Customer Reviews

Supernatural [VHS]

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Independent producers Victor and Edward Halperin are best known for "White Zombie," the 1932 horror classic that features one of Bela Lugosi's finest performances. However, the Halperins' 1933 follow-up, "Supernatural," is a must-see. Running only 64 minutes, this imaginative thriller boasts a memorable cast and some stunning visual touches. From a stylistic and thematic standpoint, "Supernatural" is quite similar to "White Zombie" - right down to the memorable close-ups of Carole Lombard's eyes and the inventive use of superimpositions. Since the Halperins received backing from Paramount, "Supernatural" is a more polished production than "White Zombie," though it lacks the stature of the Lugosi film. Thanks to MCA Home Video, this underrated chiller has been rescued from obscurity. "Supernatural" is a minor classic of the genre.

"Supernatural" is still available as a videotape because it stars Carole Lombard, but you will appreciate it more if you focus more on director Victor Halperin, whose previous film had been "White Zombie." We begin with the slimy Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart), a fake spirtualist who wants to get his hands on the Courtney family fortune. Towards that end he tells young Roma Courtney (Lombard) that he is in communication with her dead brother, John (Lyman Williams). Bavian arranges a seance using his landlay, Madame Gourjan (Beryle Mercer) and uses a mask of John's face to convince Roma that her brother, reaching out from beyond the grave and tries to convince her that John was murdered by Robert Hammond (William Farnum), Roma's legal guardian. Of course, Roma is upset by this news and does not know what to do.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, we meet Dr. Houston (H. B. Warner), a psychologist who believes that the spirits of dead criminals can enter the bodies of the living and continue to commit crimes. To prove his theory, the doctor has made arrangements with Ruth Rogen, the "Greenwich Village love-murderess" who is about to be executed for the murder of three of her lovers, to perform experiments on her body when she is dead. Ruth has agreed because she wants to take revenge from beyond the grave on Bavian, who is the one who betrayed her to the police.

Now, if you understand the first part of the plot and accept the second part, then you can get a good idea of how this one is going to end. The biggest problem with "Supernatural" is achieveing a willing suspension of disbelief, but if you can get past that this is a nice little thriller in the tradition most of us would recognize as being akin to the "Inner Sactum" radio show or E.C. Comic's "Tales from the Crypt." If you were never in to such nonsense I can see where this one will strike you as stupid, and fans of Lombard the comedien will find nothing here of value, but in the context of 1930s horror movies, "Supernatural" is not that bad. This 1933 film is only a bit over an hour long, so it moves pretty quickly all things considered. The special effects are hokey, but, again, by the standard of the time it is still above average.

It's wonderful that MCA Universal have released this rare and little seen film onto video. Without the benefit of this I feel this film would be completely forgotten. It comes over as a strange and rather haunting tale that is all wrapped up in roughly 65 minutes but never fails to leave a lingering feeling in you due to its rather different subject matter.

"Supernatural" is a unique and quite disturbing film that deals with certain issues, like using corpses for research , that would not have been filmed a few years later. It also is a great opportunity to see the great Carole Lombard in a very early film role prior to her becoming the screwball queen of comedy in such classics as "Twentieth Century" , "Hands Across the Table", "My Man Godfrey, and "The Princess Comes Across". Her's is a masterful portrayal of a girl, Roma Courtney who, in trying to contact her recently deceased brother at a seance becomes possessed by the evil spirit of a recently executed murderess. She begins to take on her characteristics and liking for murder. It is Lombard in a very different light and reveals her great talents for drama as well as comedy.

In this production Carole Lombard shares the limelight with Alan Dinehart in the showy role of Paul Bavian who plays the phoney spiritualist who tries to lure Roma into a rigged contact with her deceased brother via some tricks with lighting and strings. He portays a quite chilling character and his scene where he ruthlessly murders his prying landlady Beryl Mercer is very frightening and adds to the distubing feel that this film projects. Perhaps most memorable of all is actress Vivienne Osborne in the brief but memorable role of Ruth Rogen the executed murderess. Her few scenes are excellent and her chilling character with the sickening laugh awaiting execution on death row will stick in your mind for a long time. Leading man Randolph Scott lends his usual capable support to Lombard in the role of Grant, Roma's boyfriend.

"Supernatural" has a very polished look about it no doubt backed up by all the expertise at Paramount at the time. The visual effects and superimposing of images is very well done or the time and the fake seance scenes are quite riveting in the mood they create.

While not as famous as Carole Lombard's other memorable roles, I feel it is an interesting work and an important film in her career development. If like me you are a fan of Carole's make sure you include this in your video collection of her work to show the variety of roles she was capable of performing. In short enjoy the eerie story that "Supernarural" has to tell, you wont be disappointed.

My wife is a great fan of Carole Lombard and her movies are hard to find, except on Amozon . com.

If you're willing to overlook the holes in the plot, this is a fascinating film that shows just what a great actress Lombard was. The scenes in which innocent Roma is possessed by the spirit of the dead female murderer is the best thing about the film. Here Lombard is allowed to do a feminine "Dr Jekyll and Ms. Hyde" transformation with nothing more than a little dark eyeshadow, deeper baritone voice and sharp glances. Though physically she looks different from the killer (possibly based on a real-life 1930s murderess), her body language is totally dead-on with the earlier actress' moves and the conversion is totally convincing. This is a great pre-code film that shows Lombard's range, which sadly, she wasn't allowed to do much outside of comedy.

All about séances and spirit revenge, and not nearly as bad as it could've been. Spititualist Alan Dinehart will do anything to get his hands on Carole Lombard's money, including murder. Vivienne Osborne plays a woman about to be executed (she's called the "Greenwich Village murderess"), and she allows H.B. Warner, a doctor who believes a dead criminal's spirit can enter another's body and continue its criminal ways, to experiment on her after her execution. Osborne's spirit enters Lombard's body, and having taken over Osborne's personality, Lombard is able to expose and get revenge on the murdering and scheming Dinehart. Some of the special effects are pretty crude (it's 1933, don't forget) and the spiritualism stuff is fairly hokey, but Carole Lombard is exciting to watch as she changes from a decent woman into a vicious criminal once Osborne's spirit enters her.

This is an excellent film, however it was released by Paramount and not Universal.

I bought this film because of Carol Lombard and the enthusiastic reviews I read on Amazon.com. In fact, this film is a turkey, a laughable attempt by Paramount to emulate the genuine thrillers being produced at the same time by Warner Brothers. "Supernatural" is so corny, implausible, and so ineptly put together that your teenagers will laugh you out of the house should you be caught watching it. Poor Lombard, pretending to be a haunted killer whose powerful hands can strangle men. Poor Scott, forced to read lines (and wear a suit coat obviously to short for him) that would make a high school thespian blush. No wonder there are plenty of copies available at low, low cost. Anyone with an ounce of sophistication would want to discard this film as quickly as possible.