‘The Return Of Doctor X’ Blu-Ray Review – Humphrey Bogart As You Have Never Seen Him Before

In a bizarre but fascinating bit of casting, Humphrey Bogart stars as a vampire in his only horror film role. After a murderous doctor is executed, he is revived with human blood–and soon people with that blood type begin to disappear. When an eager reporter stumbles across a popular actress who was thought to be dead, he can’t help noticing that her skin is unnaturally pale and that she keeps her face concealed beneath a long black veil. Suspecting that evil is afoot, he investigates the terrifying world of a psychotic doctor (Bogart) and is drawn into a series of unsolved murders.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents The Return of Doctor X for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. The label never fails to deliver quality work, and this image is nothing short of amazing for a film that is 85 years old. This black-and-white feature has exceptional natural film grain throughout that provides a notable amount of detail to the image. There are never instances when it gets too clumpy or unnatural. The presentation has a pleasing amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Print damage is practically nonexistent to these eyes throughout the duration of the movie. It is always amazing to see how film preservation can bring new vitality to a film, and Warner Archive has knocked it out of the park with this release. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that sounds simply wonderful. Some strong accent choices come through crystal clear with not even a word lost in the mix. None of the sound effects or the underlying music ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The more frantic sequences are appropriately lively in the speakers, but this film is not a standout in that regard. There does not appear to be any damage or age-related wear to the track. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that gives the material the life it needs. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: An archival commentary track featuring director Vincent Sherman and author/film historian Dr. Steve Haberman which is dominated by the latter but contains great insights into the development challenges, script revisions, the casting process, the film’s legacy, and more. 

• Doggone Modern: A nearly eight-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon is presented in remastered HD in which a couple of puppies square off against some modern technological innovations.

• Porky’s Hotel: A seven-minute Looney Tunes cartoon is presented in remastered HD in which star Porky Pig runs a hotel with some colorful guests. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided for the film. 

Final Thoughts

The Return of Doctor X is not quite as effective as its spooky predecessor, but it nonetheless provides a chilling tale that keeps you rapt with attention. The true novelty of this outing is seeing Humphrey Bogart completely out of his element portraying a true wacko. It is short and to the point, and well worth a watch. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring an A+ audio/visual presentation and some great special features. If you are a fan of spooky classic tales, it is well worth putting it into your shopping cart. Recommended 

The Return of Doctor X can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.