The Amazing Mr. X (1948), aka The Spiritulist, is a horror/suspense thriller with a film-noir twist starring Turhan Bey as a con man running a racket on an unsuspecting widow played by the stunning Lynn Bari. What really sets this low-budget PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) feature above most of the other Poverty Row Cheapies is director Bernard Vorhaus and cinematographer John Alton. The pair make this one very atmospheric and creepy throughout. Though some moments are a bit hokey and unintentionally comical.
Buy The Amazing Mr. X Blu-rayA strange yet charming fellow, known only as Alexis (Bey), appears out of the misty seaside night to startle and intrigue recently widowed Christine Faber (Bari). Alexis mystifies the wealthy widow with how much he seems to know about her dead husband by just one touch. Alexis, we find out, is a charlatan who proclaims to be a psychic consultant that can communicate with the dead as they traverse the spirit world. Alexis is very good at this racket, going so far as to send a female accomplice to work as Christine’s maid to gather intel before he emerges like a specter to swindle his victim. What this fraudulent clairvoyant didn’t see coming was that Christine’s deceased hubby ain’t really dead. He’s very much alive and has plans to run his own scam on Alexis. Will Alexis be called to do the right thing and expose the devious husband’s nefarious scheme or will he be a pawn in another man’s flimflam?
The Amazing Mr. X is an atmospheric masterpiece from both director Bernard Vorhaus and cinematographer John Alton. The two had worked together on previous films but Mr. X is the pair’s most notable picture. Film Masters has done a wonderful job with its restored, high definition Blu-ray release that helps enhance the visual moods and presents the clearest picture possible; way better than any other old DVD version. Turhan Bey handles the role of sophisticated scammer well alongside the sexy Lynn Bari as his prey. The supporting cast which includes Cathy O’Donnell and Richard Carlson aid in keeping this poverty-row production very watchable.
What makes Mr. X even more interesting is that it exposes the con man’s tricks and deceptions as the story progresses. We see the curtains pulled back revealing the clever ruses such as two-way mirrors and sneaky hidden doors leading to secret rooms, used to distract and convince his victims to believe his hokum. There are some unintentional comic moments like Bey popping up on the beach out of nowhere after his raven caws in an oddly comical way that breaks the eerie mood but sets up a good chuckle. The special effects are very good for the time and budget, highlighted by the closet ghost and the seance held at Alexis’ tricked out home.
The Amazing Mr. X is an enjoyable 77 minutes of classic low budget horror/noir done right. It’s a masterful look at how a con game can be run by phony “fortune tellers, snake charmers, and magicians” out to make an easy buck off an unsuspecting mark.
