utgard14 Decent remake of Dr. Socrates changes a few things, including the gender of the doctor. In the original it was the great Paul Muni. Here, it's Kay Francis. The real star of this film, however, is Humphrey Bogart. This was made during the period when Warner Bros. still had Bogie playing villainous gangster characters. This is one of the better movies that are considered "lesser" Bogart pictures. He's great fun in the role and steals every scene he's in. The plot is about a falsely-maligned female doctor (Francis) who sets out to prove her innocence by infiltrating Bogart's gang. There's a few holes in the plot but it's a short, smoothly-paced WB gangster flick so you don't really care that much. Just sit back and enjoy some good old fashioned popcorn entertainment.

Bolesroor "King Of The Underworld" is, without exaggeration, the worst Bogart film I have seen. He plays an impossibly-dim, impossibly-evil gangster with no motivation whatsoever. The screenplay calls for his character to torture Kay Francis and take interest in a hobo/writer he discovers at the side of the road, so that's what he does. Little is explained, and even less makes sense. (Was the character of Carole's mother there only for PURE exposition?) Warner Bros. made legendary crime films in the 30's and 40's, so there is no excuse for this graceless disaster. I love Bogie but he must have been incredibly discouraged by the script: he gives the worst performance of his career and often looks like he just wants the damn film to END. You will too.Bogart's kingpin character Joe Gurney should logically want to murder Dr. Carole Nelson. She's a potential witness who might turn him over to the police in order to clear her name and save her medical practice. And although Bogie had no problem shooting a potential snitch in the back- in cold blood- in the film's opening minutes, the thought of harming Carole apparently never enters his mind, even when he's got her alone with his cronies. Caution: Open Plot-Holes Ahead. Next we have the barely-literate Joe obsessed with Napoleon- kinda. He sees himself as some Napoleon-like figure and drops vague "Napoleonisms" that sound like they were made up on the spot. Since all we know about Joe Gurney is in relation to Carole Nelson's case, this Napoleon sub-plot is incomplete and out of place. (Would the film be any different if he identified instead with Spiderman?) When Carole tells Bogie he's the moronic type Bogart brags to his goons- straight-faced, "Did you hear that, fellas? I'm the moronic type!" That's about the level of wit this film has to offer.The finale, in which Dr. Nelson blinds Bogie and the boys with magic eye drops, would be more at home in a Three Stooges short. If you want great Bogart go see High Sierra, The Big Sleep, Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, or The Maltese Falcon. This "King" is a crab.GRADE: C-

Pigbelly This movie is a cinematic collage of gangster clichés. The writing is grade z and the plot and story are constructed without care or logic. It a messy pastiche of stereotypical gangsters (think of Bugs Bunny cartoons) and silly supporting characters (the lady doctor and the writer). There are much better Bogart films out there. In fact, Bogart looks like he slept through this performance. He puts very little effort into this character. I think the directorial advice he received was something like "He's a bad guy. Act bad". This guy is the era's equivalent of Darth Vader; obvious, evil and the anti-hero. Don't waste your time with this one.

Chris Gaskin King of the Underworld features an early role for Humphery Bogart in one of his many gangster roles.He plays Joe Gurney who uses a female doctor to treat his men and pays her for it. He follows her when she goes to live with her Auntie after one of Gurney's men kills her doctor husband who also worked for him. Gurney kidnaps an author on his way to find the female doctor and gets him to write his life story and he then plans to kill him. He finally meets up with the doctor and after she gives Gurney and his men a substance that makes them temporarily blind, she and the author, who have now fallen in love manage to escape just as police arrive...Joing the excellent Bogie in the cast are Kay Francis, James Stephenson and John Eldredge.Watching King of the Underworld is a good way to spend just over an hour one evening.Rating: 3 stars out of 5.