The Mysterious Doctor (1943)

Too much of everything

Thanks for the memories!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

A seeming meld of fog-shrouded Universal horror and the rah-rah wartime propaganda films that were so prevalent during the era, the Warner Brothers offering "The Mysterious Doctor" turns out to be a minor concoction that should just manage to please modern audiences. Released in March 1943, during the darkest days of World War 2, the picture provides some chilling escapism while at the same time inspiring its target audience to greater productivity in the War effort. For today's viewer, the film works as an efficient little chiller and as a showcase for its ingenue female star, Eleanor Parker, who here evinces great charm and ability (and beauty, natch) in this, her second role on screen.The film manages to engender a chilling mood from its very opening moments, in which the viewer beholds a very tall AND HEADLESS personage stalking through a mist-enveloped woodland. We soon meet the mysterious doctor of the film's title, one Dr. Frederick Holmes (Lester Matthews, who would go on to appear in the Eleanor Parker film "Between Two Worlds" one year later), who is taking what he calls a "walking tour" of the Cornwall region. He stops overnight at the lonely little village of Morgan's Head and learns why the hamlet has been so named. Years earlier, two of the villagers had fought one another over the rights to a local tin mine, and Morgan had been vanquished. He had been killed with a boulder and then had his head lopped off by his opponent. Ever since then, it is said, his headless ghost has been terrorizing the region, and none of the locals has ever since been able to muster the courage to go anywhere near the mine, a fact that is severely hampering the English war effort. The local, uh, head man, handsome Sir Henry Leland (John Loder), cannot force them to go back to work, and when the murders begin again with the decapitation death of Dr. Holmes, the eternal scapegoat/simpleminded "village idiot" Bart Redmond (Matt Willis) is held to be in cahoots with the ghost itself. Fortunately for Bart, he has a defender in young Letty Carstairs (our Eleanor), the only person who seems to have the requisite grit, spunk and bravery to explore the local mine and get to the bottom of things. (Letty is the niece of the local pub owner, whose face is covered by an executioner's mask after having been disfigured in a mining accident; another element of horror in the film. Disappointingly, when we DO get to see the supposedly hideous mug of this man, it is not nearly as horrible as we expect.) But will those three admirable qualities be sufficient, as the literal head count begins to rise?"The Mysterious Doctor" has been well directed by someone named Benjamin Stoloff, who helms his film in a no-nonsense fashion and really keeps things moving along. Cheaply made as it is, the film looks just fine, abetted by some very nice B&W cinematography from one Henry Sharp. And as I mentioned, this is a remarkably compact affair, clocking in at a mere 57 minutes. (The art of creating a solid motion picture entertainment of so brief a duration seems to truly be a lost art, although it is doubtful that an audience of today would be willing to plop down $15 for a movie that didn't even last one hour!) It features a similarly taut and briskly moving script from Richard Weil, although its story line is more than a tad predictable. Indeed, it would take the most dim-witted of children to NOT figure out where this story is headed, or what the purpose of the headless ghost is, or even who the main villain of the piece is (the culprit telegraphs evil intentions early on, just with a narrowing of eyes). Still, watching the film go through its paces remains an enjoyable experience, and the film IS at times quite atmospheric. And a great part of the joy to be had here is watching young Parker, already coming off like a seasoned pro after having been in only one previous film before this, 1942's "Busses Roar." She easily steals the show from her more experienced actors, and even gets to give us one very convincing shriek as she glimpses the headless ghost in a foggy cavern. What a scream queen Eleanor could have been, a la the great Fay Wray! It almost makes one regret that she didn't do more films in the horror genre, and indeed, viewers would have to wait a good 26 years, until 1969's "Eye of the Cat," to see her perform in anything nearly as spooky. Parker would have another half dozen or so roles to go before finally "breaking through," in 1945's "Pride of the Marines," but this early film of hers is surely a testament to her great potential. "The Mysterious Doctor" is certainly a minor piece of work, all told, but you could surely find worse ways to kill an hour. Still, I can't help wondering why Mr. Weil did not title his film "The Headless Miner," surely a more intimidating proposition....

Lester Matthews (Dr Holmes) wanders into a foggy Cornish village and heads to the local inn. He is greeted by a weirdo bartender who runs the inn and does everything with a sack on his head. Matthews learns the story of a headless ghost that wanders around and kills anyone who enters the local tin mine. As a result, no-one goes near the tin mine. Well, the next day, that's exactly where Matthews heads off to. There is definitely someone walking around with no head because we see him. But is he really a ghost? What is going on in this village? It's a whodunit mystery type of film with a helping of horror atmosphere. There is lots of fog and it zips along at a good pace. The story is pretty unconvincing if you think about it. So don't. Just go with it and it carries you along to its conclusion. The film ends up being something different to what it starts out as. Given the year that the film was made, it is no surprise that there is a war element to things.

Beginning with a truly stunning image- what appears to be a headless corpse walking along the foggy moors, this is a neat little wartime thriller about the weird goings on in a small English village that has had the local tin mine shut down because of weird visions-headless visions- and the tragedies that strike those who go in the mine. ASolidly enjoyable hour long film this has mood to burn. As my friend Lou says about the film "it has everything you'd put on a list of things you need for a great 'old dark house film'". I agree. While the film isn't perfect, the mood has to be shifted to one side because there is, after all a plot, its still a great film to watch on a dark and stormy night or late at night curled up under the covers.

"The Mysterious Doctor" is a really short but entertaining ghost story.**SPOILERS**Riding along the English Moors, Hugh Penhyrn, (Forrester Harvey) manages to pick up the hitchhiking Dr. Frederick Holmes, (Lester Matthews) and stop off at a local bar. Meeting up with Kit Carson, (Bruce Lester) and hear the story about the town's past as a prosperous mining town cursed forever by the ghost of a member of a struggle that tore the town apart. Laughing it off as local superstition, he still agrees to visit the mine to see for himself. Going to the mine and discovering the truth of the ghost of the mine only to never be seen again, a group of town-members go off in search of the ghost. As it continues a deadly killing spree, they race to stop it before it is able to take control of the town.The Good News: This wasn't all that bad. This is a pretty creepy film when it really wants to be. The fact that the film starts off with a trip through a fog-entrenched English countryside, which is quite creepy by itself but becomes all the more when a heavy fog rolls in. The scenes in the mine at the conclusion are incredibly suspenseful, due mainly to it's spectacular setting and eerie feel to it. The darkness of the location and it's design are inherently creepy, and altogether with the camera angles and action, this becomes a really creepy location. The twisting staircases hidden from view and secret passageways are cleverly incorporated and really manage to work in some great moments. The revelation of the killer is a prime example, being completely driven by the location used which is put to great effect. The sight of the ghost the first time is a pretty great effect, looking like a more normal headless entity than an out-and-out ghost, but there is a slightly odd chill to it that really makes it seem like an imposing creature. This even has an entertaining and interesting back-story for the ghost, as the story told is done in a great manner that keeps the attention there. It's all combined into a really good film.The Bad News: There isn't a whole lot wrong with this one. The biggest is that the film's short length. This doesn't even run an hour long, and there's some really long padding in here that makes it seem like that time is going on more often than not. The constant battling over the superfluous characters that do nothing but eat up time in a film short enough as it is. It's needless as the characters aren't at all involved in the outcome of the film, which is it's other problem. This is simply way too convoluted and complicating, taking what was a simple ghost story and taking it way over the top with it's completely over-blown angle. There's no way this is plausible and is a way to make it feel longer than it really is. This here is a main reason keeping the film down.The Final Verdict: While not the greatest example of this genre, it's still a nice ride for what it is, even if it could've used a little more time. It's creepy enough to give it a look, and fans of this style and genre will want to give it a look, while those not accustomed to this style will want to look at others first before charging into this one.Today's Rating-PG: Mild Violence