Doctor X: Pre-Production Code Fun!
On this day in 1932 the horror film Doctor X opened: Directed by Michael Curtiz and featuring King Kong’s girlfriend Fay Wray this film is interesting because it was one of the last Hollywood films shot before the infamous Production Code and as such it features all sorts of mature themes like murder, rape and cannibalism that wouldn’t find here way back into filmmaking for decades to come. Another thing that makes this film interesting for the 30s is that it was shot in Technicolor — so it’s a rare color film from that era:
By the way it should be noted that the film is very humorous and the plot revolves around a reporter investigating cannibalistic murders in New York City and Long Island. The result seems quite campy, but that’s the charm of the film. Director Michael Curtiz would go on to direct a number of classics in the years to come including Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy and White Christmas.