The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) in Color — Starring Edward G. Robinson & Claire Trevor

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) — Buy This Classic in Color

Discover The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, Anatole Litvak’s brilliant 1938 crime drama starring Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart, now available as a professionally colorized version. Own this classic movie in color as a DRM-free MP4 digital download for just €15.00.

Plot Summary

Dr. Robert Clitterhouse (Edward G. Robinson) is a highly respected, wealthy Park Avenue physician and criminologist who becomes obsessed with a daring scientific hypothesis: that the criminal mind can only be truly understood through direct, firsthand experience of committing crimes. Rather than studying criminals from the safe distance of his consulting room, Clitterhouse decides to become one — personally planning and executing a series of increasingly audacious jewel heists across New York City while meticulously recording his own physiological and psychological responses to each crime. His brilliant mind and cool scientific detachment make him a spectacularly successful thief, and he quickly attracts the attention of a real criminal organization run by the dangerous, street-smart gangster Rocks Valentine (Humphrey Bogart). Clitterhouse infiltrates Rocks’s gang, using his intellectual superiority and medical knowledge to improve their operations dramatically while collecting invaluable research data, all channeled through the gang’s shrewd fence Jo Keller (Claire Trevor), who develops a complicated romantic attraction to the charming, enigmatic doctor. But as Clitterhouse sinks deeper into the criminal underworld, the boundaries between scientific observer and genuine criminal begin to blur dangerously. Rocks Valentine, suspicious and resentful of this outsider who has usurped his authority, begins plotting against the doctor, and the resulting power struggle forces Clitterhouse to confront the most disturbing question his research has raised: has his immersion in criminal behavior genuinely changed him, or was the capacity for criminal thought always lurking beneath his respectable surface? This classic movie delivers one of the most intellectually provocative and darkly entertaining crime films of Hollywood’s golden age.

Cast & Crew

Director: Anatole Litvak

Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor, Humphrey Bogart, Allen Jenkins, Donald Crisp, Gale Page, Henry O’Neill, John Litel, Thurston Hall, Ward Bond

Edward G. Robinson delivers a magnificent, intellectually dazzling performance as Dr. Clitterhouse, bringing urbane sophistication, scientific precision, and increasingly dark moral ambiguity to a character who believes he can enter the criminal world and emerge unchanged — a delusion the film devastatingly explores. Humphrey Bogart, still a year away from his breakthrough stardom, creates a memorably menacing Rocks Valentine, his street-smart toughness providing a perfect counterpoint to Robinson’s academic elegance. Claire Trevor brings sharp intelligence and genuine emotional complexity to Jo Keller, navigating the dangerous territory between both men with skill and growing unease.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse was originally filmed in black and white with the atmospheric visual style that defined Warner Bros.’ golden age crime dramas. This professionally colorized restoration brings frame-by-frame precision to the elegant Park Avenue apartments, the shadowy criminal hideouts, the glittering stolen jewels, the tense gangland confrontations, and the dark, morally complex world where high society and the criminal underworld collide with explosive consequences. The colorized version adds remarkable visual texture and atmospheric richness to this restored classic film, enhancing the dramatic contrast between Clitterhouse’s respectable medical world and the dangerous criminal realm he infiltrates. Now also available in colour.

Buy The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse represents Warner Bros. at the peak of their crime drama expertise, combining the studio’s trademark gritty realism with an unusually intelligent, psychologically complex screenplay adapted from Barre Lyndon’s successful stage play. The film stands out for its sophisticated exploration of the thin line between the criminal mind and the scientific mind, raising questions about morality, obsession, and self-knowledge that anticipate modern crime fiction by decades. The pairing of Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart — two of cinema’s greatest tough-guy icons — in a battle of wits rather than guns creates unforgettable dramatic tension. Through colorization, this landmark Warner Bros. crime classic is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 87 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Why does Dr. Clitterhouse turn to crime?
A: Dr. Clitterhouse believes the criminal mind can only be truly understood through firsthand experience, so he personally plans and executes jewel heists while meticulously recording his own physiological and psychological responses — a brilliant but dangerously misguided scientific experiment.

Q: What is Humphrey Bogart’s role in the film?
A: Bogart plays Rocks Valentine, the dangerous, street-smart gang leader whose criminal operation Clitterhouse infiltrates. Rocks’s growing suspicion and resentment of the intellectual outsider creates a riveting power struggle that drives the film toward its darkly ironic climax.

Q: How does colorization enhance this crime drama?
A: Colorization brings rich visual texture to the elegant Park Avenue settings, shadowy criminal hideouts, glittering stolen jewels, and tense confrontation scenes, deepening the atmospheric contrast between Clitterhouse’s respectable medical world and the dangerous underworld he infiltrates.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as an MP4 file compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: Is there DRM on the file?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free so you can watch it on any device without restrictions.

Q: How quickly can I watch after purchase?
A: Your download link is available instantly after payment, so you can start watching within minutes.

Related Colorized Classics

• Little Caesar (1931)
• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• High Sierra (1941)
• Key Largo (1948)
• Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)