Tonight we went way back in time, to 1935, to watch a horrific gem called "The Crime of Dr. Crespi". I know we're supposed to be sticking to the mid 1950s - early '60s, and concentrating on science fiction over horror, but I found a new movie list on Youtube, compiled by someone named "Mr. Spinks", that consists of over 700 titles! Some of 'em are movies we've seen and some we don't wish to see (late 60s/early 70s garish horror and/or counterculture stuff), but he's also got quite a few we've never heard of. I got "The Night Caller" from Mr. Spinks, and tonight I was looking for a short film in the 60 to 65 minute range because I spent quite a while reading my Dr. Farrell book and listening to my Buddy Holly cd. Plus, I love short movies, and it's been a while since we saw a good old fashioned sixty minuter, so when I saw "Dr. Crespi" on Mr.Spinks' list, I knew it was perfect for tonight.
One big draw was the star, Erich von Stroheim. He was a dual talent, an actor and director ("Greed") and was part of early Hollywood royalty, but what he is mostly remembered for today is his image : that of a monocled tyrant in jodhpurs, cracking a whip at his actors, or a shaven headed Nazi without a shred of conscience. Few could play evil like von Stroheim, and he had the countenance to match. But he wasn't a one-note actor, and we saw this tonight in his nuanced performance as a surgeon who plans to get rid of his romantic rival, the man who married his sweetheart.
The movie opens with a few minutes of hijinx. Things are slow at the hospital. Night duty nurses are gabbing & calling their boyfriends. An Italian man has just become the father of quintuplets but he doesn't speak English so he doesn't realise what's hit him. These are sprinklings of screwball comedy which was popular at the time, but they are kept low key because of what is coming next. The news comes in that "Dr. Stephen Ross" (John Bohn), another prominent physician, has nearly been killed in a car accident. Several doctors confer on his prognosis and decide that only Dr. Crespi can save him. Inside his office, Crespi receives the news with stoic glee. Stoic because he must present a Grave Face to his co-workers, After all, Dr. Ross is his best friend. But he is also secretly gleeful because he hates the man's guts. Dr, Ross, you see, married Dr. Crespi's love, Estelle (Harriett Russell). Crespi has never forgiven him for "stealing" a woman who was never his in the first place. And now, he has his chance for revenge. The opening credits mention an "inspiration" by Poe's "Premature Burial". We recently saw Roger Corman's adaptation of that story starring Ray Milland. It was faithful to the original; this film is a takeoff, but both feature the main theme of getting put in the ground before one is deceased, a grim prospect indeed.
Dr. Crespi assures Estelle that he will do his best to help her husband, but he doesn't mean it. Although he does perform the life-saving surgery, it isn't long before he injects Dr. Ross with a serum that induces a death-like state. In "Premature Burial", Milland's fear was that he'd inherit catalepsy, a disease. Here, the dramatic device is a curare-like poison, deliberately administered. In one of the most diabolical scenes in recent memory, Von Stroheim leans over the recovering Dr. Ross and describes to him in graphic detail what he intends to do and what the consequences will be. I feel ghoulish even re-creating some of it for you, but here goes : "And after I inject you, you will lie motionless, unable to even blink your eyes. You will appear dead and will be taken to the morgue, knowing you are still alive but unable to summon help. Then, you will be placed in a casket with the lid sealed shut. You will be carried to the gravesite and lowered into the ground, where you will hear the muffled sound of dirt falling on top of you. That sound will slowly become faint until you hear nothing at all, and there you will lie, in total darkness until you take your last breath".
Sorry about that. Believe me, what I wrote is mild compared to what he actually says. It's brutal! But what Von Stroheim doesn't know is that Dwight Frye has been monitoring his actions. Frye, the legendary actor from both "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" gets to play a good guy for once. Here, he's "Dr. Thomas", a young physician who works under Crespi. Crespi constantly upbraids Thomas for alleged incompetence, which Thomas resents. And now that he overhears Crespi's demonic diatribe to Dr. Ross, it's time for some payback, only it won't be as simple as he imagines.
Dr. Thomas confronts Crespi with what he's just heard. "I know what you plan to do and you won't get away with it! You're evil, you are, and I'm going to stop you"! This sends Dr. Crespi off the deep end. He attacks Dr. Thomas, knocking him unconscious. Then he ties him up and stuffs him in a closet. This buys him time to attend the funeral of Dr. Ross, after which he will comfort the bereaved Estelle and eventually complete his plan by proposing to her. When the funeral is over, Dr. Ross is buried and does indeed suffer every panic-inducing sensation that Crespi predicted. He's still alive, of course, but only Crespi knows it. Von Stroheim now pours on the sympathy : "Ahh, he was a good man, my best friend and colleague. I shall miss him terribly". Estelle cries on his shoulder as he leads her away. All is looking good.
But back at the hospital, one of the nurses has heard a knocking sound, coming from behind a wall. When she investigates, she finds Dwight Frye in the closet, tied up and gagged. He explains to her what's taken place. "We must act immediately! Dr. Ross is still alive"! You can guess what's coming next - an exhumation. Hey, it wouldn't be a 1930s Horror Movie without one, and you knew Dwight Frye had to do something weird along the way. He's unable to talk the nurse into helping him, but her boyfriend agrees to assist. He's "Dr. Arnold" (Paul Guilfoyle), another physician at the hospital who resents Dr. Crespi, in his case because he believes he - Arnold - should be the chief of surgery over the mad doctor. Doctors Thomas and Arnold repair to the graveyard and begin digging. When they reach the casket, they open the lid and.........
Prepare yourselves for a fiendishly satisfying ending, in which Von Stroheim receives his just desserts.
The plot is simple but the movie works because of Erich von Stroheim's portrayal of the sociopathic Dr. Crespi. He adds a lot of personality tics that make the character seem real, such as his nervous tapping of a pencil, or his habit of pouring himself a shot while facing a toy skeleton he keeps on his liquor cabinet like a mascot. And like a true sociopath, he maintains two faces; one of placid competence for the world, the other of spitting contempt for his enemies, which he can don in a split second. It's a scary performance, balanced nicely by Dwight Frye's demeanor as the morally-upright Dr. Thomas. He was a really good actor and it's nice to see him playing something other than a creep.
"The Crime of Dr. Crespi" is a quick and quiet little movie with few plot developments and no music, but it's very effective on the strength of the acting, and of course the devious nature of the story. I'm gonna go a little higher than you might expect and give it Two Big Thumbs Up, in context for what it is, which is a short but classic little horror gem. If you like little-known finds, check it out. It's highly recommended. ////
That's all I know on this overcast afternoon. We went from 100 degrees two days ago down to about 70 today. I'm gonna head out for a hike in just a minute, destination unknown. See you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
No comments:
Post a Comment