The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case
The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case
The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case is a 1943 American mystery film directed by Eugene Forde. It stars Warner Baxter, Lynn Merrick, and Gloria Dickson and is the second movie in Columbia Pictures’ Crime Doctor series, based on the Crime Doctor radio program.
Plot
Dr. Robert Ordway, who once helped a parolee named Jimmy Trotter, meets Jimmy and his fiancée Ellen as they plan to marry. Jimmy now works as a secretary for businessman Walter Burns. Ordway warns them to delay marriage until Jimmy can find steadier employment. That night, Burns is found dead from poisoning. Jimmy flees, fearing he’ll be blamed. Ellen, who has married Jimmy, teams up with Ordway. Ordway follows clues, assists the police, and ultimately uncovers the real murderer, helping Jimmy avoid prison.
Cast
- Warner Baxter as Dr. Robert Ordway
- Lynn Merrick as Ellen Trotter
- Gloria Dickson as Mrs. Keppler / Evelyn Fenton Cartwright
- Barton MacLane as Detective Rief
- Jerome Cowan as Mallory Cartwright
- Reginald Denny as Paul Ashley
- Rose Hobart as Mrs. Diana Burns
- Virginia Brissac as Patricia Cornwall
- Lloyd Bridges as Jimmy Trotter
- Constance Worth as Betty Watson
- Sam Flint as Addison Burns
- Creighton Hale as Dr. Carter
- Thomas E. Jackson as Detective Yarnell
- George Lynn as Walter Burns
- Ray Walker as Mr. George H. Fenton
Production and release
Produced by Larry Darmour and distributed by Columbia Pictures, The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case has a running time of 68 minutes. It was released on December 9, 1943, in English (United States). The film’s music was composed by Michel Michelet, with cinematography by James S. Brown Jr. and editing by Dwight Caldwell. It draws on the Crime Doctor character created by Max Marcin for radio.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 10:26 (CET).