''The Mystic'' is a 1925 American MGM
silent drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Tod Browning
Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...
, who later directed MGM's ''
Freaks
Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc.
Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to:
Fictional characters
* Freak (Ima ...
'' (1932). It was co-written by Browning and
Waldemar Young
Waldemar Young (July 1, 1878 – August 30, 1938) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for more than 80 films between 1917 and 1938.
Biography
He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and died in Hollywood, California from pneumonia. Waldemar ...
, writing a similar storyline to their earlier 1925 hit film ''The Unholy Three''. Browning was unable however to hire his favorite star
Lon Chaney
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...
this time around, and ''The Mystic'' wound up a little-known film with a cast of now-forgotten names.
Aileen Pringle's gowns in the film were by already famous
Romain de Tirtoff
Romain may refer to:
People
Given name
* Romain Bussine (1830–1899), French poet and voice professor
* Romain Rolland (1866–1944), French writer
* Romain de Tirtoff (1892–1990), French artist and designer known as Erté
* Romain Belleng ...
(known as Erté).
Eaker, 2016: “the luxurious costumes for The Mystic were the work of legendary French designer Erté. Erté said it was a thrilling experience to collaborate with such a distinguished surrealist as Tod Browning.”
A print of the film exists.
Plot
As described in a film magazine reviews,
[ ] Zara is a gypsy rogue who joins with Confederate Zazarack to aid Michael Nash, the crooked guardian of heiress Doris Merrick, to gain control of her estate by way of fake
seances. Jimmie Barton with the aid of Zara and her gypsies succeeds in swindling the Wall Street financier out of his fortune. Jimmie tries to tell Zara that he loves her. In a fight with her confederates, he proves his love for her. Zara and her band are captured by the police, and Jimmie escapes with the loot. Zara’s suitor tries to get her to marry him, but seeing the hopelessness of his cause, he notifies Jimmie. They are reconciled after Jimmie returns the stolen money.
Cast
Footnotes
References
*Eaker, Alfred. 2016.
Tod Browning Retrospective'. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
External links
*
*
at silenthollywood.com
1925 films
Silent American drama films
American silent feature films
American black-and-white films
1925 drama films
Films directed by Tod Browning
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
1920s American films
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