November 4, 2011
Ned Scott served as a contract photographer for Columbia Studios from 1945-48, and same period when the “Crime Doctor” film series was created. There were nine films in this series, and they all starred Warner Baxter. This film series consists of detective dramas which are consistent in scope and range of content. The quality of the series ranks more favorably than others such as Boston Blackie and Charlie Chan. Generally this series excels because each film carries a psychological undertone, lending to the plot lines a certain unpredictability and heightened suspense. Columbia designed these films to fill the second slot of a double feature headline in movie theaters, and as a result, the budgets for these detective crime dramas were less expansive than first run films. Baxter’s co-stars included Nina Foch, Hillary Brooke, John Litel, Mona Barrie, Ellen Drew, Frank Sully, Paul Guilfoyle, and Edward Ciannelli. Baxter had a long and award-filled career beginning in 1914. He received an oscar for his role as the Cisco Kid in the 1928 film “In Old Arizona”. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right after his death in 1951, an event which occasioned the Los Angeles Times to write a brief tribute to the star. That article was accompanied by the Ned Scott portrait seen here.
Ned Scott created portrait of Warner Baxter as the “crime doctor”, Dr. Robert Ordway in Columbia Studios’ 1940’s detective series.