The Crime Doctor's Diary (1949) DVD-R

Starring Warner Baxter, Stephen Dunne, Lois Maxwell, Adele Jergens, Robert Armstrong
Directed by Seymour Friedman

Print: black/white
Runtime: 61 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

Columbia's "Crime Doctor" series drew to a close with 1949's Crime Doctor's Diary. A
visibly weary but still virile Warner Baxter stars as Dr. Robert Ordway, whose previous life
of crime has made him something of an expert in the field of detection. This time, Ordway
takes the case of parolee Steve Carter (Steve Dunne), who claims he was framed for arson
by his former employers. Things get sticky when Carter is accused of the murder of Anson
(George Meeker), the man who took over his old job. When the genuine murderer is
revealed, it comes as a genuine surprise to both cast members and viewers alike. The cast
of Crime Doctor's Diary ranges from such veterans as Robert Armstrong to such
comparative newcomers as Lois Maxwell (later to achieve worldwide fame as Miss
Moneypenny in the "James Bond" films).