Sucker Money (1933)

best movie i've ever seen.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The Amazing Mr. X (1948) - watch that one for a fairly good film on the subject of a scamming swami it's in the same vein of Sucker Money. The Amazing Mr. X (1948) really is far superior to Sucker Money - it's not as cheesy and a much darker film. Sucker Money isn't a great script, it's bad really, but it's a fun film. Lots of hogwash, bologna and cheese - lots and lots of cheese. I enjoyed the film to a degree because I take it all in fun. It's just a film to watch if you want to see a swami on film in a mildly entertaining bad story. I really don't recommend Sucker Money to most people - but it is a film for people who are interested in occult topics and scams as well as enjoys the older films. 5/10

Sucker Money is a well directed, decently written film. Its also pretty respectably acted as well. A bonus is the fact not many films have been made about phony mediums so that makes it somewhat unique. I was kinda turned off by the lipstick and eyeshadow that leading man Earl McCarthy wore until I realized that it was all part of his undercover "job"...portraying a dead soldier. Amazingly, McCarthy dropped dead of a heart attack shortly after making this movie...despite the fact he was in his mid twenties and should have been in great shape, having been a professional dancer just a couple years before. Hmmmm, something fishy about all that in my opinion. People who aren't fascinated by these old black and white films will probably find nothing here. Others, like me will find that it holds their interest throughout. This would have been a wonderful vehicle for Bela Lugosi although the fellow who portrayed the swami was very good in creepy roles. I enjoyed it! It would be cool if someone investigated what really happened to young McCarthy.

With a bunch of gullible types like this film presents, we could all make a fortune off them. They even fall for things like a back projection of film, thinking it has some magical quality. The bad guys are good at bilking unsuspecting bank presidents and rich widows by making contact with loved ones. This sounds interesting until you see it. It has that old cliché of getting rid of all your problems except the one that is the biggest danger. Why not shoot the reporter who is on to your whole scheme when you are bumping off everyone else? I'm sure mysticism would have appealed to the viewers of the time, but this is just as dull as can be. The only people I cared about were the black guards who were obviously only in it for the cash. They at least had personalities, though they had all the racial stereotypes of the era.

It's rather unbelievable that anyone would fall for this spiritualist stuff. Here the spiritualist world is simply a movie shown on a regular movie screen, which isn't very other worldly. There are a number of interesting 1930s characters in the movie though, which made it pretty enjoyable to me. It's interesting to contrast their fake "spiritualism" work day personalities with their actual everyday personalities. The 2 black dudes spend their working day being zombie like guards, but then enjoy tossing dice after work. I'd enjoy hanging out with them more than anybody else in the movie.Anyway I always enjoy Misha Auer, who never gets a starring role, as far as I know, except in this movie. I also enjoyed seeing Mona Lisa, in her only talking role. I always wondered what she did after posing for that painting :-)