The Clairvoyant

There are plenty of rough edges throughout this early CLAUDE RAINS film (released by Gainsborough), before his career went into high gear at Warner Bros. during the '30s and '40s. And yet, the story of a man who starts out as a charlatan and then really begins to see tragic events unfold, does hold the interest.

The story moves rather briskly but there's a low-budget look to the proceedings that gives it the flavor of a second feature. The performances are a bit over the top (in melodramatic '30s style), with Rains obviously enjoying his central role as a man who finds he really can predict disasters when a certain woman (JANE BAXTER) is nearby.

FAY WRAY is appealing and pretty (as a brunette) in the role of Rains' wife who is a partner in his act and JANE BAXTER does well as the other woman.

Summing up: Implausible and a little creaky in the telling, it's an old-fashioned but better than the average programmer thanks to the interest sustained by Rains' performance.