The Millerson Case
While on vacation, a criminal psychologist investigates a murder during a typhoid epidemic.
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- Cast:
- Warner Baxter , Nancy Saunders , Clem Bevans , Griff Barnett , Paul Guilfoyle , James Bell , Addison Richards
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Reviews
Very well executed
Load of rubbish!!
I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
When the Crime Doctor heads to the boonies for a week of fishing and hunting, it is only a matter of time before murder follows. What starts off as a series of typhoid cases resulting in quarantine reveals murder. So far, so smart, but not for long. These country folk all have secret resentments, and when one of them dies of something other than typhoid, the backwoods doctor is made out to be the top suspect. There is obviously a reason why one film press agent wrote, "Hicks Nix Stykx Pix", and this just gets more and more ridiculous as it uncovers such idiot hokum as corn whiskey, home-made medical remedies and a town fair that of course ends up with a square dance. The creators were stretching this series to the max with this entry that would insult the residents of TV's Bugtustle and Petticoat Junction. Not to mention that this was a re-tread of a plot similar to 1932's "The Circus Queen Murder" where detective Adolph Menjou also headed to the country for a vacation and ended up involved in murder as well.
Well, one thing you can say about the Crime Doctor detective series is that it sure didn't fall into a predictable pattern. Unlike other Columbia Pictures films of the genre (such as Boston Blackie and The Lone Wolf), the plot lines and locations of the Crime Doctor films generally made them a bit fresher and more interesting.Here, oddly enough, Dr. Ordway takes a needed vacation in what looks like the Ozarks or Appalachians (though the exact setting was never mentioned). Talk about a big departure from the usual sophistication of New York! While his going there for hunting and fishing is unusual, what ISN'T unusual is that murders occur here--just like in the city! The troubles begin in this very backward little town when Typhoid breaks out and Dr. Ordway is pressed into service by the county health department. While assisting with autopsies, Ordway discovers that one of the victims has no trace of Typhoid in his blood and the man was actually poisoned! At this point, given that this is the country and Ordway is quite the amateur detective, he helps the police solve the crime as well as rid the town of infection.Because of the strange combination of the New York psychiatrist and the Li'l Abner-like locals, this makes for a very strange mix. While certainly far from the best Crime Doctor film, fans of the genre no doubt will be thrilled to see a unique story and decent writing. And don't worry--this is NOT anything like SWING YOUR LADY or other silly hillbilly films.
WARNER BAXTER was approaching the last few "Crime Doctor" films when he made THE MILLERSON CASE, about an epidemic of typhoid that's tainted by a slight case of murder. Seems that while trying to have a vacation in the country, Dr. Ordway is pressured to join other doctors in helping out when typhoid strikes the townspeople.A gruff country doctor (GRIFF BARNETT) opposes the notion that the epidemic is anything more than "summer complaint". But a microscopic examination of bacilii proves that one of the victims was not dead from typhoid, but poison.As usual, there are a number of suspects and Sheriff CLEM BEVANS has his hands full arresting first one, then another, each time fooled into suspecting the wrong culprits. The only quibble I have with the story is that when the denouement does come and the mystery is solved, it turns out to be the least interesting character that did it.The sleuthing is interesting in all of these "Crime Doctor" stories, and as usual, at the end there's a little extra surprise thrown in at the last moment.Reliable character actor GRIFF BARNETT, as Dr. Millerson, was a busy character actor throughout the '40s and '50s, most memorable as Olivia de Havilland's druggist father in TO EACH HIS OWN ('46). He played a much more likable character in that one.
Greatly enjoy these classic films which featured Dr. Robert Ordway,(Warner Baxter) who plays the role of doctor and also a detective who always manages to catch the killer. In this story, Dr. Ordway cancels all his appointments at his office in New York City and hands all his cases over to his assistant and tells everyone he is going on a vacation way out in the country for some good fishing and hunting and he will not involve himself with anything else, because he has not taken a rest for a very long time. Dr. Ordway no sooner gets to his location that the local town becomes sick with a Typhoid epidemic and everyone is getting sick and some people are dying. There is a local doctor who mixes all kinds of herbs and way out contents and Dr. Ordway has to take matters into his own hands. Dr. Ordway runs some tests with the state health department and discovers that someone has been poisoned and then the story takes on a different twist and Dr. Ordway stops enjoying any kind of vacation and tries to find out who the killer is. This is a great look back at films in 1947 and is lots of fun to watch.