Docteur Socrate

Paul Muni has never made a bad movie or given a poor performance. He didn't crank out movie after movie like so many stars in that era, he carefully picked his roles. This is a terrific picture, Muni plays a doctor who has become a gangster's physician, but not by choice. The gangster is played with gusto by Barton MacLane. A woman who is kidnapped by the gang (Ann Dvorak) is injured and brought to Muni. She and the doctor soon fall in love. But, the gangster wants her, because she could testify against him since she knows what he looks like. Great cinematography but it's Muni's picture all the way. Helen Lowell provides fine support as "Ma".

DOCTOR SOCRATES (Warner Brothers, 1935), directed by William Dieterle, taken from a story by W.R. Burnett, stars Paul Muni in another one of his lesser known films of this period. Returning him to crime melodrama, Muni doesn't play a hooded gangster as he did in SCARFACE (United Artists, 1932), but a small town doctor (sporting mustache) who innocently becomes involved in treating gangsters. It also marked Muni's second and final role opposite Ann Dvorak, his co-star from his now classic SCARFACE.

Set in Big Bend (Ohio), "the biggest little city in Wayne County," the story opens with its residents discussing the latest crime caper committed by noted gangster, "Red" Bastian, from their local newspaper. Lee Caldwell (Paul Muni) is introduced as a new medical doctor from Chicago who is not well-liked by its residents, especially its long-time town doctor, Ginder (Robert Barrat) who labels Caldwell "Doctor Socrates" for his love for Greek philosophy and his reading of "The Republic of Plato." Returning home from the drug store, Caldwell, accompanied by his elderly housekeeper, "Ma" Ganson (Helen Lowell), finds he has visitors, fellow doctor friends from Chicago, McLinty (Samuel S. Hinds) and Dick Burton (John Eldredge). They each feel Caldwell, a brilliant surgeon, is wasting his time in this small town and want him to come back with them. (Caldwell's background is revealed as one trying to forget his past and death of his fiancee due to an automobile accident for which he takes responsibility). Regardless of being heavily in debt, Caldwell is set on staying in Big Bend. Before heading for bed, Caldwell answers a knock on the door, visitors being "Red" Bastian (Barton MacLane) and his gun moll, "Muggsy" (Mayo Methot), who come for treatment of Bastian's gunshot wound. Caldwell treats the wound at a point of a gun. Though he refuses a fee, Bastian leaves him a $100 and goes on his way. The next day, Bastian and his mob, driving down the road, pick up Josephine "Jo" Gray (Ann Dvorak), a hitchhiker on her way to California, with intentions of having her dropped off in Carsonville. Jo never makes it to her destination as Bastian and his mob stop to rob a bank in Big Bend. She makes her escape only to get a gunshot wound in the process. Caldwell comes to her aid and takes her to his home for treatment. He refuses to have her leave with the police while under his care, especially since she is believed to be part of Bastian gang. Caldwell becomes romantically interested in Jo, with plans of possible marriage. After reading about Jo in the newspaper, Bastian abducts her from the kindly doctor. Caldwell faces further complications when he is accused of being connected with Bastian when the $100 bill he used to pay his debts turns out to be one of the bills in connection with one of the bank robberies. Others in the cast include: Hobart Cavanaugh (Floyd Stevens, the druggist); Henry O'Neill (Greer); Grace Stafford (Caroline Suggs, the troubled girl); Olin Howland (Catlett); Marc Lawrence and Grady Sutton, among others.

Though not as famous as other crime capers featuring Edward G. Robinson or James Cagney, Paul Muni is acceptable as a good doctor of a small but gossipy town who falls victim to aiding gangsters. Barton MacLane, who seems to be type-cast in playing mob bosses as he did opposite James Cagney and Ann Dvorak in 'G' MEN (1935), performs his same task here as well. William Dieterle, would later direct Muni in his more prestigious productions of THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (1936) and THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937), keeps the pace moving during its 74 minutes. Look for a little inside humor of Paul Muni reading a book about Louis Pasteur in one scene - possibly a little hint to his next movie project to follow. Remade as KING OF THE UNDERWORLD (Warners, 1939) starring Humphrey Bogart (gangster) and Kay Francis (lady doctor), the remake also casts John Eldredge (who appears in one scene in DOCTOR SOCRATES) as Francis' doctor husband, with James Stephenson in the male counterpart to the Dvorak hitchhiking role.

Never distributed on video cassette, both DOCTOR SOCRATES and its remake, KING OF THE UNDERWORLD, often appear on cable television's Turner Classic Movies for evaluation or comparison purposes. (***)

With Paul Muni in the lead, I was expecting something out of the ordinary. However, Dr. Socrates is ordinary. It is a run-of-the-mill 1930's crime drama with Muni's range wasted in a part better suited to Chester Morris or Ricardo Cortez. Barton MacLane and Mayo Methot, on the other hand, are perfect playing parts similar to what they played throughout their entire careers. It's watchable, but not special.

This is the kind of "crime" doctor movie Hollywood churned out by the truckload in the mid-30's. Muni is badly miscast in the lead, but rest of cast more than makes up for it. MacLane steals film as Red, the main gangster. Ann Dvorak and Mayo Methot are excellent as are the redoubtable Henry O'Neill and Owin Howlin. Some good pithy dialogue makes this well-meaning time capsule worth a look.

As a film Dr. Socrates is significant in the career of Paul Muni because it is the first time he worked with William Dieterle who directed all of his biographical films at Warner Brothers for which he became best known for. They must have liked working together because Muni would not have had him as a director again, he had that kind of clout and was that demanding of his bosses at Warner Brothers.

The film itself is a minor drama with Muni playing the role of a kindly doctor who has settled in an obscure small town to forget the death of his sweetheart. As the town already has a doctor in Robert Barrat, there are some in the town who don't really take to Muni. But enough do so he gets by.

Although no one knows it the town is also the center of a vicious gang of robbers, headed by a John Dillinger like hoodlum played in swaggering style by Barton MacLane. The gang's hideout is at Olin Howland's farm, MacLane and the rest are from the area. He's public enemy number one in the parlance of the day.

One day MacLane is wounded in a bank holdup and he and the gang stop in at Muni and force him at gunpoint to patch him up. MacLane likes his work and now thinks he can intimidate the soft spoken Muni into being their regular physician.

Although Ann Dvorak had to be introduced somehow as a love interest, the script's biggest fault is the fact that she's wounded in a bank robbery at the hometown. She's a hitchhiker, but a lot believe she was in with the gang. Cardinal rule in real life and films, you absolutely don't do any criminal business in or near your sanctuary.

Usually people don't steal the show from Paul Muni, but in this case the swaggering, bullying Barton MacLane may have given the best performance of his career. MacLane was a menacing guy in films with that rasping voice of his and it was never put to better advantage than in Dr. Socrates.

Three years later the basic plot of Dr. Socrates was used again for King Of The Underworld where Kay Francis is a female doctor and Humphrey Bogart the gangster.

Dr. Socrates is a minor effort from Paul Muni, but still an enjoyable film. His next film was The Story Of Louis Pasteur, directed by William Dieterle that would set Muni's Hollywood image for all time.