Freebie Film Tip #23: A Mentalist in Trouble
Created | Updated Nov 23, 2014
Freebie Film Tip #23: A Mentalist in Trouble
Another British film today. This one is The Clairvoyant, starring Claude Rains in a good-guy role, Fay Wray as his charming wife, no screaming, and Jane Baxter, a beautiful Bremen-born aristocrat whom Winston Churchill considered to be the epitome of British beauty. Although the story has a paranormal premise, it's basically a romance.
The plot, such as it is: Maximus and Renee are a happily married couple who do a mentalist act in musical halls. One night, the act goes badly, but Max accidentally discovers how to tap his real psychic powers. This results in fame, fortune, and a whole lot of trouble. They end up in court, eventually, so Wigs are involved. Eventually, it all gets sorted out. It's a well-written and well-acted little tale. Oh, and there's some great stock footage of Epsom Derby and some mining operations on the Humber.
This film shows how old the clairvoyance theme is in fiction. Think about the more recent films and TV series based on this premise: Medium, for example, or Stir of Echoes. The closest plot to this one, albeit without the romance, might be the 2010 Spanish film Red Lights, starring Robert de Niro and Sigourney Weaver.
The Clairvoyant is enjoyable – a good little popcorn movie.