The Crime Of Dr. Crespi (1935)

A renowned doctor (Erich von Stroheim) secretly hates a colleague (John Bohn) because he stole and married the woman (Harriet Russell) that he loved. When the doctor has the opportunity to perform surgery on his colleague, he gets his revenge. Very loosely based on THE PREMATURE BURIAL by Edgar Allan Poe and directed by John H. Auer (CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS). This poverty row B horror movie was filmed outside Hollywood at the Biograph studios in New York. Its low budget primitiveness aside, it's an effective piece of the macabre with a trace of humor. An acclaimed director in the silent era (GREED, THE MERRY WIDOW), von Stroheim's directorial career was nipped in the bud after the disastrous QUEEN KELLY (1929) and he had to make do with an acting career. Although he had good parts in some excellent films like GRAND ILLUSION and SUNSET BOULEVARD, he often had to make do with minor movies like this one. Auer makes good use of darkness and shadows and his languid pacing doesn't hurt the film. As a young intern who stands up to von Stroheim's Dr. Crespi, poor Dwight Frye (DRACULA) comes off as creepy even though he's not supposed to be. With Paul Guilfoyle, Geraldine Kay and Jean Brooks (THE SEVENTH VICTIM).