The Amazing Mr. X

What a weird film! SPOILERS THROUGHOUT. 'The Amazing Mr X' starts out implying that it's going to be a supernatural story, featuring a medium (Turhan Bey as the sinister Alexis) with genuine psychic powers, which he kindly wields for the benefit of wealthy widow Christine. Then, about a third of the way through the movie, we learn that Alexis is a fraud, using various tricks (including a confederate in his victim's household) to 'mind-read' his mark. When we've convinced ourselves that this is a standard caper movie with spooky trimmings, abruptly Christine's husband comes back from the dead ... and we wonder if this movie is going to be supernatural after all. But then there's ANOTHER twist...

Filmed on a medium-low budget, this movie is quite stylish, with subtle camera movements and moody set dressing. I was impressed by the performance of Cathy O'Donnell as Christine's sister. O'Donnell never got very far in Hollywood: her chief assets were her good looks and the fact that she was related to director William Wyler. Much less impressive is stodgy Richard Carlson as a successful lawyer who doesn't seem to have any respect for the legal principle of probable cause, nor for the laws against breaking and entering.

A major flaw in this film is that I didn't have much sympathy for the heroine. She's allegedly mourning her dead husband, yet she recently bought a new ermine ... and she's got plenty of other furs and dresses. Frankly, it doesn't bother me at all when people with lots of money and free time (and very little sense) get clipped by phony clairvoyants.

Christine's husband Paul, back from the dead after two years, was never dead after all. This is another flaw in the film's credibility: we never learn how this man, accustomed to luxury, has been supporting himself for two years while officially declared dead. The entire film would have been so much more plausible if the script had given Paul a single explanatory line such as "Good thing I had somebody else's Social Security number handy, so I could get a job...".

The stand-out performance in this film is given by Harry Mendoza, a professional magician who demonstrates solid acting ability here as Hoffman, the cynical private eye. In his key dialogue scene, Mendoza keeps performing simple prestidigitation -- palming a cigar, then making the same cigar appear out of nowhere, over and over -- that's quite impressive in its own right, and made more impressive by the way it underlines the cynical tone of his words. Also quite impressive is a trained crow who really deserved to get his (her?) own billing in the cast list. Norma Varden is good in a very brief role as one of Alexis's other victims.

Also impressive are the seance sequences, in which we witness some of the genuine techniques used by phony clairvoyants using the most advanced electronics of the time: 1948. Can you imagine the 'magic' these charlatans are able to produce nowadays, with modern electronics? 'The Amazing Mr X' is wildly implausible but stylishly enjoyable, and I'll rate it 7 out of 10.

As others have commented, the cinematography, lighting, set decoration, art direction, special effects, and location footage on this film are far, far above the quality one would normally expect for a B-movie -- and surpass even the level of many A-movies of the time period. Additionally, anyone interested in how subjects such as occultism, seances, mediums, magic, superstition, stage magic, seers, and prophets were treated in the mid 20th century film will certainly wish to see it.

Don't let the silly science-fiction title fool you -- the UK release, as "The Spiritualist", comes much closer to the heart of this story than its silly US title, "The Amazing Mr. X." Plot-wise, the presentation treads a fine line between functioning as a semi-documentary exposure of fraudulent spiritualists (as in the earlier "Mystic Circle Murders" with Betty Compson and Mrs. Harry Houdini), presenting the apparitions "straight" (as in a standard horror film), and leaving the reader guessing as the plot takes one looped turn after another and ends with a detective-noir closure (as in Hitchcok's "Rebecca").

Turhan Bey is wonderfully nuanced as the mystic. He alone makes the movie worth seeking out.

A big tip-of-the-hat should also go the stage magician Harry B. Mendoza for his lovely bit-part work as a detective who used to be a stage magician. Mendoza builds his character's history subtly, rolling a coin for almost a minute before his prestidigitation becomes a subject of discussion, making it look like a mere nervous habit instead of the highly trained feat it really is. Then he begins to produce cigars -- an endless supply of them! -- and during the whole demonstration, he keeps up a constant flow of on-topic plot exposition dialogue. What a wonderful little turn!

All in all, this is a movie that is watchable on many levels and for many reasons. I agree with other commenters that a fully restored version with technical commentary would be well received.

What a cool movie. So much more than your typical B horror flick, loved every second of this one. The plot would be very easily spoiled, so I wont go into that, suffice to say it's very interesting and well-done. On top of that, the ending is great. Turhan Bey was great in the lead role, I'm definitely going to track down some more of his films. He commands the screen, makes each scene his own. Great presence, put simply. The rest of the cast is good enough as well, though they pale by comparison to Mr. Bey. The score is beautifully haunting, and sets the scene perfectly throughout the film. I highly recommend this movie.

8.5/10

After two years of mourning, lovely Lynn Bari (as Christine "Chris" Faber) seems ready to re-marry. But, Ms. Bari is haunted by the memories of her dead husband (or her dead husband himself, you will have to decide). Bari lives in a Gothic seaside mansion with her younger sister Cathy O'Donnell (as Janet Burke), who encourages her to wed proposing Richard Carlson (as Martin Abbott). Then, off to date Mr. Carlson, Bari meets spooky spiritualist Turhan Bey (as Alexis), who talks to dead people... John Alton's gorgeous photography should knock you out of your séance chair. Director Bernard Vorhaus is nearly as seamless. Mr. Bey's performance patches up a few irritating production details. The bird is terrific. This film needed a little more effort, but it very often glows like a gem.

******* The Amazing Mr. X (1948) Bernard Vorhaus ~ Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari, Cathy O'Donnell

The millionaire widow Christine Faber (Lynn Bari) misses her husband Paul Faber (Donald Curtis), who died two years ago in a car explosion. Christine dates the lawyer Martin Abbott (Richard Carlson) that wants to propose to marry her. While walking on the beach going to Martin´s home, Christine overhears her deceased husband and stumbles upon the mysterious Alexis (Turhan Bey). He tells that he is a spiritualist and discloses things about Chris and Paul, fascinating Chris. She becomes obsessed to meet Alexis and her younger sister Janet Burke (Cathy O'Donnell), Martin and a private detective investigate Alexis. However Janet is easily manipulated by Alexis and becomes also obsessed for him. One day, Martin and the detective break in Alexis´s house during a seance and out of the blue, they see Paul. Is Alexis a con artist or a spiritualist indeed?

"The Amazing Mr. X" is a film with good moments but also with laughable scenes. The naïve Christine and Janet Faber are ridiculous characters but the plot point is interesting when Paul appears. In the present days, the plot is absolutely unbelievable but the film entertains. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Incrível Senhor X" ("The Amazing Mr. X")