Who Killed 'Doc' Robbin?

This movie has camp galore. As a child, I had no idea of the stereotypes that were used. I had no connection to the gorilla taking the black kid's clothes. None of it dawned on me that it was something racist. I loved this movie, because even as a child, the movie was awful and I loved it that it was awesomely bad. The terrible film grade, the horrible acting, the atrocious haircuts, the poor grammatical decisions, the ridiculous story line, the inane alibis, the stupor-inducing firing-chamber hunt...It made me laugh. It was 1948 when it was made, for crying out loud. Get over it that it was racist; so was America at that time, like it or not. Move forward. Enjoy it for what it is: a campy, corny kids' movie that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I was utterly fascinated by this flick when I was a kid, probably in 1949 when I was 6 years old. I waited all my life to see it again and just happen to find a CD of it for one dollar at Wal-Mart. Well, let's be honest here, it's not all that great. If I were a film maker I would do a remake. A gorilla chasing kids in dark hall ways is pretty scary stuff. The one scene that stayed in my little mind, all these long years, was where all the kids were standing on the stairway holding candles. Of course that was what was used in the trailer. And as I remember the quality of the film was far, far greater than the CD that one can buy.

I first saw this Hal Roach classic in '76, on local TV, one-half of an after-school double-feature. I don't recall the other movie but it was another "Curly." Enough to say I've been hooked ever since. And when I discovered a DVD copy in the dollar bin at Wal-Mart, I scooped it right up, giddy with serendipity.

Someone has murdered the reclusive Doc Robbin, a late night explosion destroying his laboratory. Dan, the local Mister Fix-it, is arrested and Curly and his gang set out to prove the elderly pensioner's innocence.

The cast is very excellent for the level of talent demanded: The little "gang-sters" are superb (little Ardda will steal your heart); the very lovely Virginia Grey plays the damsel in miss-tress, and George Zucco plays the heavy.

Think of "Our Gang" with candles in a haunted house, add color, and you pretty much have it.

My regrets to those who find overt racism in everything they see. i myself saw nary an example, overt or otherwise.

'Fix-it' Dan Cameron (Whitford Kane) invents an atomic device and is accused of dispatching his financer Doc Hugo Robbin (George Zucco.)

Three-fourths of the movie is a bunch of kids running around in a spooky house with secret passages and being chased by a big gorilla.

One-fourth of the movie is ridiculous and slapstick scenes that add no value to the plot or characters.

The original was filmed in 35mm Cinecolor that was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M. Gundelfinger, and in use from 1932 to 1955.

A good movie with George Zucco, the same type of spooky house Ich suche meinen Mörder (1941) They even play the exact theme song. However, a better story.

Who Killed Doc Robbin? (1948)

1/2 (out of 4)

Hal Roach gave us some great comedians and great films but this certainly isn't one of them. Roach was trying to bring the Our Gang back with a new group of kids but I guess this film is one of the reasons this group only made two movies. In the film a young woman is on trial for the murder of Doc Robbin (George Zucco) but the kids seem to know the truth about the real killer. This film runs a short 55-minutes but I could have sworn it ran a few hours longer. I knew I was in trouble right before the opening credits when we first met the "kids" because they each deliver one line (the title) and they were already annoying the hell out of me. The comedy in the film is so forced that I was ready to scratch my eyes out and the kids give some of the worst performances I've ever seen. Even Zucco comes off very badly here. The only benefit is the Technicolor.