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The Spiritualist

The Spiritualist

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Summary

A smooth-talking con-man sets out to fleece a well-to-do widow - but gets the shock of his life when her supposedly deceased spouse reappears, plunging them all into a tangled web of lies and deceit. Thriller, starring Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari, Cathy O'Donnell and Donald Curtis

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Calum Baker

Originally released under the far sillier title The Amazing Mr X, this is in fact an elegant exercise in modern gothic chills. Young widow Christine (Lynn Bari) has been in mourning for two years and is implored by her sister Janet (Cathy O'Donnell) and suitor Martin (Richard Carlson) to move on. Soon, she finds a friend in suave medium Alexis (Turhan Bey) - but, of course, all is not as it seems. The resulting melodrama has its obvious twists and moments of high hysteria, reportedly provoking derision at its early screenings. But the script and direction are tight and the actors - especially the likeable cad Bey - play convincingly, selling even the most outlandish of moments. Everything rests, however, on the film's greatest asset: the legendary John Alton's jaw-dropping cinematography, which elevates each moment with an arresting, dreamlike beauty. Produced by J Arthur Rank's short-lived American concern, Eagle-Lion Films, The Spiritualist deserves to be far better-known as one of the period's more artistically accomplished B-movies.

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6.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameAlexisTurhan BeyChristine FaberLynn BariJanet BurkeCathy O'DonnellMartin AbbottRichard CarlsonPaul FaberDonald Curtis

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Crew

rolenameDirectorBernard Vorhaus

Details

Released on

1948-09-27

Languages

English

Formats

Black and white

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