Turhan Bey is The Amazing Mr. X

By Doug Gibson

"The Amazing Mr. X," a 78-minute 1948 release from Eagle-Lion films, is likely the best chance to fully observe the talents of Turhan Bey, a charismatic contract actor of the late 1930s early 1940s who found his major-studio work had dried up after World War II. "The Amazing Mr. X" was a fortunate opportunity for Bey.

The plot involves two sisters who live in comfort by the sea. The elder sister, played by Lynn Bari, is obsessed with her late husband (Donald Curtis) and thinks she hears him calling. The younger sister, played by Cathy O'Donnell, is worried about her sister. Eventually, they meet up with a smooth, charismatic psychic (Bey) who promises to help Bari make communication with her late husband. Eventually, the younger O'Donnell becomes more obsessed with Bey than her older sister. Character actor Richard Carlson plays the good guy, Bari's fiance, in this flick, working to expose Bey as a fraud. Although the B-movie's longer-than-needed running time causes the action at times to drag, it moves toward an effective climax.

One interesting facet of Bey's spiritualist is that although he's obviously a phony, he's a sympathetic character. That was a smart move from director William Wyler. Bey's charisma has also preserved the film's iconic cult status. It is occasionally shown at revival film festivals. The scenes of Bari being "haunted" by her "dead husband" are spooky. The Austrian-born Bey enjoyed a long life, dying at age 90. Watch the film above.

Terror In The Haunted House – Filmed In Mind Altering 'Psycho-Rama'

By Steve D. Stones

This 1958 curio employed the gimmick of a process called “Psycho-Rama” to lure patrons into the theatre. This gimmick may have been influenced by the many gimmicks director William Castle employed his 50s and 60s films, such as “Percepto” and “Illusion-O.” 

The process involves subliminal images and messages flashed on the screen for less than a second at key points in the film. Images of skulls, snakes, ghosts and creepy heads were flashed on the screen. The process was later banned.  Rhino Video, who distributed the film on VHS in the 80s and 90s, inserted their own subliminal message in the film – Buy Rhino Movies!

Sheila Justin, played by Cathy O’Donnell, is a newly-wed who lives in Switzerland with her husband, a man approximately twenty years her senior. She visits a psychiatrist regularly to discuss the fears she has of an old house and ghosts that haunt her in her dreams. Her husband Phillip, played by Gerald Mohr, takes her to the United States to live in a big house in Florida. When the two arrive in Florida, Shelia has a mental breakdown, fearing the house is the one from her dreams. 

Sheila’s biggest fear is the thought of having to go upstairs in the attic to confront ghosts that haunt her, as they do in her recurring dreams. Whenever she confronts her fears, the “Psycho-Rama” process of the film kicks in as quick images flash across the screen.

The couple attempt to leave the house, but discover that their car is missing an engine distributor. Sheila later finds the distributor cap in Phillip’s suitcase.

The owner of the home, Mark Snell, arrives to find out why the couple came to the house. Snell informs Sheila that Phillip is the last of the “mad Tierneys,” a family that lived in the home for many generations.  Sheila also discovers that she had been to the house before as a child, and that Phillip had carved their initials in a tree in the front yard because they were in love with each other. Snell insists that Sheila leave the house.

Snell turns out to be a cousin of Phillip. The two have an argument in the attic, and Snell is accidentally killed. Sheila and Phillip leave the house for good. Sheila has confronted the source of her nightmares for good after having gone to the attic.

Terror In The Haunted House was produced by Howco International, the same studio that brought movie goers other great 50s cult classics, such as Attack of The 50 Foot Woman and The Brain From Planet Arous. O’Donnell’s acting is a bit overly dramatic in places, but the film is fun entertainment. Happy viewing!

The Amazing Mr. X -- Turhan Bey as a spiritualist

By Doug Gibson

"The Amazing Mr. X," a 78-minute 1948 release from Eagle-Lion films, is likely the best chance to fully observe the talents of Turhan Bey, a charismatic contract actor of the late 1930s early 1940s who found his major-studio work had dried up after World War II. "The Amazing Mr. X" was a fortunate opportunity for Bey.

The plot involves two sisters who live in comfort by the sea. The elder sister, played by Lynn Bari, is obsessed with her late husband (Donald Curtis) and thinks she hears him calling. The younger sister, played by Cathy O'Donnell, is worried about her sister. Eventually, they meet up with a smooth, charismatic psychic (Bey) who promises to help Bari make communication with her late husband. Eventually, the younger O'Donnell becomes more obsessed with Bey than her older sister. Character actor Richard Carlson plays the good guy, Bari's fiance, in this flick, working to expose Bey as a fraud. Although the B-movie's longer-than-needed running time causes the action at times to drag, it moves toward an effective climax.

One interesting facet of Bey's spiritualist is that although he's obviously a phony, he's a sympathetic character. That was a smart move from director William Wyler. Bey's charisma has also preserved the film's iconic cult status. It is occasionally shown at revival film festivals. The scenes of Bari being "haunted" by her "dead husband" are spooky. The Austrian-born Bey enjoyed a long life, dying last Sept. 30 at age 90. Watch the film above.