The Amazing Mr. X (1948): watch the full film free, legally

Voices by the beachfront home

The Amazing Mr. X, also known as The Spiritualist, is a 1948 American horror thriller film noir directed by Bernard Vorhaus. John Alton was the cinematographer, and the film is prominently featured in his 1949 book Painting with Light. The cast includes Turhan Bey as Alexis, Lynn Bari as Christine Faber, Cathy O'Donnell as Janet Burke, Richard Carlson as Martin Abbott, Donald Curtis as Paul Faber, Virginia Gregg as Emily, and Harry Mendoza as Detective Hoffman. The story centres on a phony spiritualist racket.

Christine Faber hears the voice of her late husband Paul on the night she is due to meet her boyfriend, Martin Abbott. She goes outside her beachfront home and meets Alexis, a stranger who calls himself a spiritualist and appears to know intimate details of her life. When Martin reaches the beach, Christine turns to him and Alexis seems to vanish. Martin proposes, and Christine accepts. After he leaves, Christine is awakened by Paul’s voice and what she believes is his favourite piece of music, Frédéric Chopin’s Fourth Prelude from Opus 28 in E minor. Martin’s engagement ring and portrait have changed to Paul’s, while Christine’s old wedding dress briefly appears despite supposedly being stored elsewhere. Disturbed by these events, she seeks out Alexis.

Alexis and the spiritualist con

At Alexis’s mansion, Christine sees objects apparently move without being touched, while Alexis recounts details she has never told him. His supposed psychic gifts are in fact illusions. Hidden special effects around the house and research by his secretary provide the apparent evidence, and the pair have also created the earlier supernatural incidents at Christine’s home. Christine does not know this and continues visiting Alexis in hopes of contacting Paul.

Martin and Christine’s younger sister Janet suspect that Christine is being deceived. They consult a detective who specialises in exposing frauds and learn that a man matching Alexis’s description has previously been jailed. Because Alexis could recognise the detective from that earlier operation, Janet goes undercover to obtain Alexis’s fingerprints. Alexis sees through her purpose, yet persuades her that his powers are genuine and his motives noble. Janet becomes smitten with him. During a later visit by the sisters, Alexis conducts a séance designed to convince them both.

After the women leave, Paul appears alive. He had faked his death two years earlier and has returned with plans to get Christine’s wealth by dispatching her. Aware of Alexis’s dishonest methods, Paul begins blackmailing him into carrying on the con against Christine and Janet.

From The Spiritualist to release

The project began as an original story by Crane Wilbur, acquired by Producers Releasing Corporation in 1947, when Wilbur was slated to direct. Eagle-Lion Films later acquired it as a vehicle for Turhan Bey, who was under contract to the studio. Bernard Vorhaus was set to direct, while Muriel Bolton was to adapt the story. The film was part of Vorhaus’s two-picture agreement with Eagle-Lion. Lynn Bari and Cathy O’Donnell received the other lead roles, with O’Donnell borrowed from Sam Goldwyn.

Vorhaus later said that he was unhappy with the script and requested a rewrite. He said producer Ben Stoloff let him hire Ian McLellan Hunter, who rewrote it in a week. Filming began on 5 January 1948 and, according to Vorhaus, lasted three weeks. The film was at one stage also called The Mystic. Bey later described Alexis as “a fantastic role with wonderful people to work with and a lovely death scene I completely loused up,” adding that he wished all his roles had been as interesting.

At previews, audiences found some parts funny, producing unintended laughter. Eagle-Lion executives were happy with the film. When Vorhaus declined I Married a Communist, the next film offered to him, Eagle-Lion ended its association with him.

Film details from the Wikipedia article “The Amazing Mr. X”. Text adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.