The Charlatan (1929)

Director:

George Melford

Writers:

J.G. Hawks (writer)
Robert N. Lee (writer)

Release Date:

14 April 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

A woman goes to a sideshow fortune-teller to have her fortune told, and is astonished when the man looks...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Holmes Herbert	...	Count Merlin / Peter Dwight
Margaret Livingston	...	Florence Talbot
Rockliffe Fellowes	...	Richard Talbot
Philo McCullough	...	Doctor Paynter
Anita Garvin	...	Mrs. Paynter
Crauford Kent	...	Frank Deering
Rose Tapley	...	Mrs. Deering
Fred MacKaye	...	Jerry Starke
Dorothy Gould	...	Ann Talbot
Fritzi Fern

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone) (talking sequences) | Silent

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

A Jewel Production. Lacking a theater network, Universal devised a 3-tiered branding system to market their product to independent operators: Red Feather (low budget programmers), Bluebird (mainstream releases) and Jewel (prestige releases designed to command higher roadshow ticket prices). This branding system faded away by late 1929.

A Magic Show Murder Mystery

Holmes Herbert (as Peter Dwight) is a magician, and quick-change master-of-disguise; he has assumed the role of Count Merlin, a "Master of Occult Services". Margaret Livingston (as Florence Dwight Talbot) is his ex-wife, who, fifteen years earlier, took their baby daughter and hooked up second husband Rockliffe Fellowes (as Richard "Dick" Talbot). Ms. Livingston isn't one to stand by her men, and has already decided to run away with her doctor, Philo McCullough (as Walter Paynter). She goes to Mr. Herbert for a crystal ball reading, unaware he is her ex-husband…

You should know, initially, that the "crystal ball story", early in the film, is the story of how Livingston took her daughter and left Herbert for Fellowes. It really isn't at all clear (as either a bell, or a crystal ball). It's also astonishing how Livingston sits right down with Herbert for a dead-on perfect "reading" of their past, and doesn't know who he is, under the turban. She later says, "What a fool I was not to have recognized you!" Indeed.

Later, events are easier to understand. Circumstances lead to all the characters being in a house, during a storm. A murder is committed, and you're left wondering - who's the guilty party? While there is some suspense, there are no real clues (that I could see); so you'll have to take a shot in the dark on this one. Herbert's is the film's main performance attraction; he certainly is a master of disguise!

***** The Charlatan (1929) George Melford ~ Holmes Herbert, Margaret Livingston, Philo McCullough