Troy and I discuss THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942)
and ask the most obvious question first – Why does this movie mostly take place
on a Pacific island? That title is an example of blatant false advertising! This
bizarre tale of mad science in the South Seas does begin in San Francisco on Market
Street but quickly shifts to a doomed cruise ship and then, after some footage
from another movie, to an island inhabited by the usual Hollywood-style native stereotypes.
These easily fooled islanders are soon convinced by the Mad Scientist (Atwill)
that he is a god capable of resurrecting the dead. You don’t have to be a
genius to know that this is not going to work out well long term. The silly portrayal
of these natives is only partially redeemed by the chief being played by the great
Noble Johnson who manages to inject some dignity into the proceedings. And top
billed Una Merkle is a real joy as the flighty Aunt Margaret who is on her way
to marry a wealthy man in New Zealand. Past those elements your mileage may
vary.
If you have any comments or questions our email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com or we can be
reached on the show’s FaceBook page. We’d be thrilled to hear from you. Thanks
for listening to this episode!
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