The Clairvoyant

Infobox Film
name = The Clairvoyant


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director = Maurice Elvey
producer = Michael Balcon (uncredited)
writer = Ernst Lothar (novel)
Charles Bennett
Bryan Edgar Wallace
narrator =
starring = Claude Rains
Faye Wray
Jane Baxter
music =
cinematography =
editing =
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released = July 15 1935 (US)
runtime = 81 minutes
country = UK
language = English
budget =
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imdb_id = 0024989: "For the song by Iron Maiden, see The Clairvoyant (song)

"The Clairvoyant", also known as "The Evil Mind", is a 1934 drama film made in the UK, starring Claude Rains, Fay Wray, and Jane Baxter, and directed by Maurice Elvey. It was based on the novel of the same name by Ernst Lothar.

Plot

Rains plays Maximus ("King of the Mind Readers"), who with the help of his wife, Rene (Fay Wray), and their secret code, performs an English music hall mind-reading act. Then, one night, he notices Christine Shawn (Jane Baxter), a beautiful woman in the audience, and his act begins to turn into reality. He is able to tell a man what is in his letter without any assistance.

Maximus doesn't think much of it, but then, by chance, he and Christine run into each other on a train, and he foretells an impending crash. He pulls the emergency cord to stop the train, but nobody believes him. He, his family and Christine get off, and a few minutes later, what he saw comes to pass. Christine tells her father, who happens to own a newspaper. He publishes the story, making Maximus famous.

Eventually, Maximus realises that his power only works when Christine is around; as they spend more time together, Christine falls in love with him, and Rene becomes jealous. Meanwhile, his mother (Mary Clare), reveals that she has seen the same thing before and believes that no good will come of it, but Maximus pays little attention, enjoying his well-paid success.

Another of his well-publicized predictions comes true. A 100-to-1 longshot wins the Epsom Derby. However, when he ignores his own prophesy that his mother will die, rushing to beg him to stop using his power, he is so distraught when it happens that he decides to do as she wanted. Then, he foretells a great mining disaster. However, he is unable to convince the management to allow the workers to stay away from the mine. Hundreds are killed and more are missing and presumed dead.

Looking for a scapegoat, the public blames him and he is brought to trial. The prosecution claims that Maximus himself caused the tragedies, by delaying the train and panicking the miners into making a mistake. However, he is able to correctly predict that the missing miners will be found alive and is released. Maximus decides to give up his gift and he and Rene slip away into anonymity.

Cast

*Claude Rains as Maximus
*Fay Wray as Rene
*Jane Baxter as Christine Shawn
*Mary Clare as Maximus's mother
*Ben Field as Simon
*Athole Stewart as Lord Southwood
*C. Denier Warren as James J. Bimeter

External reference

*tcmdb title|id=71023