Supernatural (film)

Supernatural
Film poster for Supernatural
Directed by Victor Halperin
Produced by Edward Halperin
Written by Brian Marlow
Harvey Thew
Story by Garnett Weston
Starring Carole Lombard
Alan Dinehart
Vivienne Osborne
Cinematography Arthur Martinelli
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • April 21, 1933 (1933-04-21) (New York)
Running time
 65 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Supernatural is a 1933 American pre-Code horror film directed by Victor Halperin. The film is about Roma Courtenay (Carole Lombard), who attends a staged seance but finds herself suddenly possessed by the spirit of an executed murderess, Ruth Rogen.

The film was the followup to Halperin's White Zombie and uses many members of the crew from that film in its production. Trouble grew on the set between Carole Lombard and the director as Lombard felt she was more suited for comedy films. The film was not as financially successful as White Zombie on its initial release.

Plot

Ruth Rogen (Vivienne Osborne) is on death row for murdering three of her former lovers. Her fourth lover, phony psychic Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart), betrayed her to the police. Dr. Carl Houston (H.B. Warner) believes the evil spirit of an executed murderer goes abroad to commit more crimes after death, and gets permission to experiment on Rogen's body after she is executed.

Meanwhile, heiress Roma Courtney (Carole Lombard) is contacted by Bavian, who says her dead brother, John, wants to send her a message. When Bavian's landlady threatens to expose him, he murders her with a ring that has a poisoned needle. Roma and her fiancé, Grant Wilson (Randolph Scott), attend a seance performed by Bavian. Bavian tricks Roma into believing her brother was murdered by Hammond (William Farnum), manager of the Courtney estate. Roma and Grant leave the seance, and stumble into Dr. Houston's lab. Houston is pumping the dead body full of electricity. Rogen's eyes open, and fixate on Roma. The shocked couple leave.

In an attempt to prove Bavian a fraud, Grant schedules a second seance at Roma's home. Once more, Bavian uses tricks to convince Roma that Hammond is a murderer. This seance ends in confusion, and Bavian uses his ring to kill Hammond. At that moment, Rogen's spirit enters Roma's body. The possessed Roma agrees to leave with Bavian on her yacht. Grant and Dr. Houston, aided by John's ghost, realize Roma is possessed and rush to the yacht. They arrive just in time to prevent Rogen/Roma from strangling Bavian and Bavian from killing Roma. Exposed, Bavian hangs himself and Rogen's spirit departs. John's spirit subtly urges the two to marry.

Cast

Production

Supernatural reunited the Halperin brothers with their crew they had on White Zombie. This included screenwriter Garnett Weston and cinematographer Arthur Martinelli. They also had Oliver Lodge aboard as a technical director. Madge Bellamy wrote in her autobiography that the Halperin Brothers tried to get her from Paramount Studios for the lead role, but the studio insisted on signing Carole Lombard from Fox Studios. According to Bellamy, Lombard resented her role in the film as "her forte was comedy."[1] Lombard's resentment towards the film often led to arguments on the set with Halperin.[1] The 1933 Long Beach earthquake hit while filming which caused the cast and crew to run from the studio set shrieking in fright.[2]

Release

Supernatural premiered at the New York Paramount on April 21, 1933.[3] It's one week at the theater grossed $23,300.[3] The film played at smaller theaters and even as a second film in a double feature.[3] The film was not as strong of a financial success as Halperin's previous film White Zombie.[4] The film premiered in Australia in July 1933 and in the United Kingdom on February 10, 1934.[5]

Reception

From contemporary reviews, The New York Herald gave the film a positive review stating that the film "doesn't make a bit of sense, but it does supply a lot of unwitting fun."[3] Newsweek praised the film's script, pacing and direction.[3] The New York Times praised the acting of Lombard and Dinehart as well as that the film "succeeds in awakening no little interest in its spooky doings."[3] The Film Daily noted the script which was "not developed in a manner that makes for good entertainment".[4] Variety referred to it negatively as a film that dies within the first half-hour.[4]

In retrospective Kim Newman described the film as a "a fascinating mix of the bizarre and the conventional, affords Carole Lombard one of her strangest roles".[6] Newman added that Randolph Scott was miscast, stating that he "stands around in a tux as Roma's dull love interest"[6] Newman also commented on Garnett Weston's script that was "an idea more impressive in concept than the execution" and that it contained "too many drawing-room chats between more interesting low-life material."[6]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Rhodes, 2006. p. 168
  2. ↑ Rhodes, 2006. p. 169
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rhodes, 2006. p. 170
  4. 1 2 3 Rhodes, 2006. p. 171
  5. ↑ Reid, 2007. p. 237
  6. 1 2 3 Newman, Kim (July 2015). "Supernatural". Sight & Sound. Vol. 25 no. 7. British Film Institute. p. 101.

References

  • Rhodes, Gary Don (2001). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0988-6. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
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