As I've watched more and more of MGM's B pictures, courtesy of TCM, I've noticed that quite often they were mostly talk and no action. This is a case in point. Oh, it's not a bad film, but somehow it reminds of some of the series like the Charlie Chan pics and the like -- not a lot of substance.
This was director Tod Browning's last film, and although he was quite respected for this genre, what does it say when a director retires 23 years before his death and never makes another film? The cast here is headed by Robert Young, who plays a former magician who is out to expose fakery in the occult; he does rather nicely. Florence Rice plays a woman who is involved in some way with the occult...and this is where the writers kind of jumble around trying to tell a good story. It's nice to see Frank Craven as Young's father...a fine character actor. As is Henry Hull as another magician. Lee Bowman once again portrays a character actor part that simply isn't very interesting. There are other character actors you'll recognize who do fine here, but the one you'll most notice is William Demarest.
I'm not sure TCM is doing us a service by playing this pretty much only during Halloween season, because it's really more of a whodunit and how, than horror. Not very substantial, but pleasant enough a diversion...if you have a fair amount of time to divert!
This was director Tod Browning's last film, and although he was quite respected for this genre, what does it say when a director retires 23 years before his death and never makes another film? The cast here is headed by Robert Young, who plays a former magician who is out to expose fakery in the occult; he does rather nicely. Florence Rice plays a woman who is involved in some way with the occult...and this is where the writers kind of jumble around trying to tell a good story. It's nice to see Frank Craven as Young's father...a fine character actor. As is Henry Hull as another magician. Lee Bowman once again portrays a character actor part that simply isn't very interesting. There are other character actors you'll recognize who do fine here, but the one you'll most notice is William Demarest.
I'm not sure TCM is doing us a service by playing this pretty much only during Halloween season, because it's really more of a whodunit and how, than horror. Not very substantial, but pleasant enough a diversion...if you have a fair amount of time to divert!