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Dr. Clitterhouse, a successful and respected
Park Ave. doctor, decides the best way to study the criminal mind is to
become a criminal. He begins by robbing the safes of his wealthy
friends, but soon wants to observe the underworld more closely and test his
theory that criminal activity changes the personality. He seeks out Jo
Keller, a well-known fence, and is surprised to discover that Keller is a
beautiful woman.
While the doctor's devoted nurse, Randolph,
covers for him, Clitterhouse joins the gang of criminals run by Keller and
Rocks Valentine. Jo falls in love with Clitterhouse, now nicknamed
"the Professor," but Rocks is distrustful of the doctor's motives and, one
night during a fur heist, tries to kill him by trapping him in a cold
storage locker.
Once the doctor has concluded his experiments on
the gang, he goes back to his practice. Rocks trails him, discovers
his notebooks, and threatens blackmail. Clitterhouse, who has now
completely lost perspective on his own behavior, murders Rocks and, with
Jo's help, hides the body.
When Inspector Lane closes in on Clitterhouse, the doctor confesses his crime to a prominent attorney named
Grant. Clitterhouse is tried for murder, but is ultimately acquitted
on grounds of insanity―not because of his criminal actions, but because when
he is put on the witness stand he undermines his own defense. |
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