mark.waltz
That's what the Crime Doctor must determine when the son-in-law of a knife thrower is sentenced for killing his father who disapproved of his marriage. This film also involves a painter of copies of classic paintings and culminates with an auction where Warner Baxter (in one of his last of this series) hopes to trap the guilty party who has already added several other corpses to the pile. As with other films in the series, this has many convoluted clues to prevent the audience from figuring out who the killer is. There are however, some interesting tidbits concerning the Parisan art world, including some ironic ways of figuring out if a painting is an original or a copy. Late in the series, it is definitely showing its age, especially when compared to the other detective stories of the time (now more film noir) rather than "series" films which were slowly disappearing from the bottom half of double bills.
bkoganbing
Warner Baxter goes to Paris in Crime Doctor's Gamble ostensibly to give a lecture, but mostly for a little rest and relaxation. But Inspector Marcel Journet kind of sandbags him into a mystery where a young artist is accused of killing his father. Journet is not convinced Roger Dann did do it or it is a case of temporary in sanity as he and the accused were in a concentration camp together during the late war. Dr. Robert Ordway is intrigued right into a little free consultation.Dann was a rich kid who left his good surroundings to be a painter and he fell for a girl who was from the wrong side of the tracks. He married a nightclub performer and dad was going to cut him off.What makes this one work is the nice cast of continental actors falling into good typecasting and the fact the motive is miles from what the police originally thought. A couple of bodies later and Dr. Ordway finds the killer. In fact Baxter has a nice fight scene with the murderer, something the cerebral Dr. Ordway usually doesn't do.They never leave the Columbia back lot, but Crime Doctor's Gamble is something you can take a chance on.
blanche-2
The crime doctor, Dr. Ordway (Warner Baxter) gets involved in an art scam and murder in Paris in "Crime Doctor's Gamble." Because he's friendly with the prefecture of police, Ordway, in France to give lectures, is taken into his confidence about a troubling murder case, which may just involve a knife thrower appearing at a local club. The man is accused of killing his own father, and his attorney wants to go for an insanity plea. When two other murders occur, Ordway sets a trap to expose the true murderer.I guess people take these Crime Doctor movies a little more seriously than I do. I found this entertaining, and I loved the wild dancing that took place at the nightclub. This is supposed to be Paris after the war, but we know it's a set at Columbia studios. There are some French actors to give it a little authenticity. In the nightclub, when the next act is announced, it's done in English, however! Baxter is his usual tired, relaxed self. I imagine, having suffered a nervous breakdown, that he was on medication; nevertheless, he gives a warm, kindly performance. Quite different from his manic portrayal in "42nd Street." As far as the psychological jargon being incorrect, it's incorrect in nearly every film from this era, including "The Greatest Show on Earth." Don't let it bother you.
HallmarkMovieBuff
This entry in the "Crime Doctor" series (based on the radio program of the same name) finds our protagonist in Paris giving a lecture on crime prevention. After the lecture, Dr. Ordway meets a Parisian colleague who takes him out for a night on the town "with no interruptions" (i.e., cases to solve). After visiting about half a dozen famous night clubs (identified by a series of neon logos), they arrive (apparently cold sober) at one where a knife thrower is performing, and where they actually engage in some dialog which sets the stage for the future "interruption".The next day, Dr. Ordway is introduced by his colleague to an apparent manic-depressive who allegedly killed his father with a letter opener during an argument. While investigating the murder (the "interruption" we of course knew was coming), Dr. Ordway discovers that the case also involves the mysterious theft of art copies.Like many another movie mystery, explanations that tie up loose ends are offered after the crime is solved, just in case the audience couldn't (or in this case, wasn't given the opportunity) to figure them out as it went along.Connoisseurs of American film will recognize among a cast of generally unfamiliar French actors, Emory Parnell in a small but pivotal part as art dealer O'Reilly, and Steven Geray as the family attorney of the deceased.
AD
