Although Humphrey Bogart is widely recognized for his dramatic roles in films such as The Maltese Falcon and Casablancathe actor also played a vampire in a lesser-known horror film. In 1939, Bogart played a character completely different from his usual work when he appeared in The Return of Doctor X. Based on Doctor Secret by William J. Makin, The Return of Doctor X follows a reporter who investigates a series of strange murders. Before his role as the title character in the horror film, Humphrey Bogart mainly starred in gangster films.
Humphrey Bogart starred in several films throughout his career and The Return of Doctor X it was the only horror film he ever made. The Return of Doctor X received controversial reviews, with some critics calling the film one of Bogart’s worst roles. Despite negative reviews The Return of Doctor X received, Bogart had an illustrious career and cemented his place as a Hollywood legend.
Humphrey Bogart Played a Vampire in Doctor X’s Return
The Return of Doctor X Was Humphrey Bogart’s Only Horror Film
Throughout his career, Humphrey Bogart had some iconic roles, including playing a vampire in The Return of Doctor X. In the film, Bogart plays Dr. Maurice Xavier, a criminal who was arrested and executed for his diabolical experiments that led to the death of a child. After his death, Dr. Flegg used his synthetic blood to resurrect Dr. X. However, Dr. X was unable to synthesize the blood himself, so the two had to kill people to get their blood.
X was not a traditional vampire, nor was he referred to as such in The Return of Doctor X. However, his abilities and bloodlust clearly establish him as a vampire, albeit one of scientific – rather than supernatural – origin. . Although Bogart wasn’t exactly famous for starring in horror films,he did a good job playing a character that didn’t belong to a genre he was comfortable with. The film didn’t exactly become a critical and popular success, but it demonstrated a side of the actor not seen in his gangster films or the film noir classics he would later headline.
What Humphrey Bogart Thought About Doctor X’s Return
Humphrey Bogart hated the return of Doctor X
When Humphrey Bogart was cast as Doctor X he thought he wasn’t the right man to be the title character. The American icon felt Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff should have played the scary doctor. Bogart explained how he felt about the film, saying: ”This is one of the photos that made me march to [Warner Bros. studio chief Jack L. Warner] and ask for more money again,” (through TCM).
Bogart didn’t hide what he felt for The Return of Doctor Xwhich at one point he called ”rotten movie.” The actor apparently disliked the film so much that he never acted in a horror film again. Although some audiences agreed with Bogart that he was misunderstood, The Return of Doctor Xthe role remains – for better or worse – part of his lasting legacy in Hollywood, as it was one of several precursors to Bogart’s rise to stardom.
Sources: TCM