“The Mad Doctor of Market Street” (1942) / Z-View
The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942)
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Screenplay: Al Martin
Stars: Una Merkel, Lionel Atwill, Nat Pendleton, Noble Johnson and John Eldredge
Tagline: GENIUS – OR FIEND?
The Plot…
Dr. Ralph Benson (Atwill) changes his name and boards a passenger ship after a man dies during one of Benson’s crazy experiments. While on the ship Benson is recognized so he lures the man to a secluded area and throws him overboard. A fire breaks out on the ship. Benson and five others are the sole survivors. Their lifeboat lands on an island populated by natives ready to kill them.
Benson learns that the Chief’s wife is on her deathbed. Benson claims he can cure her. When a shot of adrenaline revives the woman, the Chief thinks Benson has magical powers. Benson sets himself up as a god. He plans to continue his experiments starting with the other survivors. Trapped on an island with a mad doctor and natives ready to kill them, the survivors have little chance for life.
Unless…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Mad Doctor of Market Street is about what you’d expect for a low budget B film of the early 40s. The murders are tame or appear off screen. There’s an attempt at humor. The one surprising thing and it is pretty grim even though it appears off screen is — BIG SPOILER ALERT — the fire that alerts the search party that there are survivors on the island comes from the natives burning the doctor alive!
The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.
