L'incroyable Monsieur X

I'd heard a lot of good things about this movie and I'm pleased to say that when I finally watched it I wasn't disappointed. Aside from an occasional choppy edit there really isn't much to find fault with here --- I'll echo the praise many other viewers have offered for the striking imagery, the acting, and the clever script. The movie features several ingenious plot twist which manage to keep you guessing right up to the last scene. Not a film for jaded slasher fans, of course, but so what. THE AMAZING MR. X was made for more sophisticated palates and can hold its head up beside the works of Val Lewton or Jacques Tourneur's NIGHT OF THE DEMON.

This unusual little thriller, which turned up in a DVD collection of cheapie horror "classics" that I picked up, turns out to be a real discovery. Unusually fine camera-work, a smart, witty script, and good performances (especially by the feline Bey) suggest the makers took a few tips from the Val Lewton films, and maybe from Gregg Toland's cinematography on "Citizen Kane." (Note the fine deep-focus shots.) The set-up, with Bey as a dubious medium enticing a widow by claiming contact with her late husband, allows for some fun sequences involving the medium's tricky house, and some good spooky haunting scenes. All around, an enjoyable, tightly-made little treat.

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

I have to echo most of the comments that appear here. This is a stunningly photographed dream of a movie showcasing Alton's genius. I'm hoping the powers-that-be in the film and/or preservation industries read the commentaries on IMDB. The print of this that I taped from commercial television is ATROCIOUS! Another plus for me is that the star is Lynn Bari. What a dame! Someone once called her the Paulette Goddard of B movies. That crack does both of these lovely ladies an injustice. I hope that someday, someone (Criterion?) will restore and reissue this masterpiece on DVD.

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.