Behind Locked Doors Review

Behind Locked Doors (1948)

This is a DVD published by Kino Video, a public domain publisher that resurrects public domain videos that would otherwise be lost from circulation. 

Behind Locked Doors takes us behind the walls of a mental asylum when the protagonist (Richard Carlson), a private eye, gets himself committed to find out if that’s where a missing judge is holed up.  The judge is a fugitive and has a $50,000 bounty so Carlson is happy to play crazy to have a chance at that sort of money.

First Carlson and his cohort, a newspaper reporter played by Lucille Bremer, research the symptoms of mental illness to build him a cover. Carlson decides on manic-depression which he feigns in an interview with the state psychiatrist who wants to commit him to the state hospital for observation.  The newspaper gal, masquerading as Carlson’s wife, gets the state doctor to give her a letter allowing Carlson to be checked into a private sanitarium – which they take to the exact one they think the judge is hiding in.

Once inside, Carlson has to maintain his masquerade and find the judge, if he’s in there.  He learns there is a locked ward for the violent ones.  Hmm – must be in there if he’s not in the general population.  Of course there are many developments and much banter among the inmates in the quick paced film noir.

Carlson proves to be a solid leading man and the otherwise unknown cast does a good job with their parts also.  There is lots of wisecracking and Lucille Bremer does a good job with her supporting part as well.

The DVD is from Kino Video and the black and white movie is in fine condition for as old as it is.  People attracted to a story of men confined in a mental institution will enjoy this one.