Nostradamus Says So! (1953) User Reviews

Interesting look at some Nostradamus predictions...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 23 April 2008]

Like so many other things I can think of, it's all open to loose interpretation--but at least this educational short on Nostradamus and his predictions gives us some food for thought. Carey Wilson, who narrates, asks finally, "Was he charlatan or dreamer?" The brisk short documentary tells us that Nostradamus, born in 1503, studied astronomy, among other subjects, and developed an insight into the world ahead which led to his many writings which were written in cryptic medieval French and are certainly thought provoking when parallels can be drawn between his writings and events that took place centuries later.

Subjects broached include Hitler, the British Empire (a ruler who would renounce his throne, a woman, Queen Elizabeth, who would rule), the Atom bomb, the United Nations (he called it a Temple of Flags) and the revolutions in Russia.

When it was over, the only wish I had was that it was more detailed with time for so much more of his many predictions.

No He Doesn't

[boblipton · 5/10 · 29 June 2022]

MGM screenwriter Carey Wilson narrated a bunch of short subjects for MGM, most of which advocated loony conspiracy theories and mysticism. Here, in the fourth of five such films, he speaks of the man's heartbreak that led him to write his cryptic quatrains, while never mentioning the cook book he also wrote.

Taking vague phrases and interpreting them to suit your purposes is not a new game. The writer L. Sprague DeCamp once wrote an article in which he claimed that using the usual techniques of Nostradamus fans, that a quatrain about three lions fighting was actually a prediction of a rowdydow between his brothers and himself; each had the family first name of Lyon.

the predictions of Nostradamus (* spoiler *)

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 21 August 2013]

Spoiler** This one is pretty much only shown on Turner Classic Movies, in between films at this point. Nostradamus had studied at Avignon, but was forced to stop during the plague. He has an interesting background described in detail on Wikipedia. He was also bounced from the University of Montpellier, for practicing as an apothecary. Over the years, his predictions have been matched up with actual events, but because they are always translated into English, there is some question on just how accurate the descriptions or timing of "coming events" are. In this feature, they talk about succession events in the UK, Hitler, and dropping the bomb in Japan during WW II. Acc to wikipedia, he was taken seriously by the leaders of his day, and one would expect that he was well compensated by them. This short feature is an entertaining way to spend about ten minutes, but not a very thorough documentary. This was one of the two productions directed by Peter Ballbusch, and both were on Nostradamus.

Good

[Michael_Elliott · 24 May 2008]

Nostradamus Says So! (1955)

*** (out of 4)

Another entry in MGM's series with this short taking a look at various predictions, which include the finding of St. Peter's grave, Queen Elizabeth, findings in outer space and the Atomic bomb. Not only do we hear these predictions but this short also shows a brief history of the young Nostradamus and how he might have gained these special powers. As with the others in the series, this film remains interesting from start to finish and if you enjoy hearing these predictions then it makes the film all the more entertaining. There's certainly nothing overly special here but the film makes for a good way to kill nine minutes.

Piercing The Veil

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 17 April 2006]

An MGM PROPHECIES OF NOSTRADAMUS Short Subject.

Why do so many people believe in these thousand curious verses? Because NOSTRADAMUS SAYS SO!

This intriguing little film tells of the background of the famous seer Michel de Nostradamus (1503-1566) and of some of his prophecies concerning the 20th Century, including World War Two, the Atomic bomb, the United Nations, the Korean Conflict, and the Succession to the British Throne.

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Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.