Just before he propelled the B movie to new heights in Cat People, Tourneur directed this seldom-seen crime drama for Poverty Row stalwart Republic Pictures. Flashes of the director’s sophisticated visual sense enliven the story of two friends and physicians (John Beal and Edward Norris) vying for the love of the same woman (Florence Rice) even as they embark on wildly different paths: one as the state medical examiner, the other as doctor to the gangland underworld. Studded with outré musical numbers and oddball comedy, Doctors Don’t Tell is an ultra-rare curio from a master filmmaker on the cusp of artistic breakthrough. Print courtesy of the British Film Institute.

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