A Thorough Experiment in Crime
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a fascinating study of crime. Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar, Hole In The Head, A Boy Ten Feet Tall, etc.) plays Dr. Clitterhouse, a society surgeon who embarks on a life of crime - as an experiment. He hopes to prove his theory about criminal behavior changing the personality of the criminal.
The first part of the film is a bit on the lighter side as the doctor swipes jewels and easily evades police. He eventually leads a band of thieves (formerly led by Humphrey Bogart, who gets noticeably resentful) on bigger and bigger heists. Claire Trevor (Stagecoach, Key Largo, The High and The Mighty, etc.) is their fence. Unfortunately the plot drags a bit in the middle when it's unclear how serious to take it. But it becomes more fascinating as he follows through with his criminal experiences further than you might imagine, follows through to the penultimate experience - and, intelligently, follows through with the consequences as well.
The fine supporting cast includes Donald Crisp (A Dog of Flanders, Whispering Smith, National Velvet, etc.), Allen Jenkins (Five Came Back), Max Rosenbloom (The Boogeyman Will Get You), Ward Bond (The Searchers), John Litel (who appeared in 170 films including Nancy Drew, Reporter, Houseboat, Pocketful of Miracles, etc.) and others.
Recommended if you're interested in crime (e.g. Columbo) or an old movie buff.

Unusual plot and role for Robinson
"The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" is an offbeat drama with a very solid cast, whose main players would reunite 10 years later in the screen classic "Key Largo".

The venerable Edward G. Robinson well known for his tough mobster roles plays Dr. T.J. Clitterhouse an eminent and sophisticated physician. His upper crust clientele gains him entrance into the highest society functions. Unfortunately, Robinson has been using his celebrity to engineer several successful jewel heists in the guise of using the experience to do medical research on the workings of the criminal mind.

One of Robinson's patients, the police chief, played by Donald Crisp inadverantly reveals the identity and wherabouts of the largest fence in the area, where Robinson might sell the jewels. Robinson, takes his advice but is startled when the fence turns out to be a woman, actress Claire Trevor. Trevor is in cahoots with a criminal mob headed by a paranoid and vicious Humphrey Bogart playing "Rocks" Valentine. Robinson soon assumes control of the mob from Bogart using them to mastermind further robberies, performing medical tests on them while they're commiting the crimes to further his research. All doesn't necessarily end well in this screwball drama.

Anatole Litvak adroitly directed an outstanding cast in this far fetched drama. The terrific cast includes excellent character actors such as Ward Bond, Thurston Hall, famous as bank boss Mr. Schuyler in the TV show Topper and boxer Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom.

The amazing dr. clitterhouse 2nd best forgotten Bogart movie
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a good movie showcaseing Bogies talent even though the script and plot for the movie is not the greatest but none the less a great 87 mins of bogart and edward g. Robinson show caseing their talents Robinson plays Dr. Clitterhouse as a doctor eager to study the physical and mental states of lawbreakers(suspenseful charater)!!Bogarts plays Rocks Valentine a gang memberThis movie also stars Claire Trevor as Jo Keller as the leader of a gang of safecrakers.Now the storylineClitterhouse is a overzealous psychologist who joins a small time safecracking gang(bogart is in it!!!!) who takes the gang members and take their blood and examins it to furgure out what makes a criminal do criminal things!!!!!Overall this is a good movie because of two main elements the first which is edward g. Robinson plays the overzealous doctor who joins a gang for medical purposes!And 2nd element is bogart playing his usual pre- maltese falcon gangstergood movie to see great movie to own to complete your collection of bogart or robinson4 of 5 starsI hope you like the movie

The Clitterhouse Movie: Drama? Melodrama? or Just Goofy?
Director Anatole Litwak took quite a chance in 1939 with THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE. He reunited such stars as Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart, who had squared off only three years earlier in THE BATTLING BELLHOP. Bogart, as usual, plays the back-stabbing criminal who sees the world only in terms of how it may enrich him. The real star, however, is Robinson, who goes against type as the suave and urbane surgeon who decides that the origins of crime are biological, rather than sociological. As Doctor Clitterhouse, Robinson is successful and widely admired, yet he feels that despite his stature as a respected high class physician, there is something missing from his life. That missing something is his contribution to the then ongoing controversy about the origin of crime. To Clitterhouse, crime is organic and its effects on the human body are quantifiable and measurable. He intends to prove to the world that, beyond doubt, criminals are born, not made. He joins a mob of thiefs led, improbably enough by Claire Trevor, who later develops feelings for him, much to the chagrin of Bogart, who has eyes for her himself. Clitterhouse leads the gang into several highly successful robberies, and at each step of the way, he examines each thief for variations in organic responses to light, heat, sound, and stress. The movie slows a bit in the second half when Trevor and Robinson reach out for a romance that goes nowhere. The ending, which places Clitterhouse in a trial, is both funny and on point. Throughout the movie, Clitterhouse is a doctor driven to prove his point that crime is organically based. The ending allows the film to shift focus to the question as to whether Clitterhouse had things wrong after all. The ending implies that a criminal's mental state of mind ought somehow factor not only into the origin of crime, but its punishment as well. Clitterhouse's reaction to the jury's verdict ironically implies that a many-layered blanket of origin versus punishment can never be neatly decided by any jury. At the end, even Clitterhouse realizes that.

Entertainment
EG Rombinson plays a real doctor with a scientific interest in the psychological motivations and aspects of criminals. As he takes this journey for the sake a research, he gets more than he bargins for, with a twist ending.
Although this is another example of Bogart as a bad guy, criticism may fall toward the fact that he is still young here and not as polished. Robinson seems to read through his lines very quickly. Other issues are present in the production, but basically, it is fun entertainment, and not worth dissecting until it is a worthless heap. See it for a fun ride.