Miracles for Sale (1939)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The Thirties were racing towards their close, accompanied by a curious speeded-up style of film dialogue, as though the writers were being paid by the word. These flat, metallic exchanges are suitable enough for wisecracks, but they kill any sincerity in lines that are meant to carry emotional depth. So for example, the film opens on Robert Young (later to be your favourite TV doctor Marcus Welby) putting the case for exposing fake mediums in order to protect genuine seekers after psychic truth. He sounds like more like an auctioneer at a meat-market.This was the last film to be directed by Tod Browning, who exploits his own early experience in the circus by replicating all manner of smoke-and-mirror spectaculars that can hold the attention of audiences who may have been left somewhat behind by the intricacies of the plot. But a conference of magicians is always going to make a good start to a murder story.It was Browning who had also directed the first Dracula talkie, and he brings in touches of it here, notably in the casting of Gloria Holden, previously of Dracula's Daughter, whose disdainful manner was believed to reflect her genuine boredom at appearing in movies she felt were beneath her. But her disdain manages to suggest mystery, and we are kept wondering whether this glamorous medium will be unmasked before the end. Glamour of a more conventional kind is provided by Florence Rice as the vulnerable blonde at the mercy of sinister dark forces. They say there were also some dark forces in the studio, claiming that it was only her well-connected father who got her the roles, apparently blighting her career.One joke that certainly wouldn't be allowed today - a haunted skull moving its jaw up and down ("Obviously a woman!"). And a good disciplined performance by a fortyish William Demarest as the regulation sceptical cop.

Producer Joseph Judson Cohn (who rarely took a credit for his work) was once asked how long he had been working for M.G.M. He replied, "I came over with Columbus!" And that was virtually the case. He joined M.G.M. as soon as the studio was set up and remained with M.G.M. until his mentor, Louis B. Mayer, retired. Alas, despite this movie's classy credits, and its comparatively short running time (71 minutes), it's something of a chore to sit through. Director Tod Browning seems to have lost his touch. On this occasion, he fails to grip his audience. Or maybe the unbelievable script was to blame. Promising ideas are often negated by faulty writing. And the acting is not what you would call "charismatic" either. Or maybe the players had already lost faith in the script before shooting had even commenced. Anyway, despite its innovative subject matter, the story is a feeble one at best, and what's worse, it doesn't make a good deal of sense.

Clever variation on the amateur sleuth movies so popular at the time. Morgan (Young) is an expert magician who devises tricks for other illusionists, and also arbitrates between greedy tricksters and genuine psychics. In fact, the script goes to some lengths to allow for real psychic experiences, probably so as not to offend believers. Anyway a dislikable trickster is murdered under mysterious circumstances, while fetching ingénue, Judy Barclay's (Rice) life is threatened. But why, and by whom. Now Morgan has to play amateur detective and unravel the various strange happenings.MGM produced, so no production corners are cut. This shows up in several fairly elaborate sets. The magician theme cries out for noirish touches that are occasionally present, but not enough to create real atmosphere. Nonetheless, there are enough spooky twists to keep up a good level of moody suspense. The plot's pretty involved, as might be expected with all the tricks going on. So you may need the proverbial scorecard. Still, a couple scenes are really jarring, especially the splayed bodies inside diabolical designs.In the lead, Young is super-smooth and likable, while spook girl Holden (Madame Rapport) gets to look other-worldly. There's some humor, but thankfully it's not clownish as was common for these amateur sleuth films. Anyway, the 70-minutes amounts to an imaginative little B-entry for a studio that did not specialize in them.

Miracles For Sale (1939) ** (out of 4) Tod Browning directed film about an ex magician (Robert Young) who now spends his days tracking down fake psychics. One night he meets a strange woman (Florence Rice) and soon bodies are showing up and it appears they are being killed by spirits. Browning's direction is really lacking in this film as it really doesn't contain any of the charm or mystery that it's going for. Young is decent in his role and Henry Hull is nice as well even though she's pretty much wasted. Gloria Holden from Dracula's Daughter also has a small part. There are way too many twists in the film and it also contains one of the most obvious red herrings in film history.