What makes a criminal tick? For Dr. Clitterhouse, there's only one way to find out. Eager to study the physical and mental states of lawbreakers, he joins a gang of jewel thieves.
"Amazing - really amazing," the doc says about the end result of his life of crime. His words apply equally well to this gats-and-gags gambol. Edward G. Robinson plays the title role, giving his viceland screen persona a sly comic kick. Claire Trevor co-stars as a savvy crime queen. And Humphrey Bogart plays Rocks Valentine, an ice-blooded tough the doc calls "a magnificent specimen of pure viciousness." The movie also marks the start of one of film's most noteworthy collaborations. John Huston, who will guide Bogart in The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The African Queen, co-wrote the screenplay of The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse.