The Amazing Mr. X (1948)

Sadly Over-hyped

Good concept, poorly executed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

A rich widow meets a dark stranger on the beach after she hears her name being called by her late husband, and is pulled into a con-trick. But who's being conned? This starts out as an over-dialogued ghostly melodrama, but develops okay into a mystery-thriller and delivers a solid twist. So it's worth bearing with, but the initial pace really plods along and the lighting and visual clichés are just too dull. I saw a bad youtube copy, so don't want to be too harsh. Some of the effects are interesting if not convincing, and the music is the usual constant romantic background manipulation.The acting is fine, but the story doesn't inspire, and although there are noir touches it's not a patch on Chandler.Overall, won't be watching again.

Certainly not an 'amazing' film, but enjoyable none the less. I would almost call it a skeptic movie since it pulls back the curtain on the tricks of a self-proclaimed spiritualist. I always enjoy films that expose 'mediums' for the charlatans they really are. There is nothing subtle about the cinematography of this film, there was a bit of an overkill on fog, shadows and low-angled shots. The film's cast got shaken up at the last minute and was originally supposed to star Carole Landis who died of an intentional drug overdose just two days before filming. This film is in the public domain and available to watch online for free.

well I don't know where to start,, first off I couldn't follow the movie at all okay a woman thinks she hears her dead husband by the ocean,, I have no problems with that,, what I don't get at all is the fortune telling stuff, and where he thinks that he get's all of this supposed power over people,, second the movie just went In to many directions,, and very slowly,, at one point I actually couldn't wait for the movie to be over with,, I usually don't give a movie this bad of a rating,, but when I really don't understand what the heck i'm watching, and can't follow along it really doesn't seem to make much sense,, out of all the movies iv'e seen in the wal mart 50 pack this one was by far and above the most hideous of them all,, would not recommend to anyone.

The Spiritualist (AKA: The Amazing Mr. X) is directed by Bernard Vorhaus and collectively written by Crane Wilbur, Muriel Roy Bolton and Ian McLellan Hunter. It stars Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari and Cathy O'Donnell. Music is by Alexander Laszlo and cinematography by John Alton.Christine Faber ( Bari) thinks she hears the voice of her late husband calling out to her from the beach. Upon investigating she bumps into a mysterious stranger called Alexis (Bey) who seems to know all about her. It turns out that Alexis is a spiritualist, but is he genuine? Christine and her younger sister Janet (O'Donnell) quickly fall for Alexis' spiel and charms, but there are surprises in store for all involved… Sources suggest that preview screenings of The Spiritualist didn't go down too great, some of the more supernatural aspects of the story proved to be unintentionally funny. Apparently? In truth when viewing now it is a bit creaky in that department, but atmosphere is everything in a film like this and the makers get it mostly right. It sort of floats on ethereal waters, never hurried it indulges us in some impressive imagery whilst letting us into the trick laden world of a phony medium. The moon and the sea are characters in their own right, and Alton and Vorhaus bring them into the psychological play, while primary human characters are either gorging on obsession or manipulating to feather ones own nest. Then a twist comes that doesn't hinder the narrative or mood, in fact it aids the story considerably.Director Vorhaus pitches the film somewhere in between a noir and a ghost story, sprinkles a bit of romanticism on the top and has fun debunking the art of spiritualism in the process. There's also a fun glint in the eye during proceedings (with one incredulous reaction from Alexis particularly joyous), something that is clearly intentional and was most likely misread by those preview audiences mentioned earlier. With John Alton working his cinematography wonders (expressive light and angles, looming shadows and misty close ups) and a very agreeable cast (including a smart Raven) making the story work in spite of some credibility stretching in the script, it rounds out as a very enjoyable, sometimes intelligent, picture.Undeniably without Alton though, it wouldn't be half as decent, he is the guiding force in the production. Alton's book Painting with Light (1949) features The Spiritualist prominently and it's evident the great man was tinkering with his talents here. The other notable link to the film is a sad one, the role of Christine Faber was signed sealed and delivered to Carole Landis, but just before the film went into production she committed suicide, aged just 29. On to more cheery things, home format availability? Numerous releases of the film have surfaced over the years, most have been bad transfers from public domain sources, however, now we do have a definitive release from Sony Classic (under the title The Spiritualist) that is a very decent print and takes us viewers firmly into the strange world of Mr. X.It makes a nice accompaniment to John Farrow's Night of a Thousand Eyes, also from 1948, with both films serving as perfect appetiser's to Edmund Goulding's Nightmare Alley (1947). 7.5/10