Michael Nash (Conway Tearle) is a conman who joins up with a sexy sideshow medium named Zara (Aileen Pringle) and her loyal band of gypsy performers to create a phony mystic grift. They soon set their sights on a wealthy heiress (Gladys Hulette) with the intent of bilking her of her father’s fortune using methods they’ve perfected in their stage act. Problems arise when Nash begins to develop a conscience, and the woman starts seeing her father’s ghost “for real”.
Directed by Tod (Dracula) Browning, The Mystic is thematically similar to both his Freaks and The Unholy Three (which was released the same year). It’s a rather straightforward crime melodrama, but there are plenty of unique touches here to help make it memorable. The idea of mediums using trickery to defraud people was a hot topic at the time of release, so it makes for an ideal framework for a thriller. Browning brings a spine-tingling atmosphere and a legitimate sense of spookiness to the seance sequences. The effects are well done too as disembodied arms float around in mid-air and write letters and ghosts dance about.
Aileen Pringle is the standout among the cast as the shady spiritualist Zara. She’s equally alluring whether she’s dressed to the nines in her seance scenes or when she’s scheming to get her hands on Hulette’s loot. Hulette is quite good too as the naive mark and she has a nice chemistry with Tearle, who is also strong as the crooked conman with a heart of gold.
While The Mystic might not be as iconic as some of Browning’s best-known stuff, it remains a crackling little thriller all the same. The final act may be a tad predictable, but everything preceding it is entertaining and fun. Minor quibbles aside, it’s worth a look just for the uncanny atmosphere alone.
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