Review of Calling Dr. Death (1943) by Steve G — 11 Nov 2011

This, the first film in a series bouncing off the success of the popular Inner Sanctum radio show, is a surprisingly entertaining piece of B-movie fluff. Playing out more like a good TV mystery, it gives us a novelty story, and by the time the film wraps up our minds have wrapped up about it.

But director Reginald Le Borg deserves some credit for making the ride not only fun but also quite stylish. He employs a number of techniques to make the film a psychological case study, the most interesting being the way he has Lon Chaney Jr.

deliver his voiceover narration: in a whisper. And speaking of Lon Chaney Jr., was there ever a B-movie star so adept at turning lousy material into dramatic entertainment as he? No matter how small the picture, Chaney always brought emotion and conviction to the part.