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The first ever DVD release of this classic British thriller The Great Maximus (Claude Rains Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia) has got a new act for the music halls where he makes his living. Working with his beautiful wife Rene (Fay Wray King Kong), he poses as a mind reader. It s all a trick, of course: he certainly doesn t have the gift for real. Or so he thinks... When he correctly predicts a terrible train crash, Maximus becomes an instant celebrity. But his new-found fame, and his friendship with sultry Christine Shawn (Jane Baxter), threatens his marriage. Worse is to come: he is accused not of foreseeing accidents but actually causing them... Extra Features include: Booklet notes and Best of British trailers
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A genuinely spooky tale from 1935, The Clairvoyant is a cracking film, full of excitement and with an over-riding sinister air, as Maximus (Claude Rains), a phony music hall fortune teller discovers he does indeed possess genuine clairvoyant powers.
The entire cast give very believable performances and I was reminded of Hitchcock's work in British films at about the same period. Mary Clare, as Maximus' mother, is extremely good and her acting in a key scene is quite remarkable. You'll know which scene wnen you watch the film.
This was one of several films made in England at this time by American star Fay Wray, hot on the heels of her success in King Kong. She and Jane Baxter(a now sadly forgotten actress)compliment each other as the women in Maximus' life.
The Clairvoyant is of course now rich in authentic period feel and the music hall scenes are very similar to those in The Thirty-Nine Steps, made the same year. A worthy addition to the Best of British series guaranteed to excite any viewer, the print used is pretty good although not without minor blemishes as would be expected.
Marvellous!
The entire cast give very believable performances and I was reminded of Hitchcock's work in British films at about the same period. Mary Clare, as Maximus' mother, is extremely good and her acting in a key scene is quite remarkable. You'll know which scene wnen you watch the film.
This was one of several films made in England at this time by American star Fay Wray, hot on the heels of her success in King Kong. She and Jane Baxter(a now sadly forgotten actress)compliment each other as the women in Maximus' life.
The Clairvoyant is of course now rich in authentic period feel and the music hall scenes are very similar to those in The Thirty-Nine Steps, made the same year. A worthy addition to the Best of British series guaranteed to excite any viewer, the print used is pretty good although not without minor blemishes as would be expected.
Marvellous!
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having not seen this movie since I don't know when, watching it again was like being reunited with a long-lost friend, I totally agree with the views expressed by fellow reviewer William Taylor in his excellent review.
Directed by the prolific Maurice Elvey, with a substantial contribution from uncredited producer Michael Balcon, Elvey does a fine job in creating an enjoyable atmospheric thriller.
Claude Rains follows up his excellent performance from a few years earlier in "The Invisible Man" with another impressively well-rounded performance, expertly conveying the emotions of his troubled character "The Great Maximus". Fay Wray also produces a sensitive performance as Rains wife, subtly displaying a range of emotions as she fears losing her husband, with Jane Baxter also putting in a good performance as "the other woman" who threatens the couple's marriage.
The suspenseful atmosphere is skilfully built up as the clairvoyant's phoney mind-reading act eventually leads to the correct prediction of a train crash - followed by the nightmare scenario of being accused of causing accidents.
The movie also features a number of familiar faces from the 1930's, including Felix Aylmer, (Will Hay fans can keep an eye out for a young Graham Moffatt in a small role, playing the part of a page boy). Undoubtedly one of the best British movies of the 1930's, if you're a fan of Alfred Hitchcock's early British output, this movie is worthy of your attention.
Considering the age of the movie, picture and sound quality are generally OK. The extras are a collection of Best of British trailers and a two-page leaflet containing a few interesting notes about the film, the writer, director and producer, plus Claude Rains and Fay Wray. The only downside with this otherwise excellent Odeon Entertainment release is the fact that yet again there are no subtitles, therefore denying the deaf/hard of hearing the opportunity to gain full enjoyment from this great 1935 movie.
Directed by the prolific Maurice Elvey, with a substantial contribution from uncredited producer Michael Balcon, Elvey does a fine job in creating an enjoyable atmospheric thriller.
Claude Rains follows up his excellent performance from a few years earlier in "The Invisible Man" with another impressively well-rounded performance, expertly conveying the emotions of his troubled character "The Great Maximus". Fay Wray also produces a sensitive performance as Rains wife, subtly displaying a range of emotions as she fears losing her husband, with Jane Baxter also putting in a good performance as "the other woman" who threatens the couple's marriage.
The suspenseful atmosphere is skilfully built up as the clairvoyant's phoney mind-reading act eventually leads to the correct prediction of a train crash - followed by the nightmare scenario of being accused of causing accidents.
The movie also features a number of familiar faces from the 1930's, including Felix Aylmer, (Will Hay fans can keep an eye out for a young Graham Moffatt in a small role, playing the part of a page boy). Undoubtedly one of the best British movies of the 1930's, if you're a fan of Alfred Hitchcock's early British output, this movie is worthy of your attention.
Considering the age of the movie, picture and sound quality are generally OK. The extras are a collection of Best of British trailers and a two-page leaflet containing a few interesting notes about the film, the writer, director and producer, plus Claude Rains and Fay Wray. The only downside with this otherwise excellent Odeon Entertainment release is the fact that yet again there are no subtitles, therefore denying the deaf/hard of hearing the opportunity to gain full enjoyment from this great 1935 movie.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I've always liked Claude Raines, so I was drawn to this DVD for that initial reason, but I soon found myself absorbed by this unusual, nicely-paced, quirky little tale that mixes humour with drama to produce a refreshingly unusual piece of fiction. The picture quality is a little soft, but very watchable, and the sound is clear and very good considering the age of the film. AS the other reviewers have shown, very well, this is well worth viewing.
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