Crystal Balls in Film

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Crystal Balls in Film

My entwined interests in folk magic, divination, and popular culture form the cutest braids when it comes to depictions of crystal gazing in film, art, and photography. The hokiness of the props, the inadvertently multicultural set decorations, the exotic costumes, the random weirdness of it all ... i can't explain it. but crystal balls in films are ridiculous, fun, and charming. They always make me smile. So, for no particular reason, here is the beginning of an annotated set of publicity stills, lobby cards, and posters featuring crystal balls in the movies!

The films are listed by year of release om order to provide a culturally informative viewpoint of how Hollywood has viewed crystal balls through the decades. This is but one of several pages, and when they are all released and compiled on one public page, the full panoply will be revealed.

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  1948: A full-colour poster for "The Amazing Mr. X," also released as "The Spiritualist," starring Turhan Bey as the lead character, with Lynn Bari and Cathy O'Donnell. Genre: Thriller.

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  1948: A blue duo-tone poster for "The Amazing Mr. X," also released as "The Spiritualist," starring Turhan Bey as the lead character, with Lynn Bari and Cathy O'Donnell. Genre: Thriller.

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  1948: A full-colour poster for "The Spiritualist," an alternate title for "The Amazing Mr. X," starring Turhan Bey as the lead character, with Lynn Bari and Cathy O'Donnell. Genre: Thriller.

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  1948: A publicity still for "The Amazing Mr. X," shot from beneath the table of a Spiritualist seance with a crystal ball.

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  "Bewitched" television series: Aunt Clara played by Marion Lorne

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  Business and Pleasure, 1932

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  Business and Pleasure, 1932

See Also

Lovely Ladies and Their Little Balls