I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There is nothing wrong with this film. It's just pretty lightweight. It does have a nice cast and the theme of the supernatural helps keep one's interest. When the chief character admits to being a charlatan, we would think there would be a slide downward. However, Dame Mae Witty, who is no stranger to mystery, having played the role of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in several films, manages to put life in this when she has to abandon her "talents" and figure out a way to solve the case and keep an innocent person from being charged with murder. There are other supporting actors who are great characters and a tight little plot that takes only a little over an hour to run its course. I have a soft place in my heart for these early British detective pieces.

During a séance to draw out a murderer, another murder is committed. Psychic medium Dame May Witty works to solve both murders, which becomes personal when one of the prime suspects is someone close to her. Pretty good B murder mystery from MGM with a great cast. Dame May Witty, Lewis Stone, Henry Daniell, Holmes Herbert, and Charles Trowbridge are all class acts. Madge Evans and Elissa Landi are lovely. A good way to spend an hour and change. Remake of a movie made twice before, most notably by Tod Browning in 1929 with Bela Lugosi and Conrad Nagel. White-haired Lewis Stone's mustache is so light you can barely make it out but kudos to him for trying. If you haven't seen it, try to avoid reading much about it as most plot descriptions (including the TCM info) give away a fairly big plot point.

This is a very good example of a film that MGM could have made an A list picture. Instead, it's a B film, but a pretty good one. A slightly better script would have helped, and probably would have made the difference.It's quite interesting -- using séances to solve murders. While that's nothing new, this was actually one of the early leaders in that genre (although this is a remake of a 1929 film). There are enough interesting characters here to hold your attention. As I was watching the film, I thought -- aha! A film that sticks pretty close to what was obviously a Broadway play. And indeed, it had been performed on the stage for about a year.The cast here is actually quite good, albeit B listers...but cream of the crop B listers. The seer is played well by Dame May Witty in what was her third "talkie". The detective is played so well by Andy Hardy's dad -- Lewis Stone. I always enjoyed Janet Beecher as a fine character actress, and she's here, as are a number of faces you'll recognize, but whose names you probably don't know.It's a decent whodunit, although a little too talkative in places. But stick with it...it's worth it and it has a few twists.

Just got to see this rare film, which was a remake of the 1929 film directed by Tod Browning. This one has all the nice polish of an MGM film, which is an asset. What is peculiar is why the film was made at all. It is a simple b-movie, and a remake of a pretty forgotten story. The previous version was a stilted early talkie, highlighted by the appearance of Bela Lugosi as the detective (pre-Dracula). Also, strangely, Holmes Herbert repeats his supporting role from the earlier film, which is a largely insignificant part. The music score is very good, underlying and adding to the mystery mood. It is not quite as atmospheric as the earlier film, but it is still sufficient. Henry Daniell is quite good as the obsessed friend of the dead man, who ends up dead himself. The séances are handled pretty weakly. It's just a stagnant shot of the room in the dark. I actually closed my eyes to rest them while the scenes went on, and just listened. Lewis Stone is solid as the detective, coming off as a bit more pushy than usual for him. Overall, it is interesting to see an MGM film like this. They didn't really delve into horror or mystery and considering this was made in the horror ban years of 1937-8, it really stands out in their catalog. It's worth the time of any 30s mystery buffs and if you've seen a lot of poverty row ones, this is a good contrast for its' production values. 6/10