a movie that focuses on Rathbone's attempts to deal with his own dark desires.

Hecht and MacArthur did uncredited work on the script, and they undoubtedly gave the producers what they asked for; neither was director Tim Whelan the man to stand up for a darker vision; he had returned to the US doing work on Korda's THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, and this was his first movie after that. It was no time to antagonize the brass at Paramount.