The Mad Doctor of Market Street

The Mad Doctor of Market Street – scientist Lionel Atwill fails to revive a subject in a suspended animation experiment, who dies. Then …

The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) starring Una Merkel, Lionel Atwill, Nat Pendleton, Claire Dodd

The Mad Doctor of Market Street is a good example of ego gone wild. A scientist (Lionel Atwill) accidentally kills a human guinea pig in an experiment, and flees the country. You’d think that would give him a large serving of humble pie …. But you’d be wrong. When he, and other passengers, are shipwrecked on an island, he convinces the natives that he’s the ‘god of life’. And starts to act like it! He orders everyone around, and wants to coerce the prettiest castaway to marry him. Or he’ll use the man she’s fallen in love with as his next experiment. And not revive him!

But every dog has his day, and the mad doctor is no exception. The Mad Doctor of Market Street isn’t a bad cheesy movie, but it’s not outstanding, either.

Product Description 

When Dr. Benson’s experiments in suspended animation result in a man’s death, he is forced to flee San Francisco with the police in hot pursuit. He boards a luxury liner to Australia but a shipwreck lands him and a handful of survivors on a remote tropical island. The island natives are NOT very welcoming until Dr. Benson demonstrates his godlike powers by reviving the comatose wife of the island chief. Now worshipped as a deity, the doctor’s ego rages out of control as he begins to focus on his master plan: “Just as the natives worship me, so will the whole world.” An ideal showcase for horror star Lionel Atwill, The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) is also notable as an early effort by cult director Joseph H. Lewis (The Big Combo, 1955).

Cast of characters

• Una Merkel (42nd Street) … Aunt Margaret Wentworth. Somewhat flighty, she’s on her way to New Zealand, to marry her rich fiancee. Seventh time’s the charm!
• Lionel Atwill (The Vampire Bat) … Graham / Dr. Ralph Benson. The mad scientist of the title. His ego grows enormously, when he’s fooled the islanders into thinking that he’s the ‘god of life’. Until he has to revive Barab, who’s truly dead …
• Nat Pendleton (Buck Privates Come Home) … Red Hogan. Strong young man, who tends to think with his fists. A nice enough fellow, supportive of his fellow castaways.
• Claire Dodd (Elmer the Great) … Patricia Wentworth. The pretty castaway, whom the mad doctor wants to coerce to marry him.
• Anne Nagel (The Invisible Woman) … Mrs. William Saunders
• Hardie Albright (Angel on My Shoulder) … William Saunders
• Richard Davies (Private Buckaroo) … Jim. The handsome, likable young man that Patricia’s fallen in love with. So, the mad doctor dislikes him.
• John Eldredge (High Sierra) … Dwight, Ship’s Officer
• Mala (Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe) … Barab (as Ray Mala)
• Noble Johnson (Most Dangerous Game) … Native Chief Elan. Leader of the tribe. A superstitious man, he’s fooled when Benson “raises his wife from the dead”. In actuality, Benson treats her heart attack. But the chief doesn’t know that.
• Rosina Galli … Tanao- Chief’s Wife. The woman revived by Benson, who now holds him in near-reverence.
• Al Kikume … Kalo
• Milton Kibbee (Earthworm Tractors) … Hadley
• Byron Shores … Crandall
• Tani Marsh … Tahitian Dancer
• Billy Bunkley … Tahitian Dancer

Additional cast

• Wade Boteler (Bird of Paradise) … Crewman (uncredited)
• Al Bridge … Ship’s Officer on Bridge (uncredited)
• Boyd Davis (Star Spangled Rhythm) … Ship’s Officer (uncredited)
• Lester Dorr … Crewman (uncredited)
• Bess Flowers (Springtime in the Rockies) … Ship Passenger (uncredited)
• Paul McVey … Radio announcer (uncredited)
• Tom Steele … Policeman Driving Patrol Car (uncredited)

Trivia

• Nat Pendleton plays a boxer in this movie. Before acting, he was a wrestler, winning the silver medal for wrestling in the 1920 summer Olympics.
• Lionel Atwill stars as Dr.Ralph Benson, but is listed in the end credits only under his alias, “Graham.”