Crystal Balls in Film 2

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Crystal Balls in Film

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Crystal Balls in Film Part Two

When considering the subject of fortune telling, one is immediately hi with the generally agnostic or atheistic attitude toward any other form of spirituality or folk belief beyond extreme deference to Christianity (often in the form of Catholic devotionalism). Once the self-imposed film industry guidelines known as the Hays Code was instituted in 1934, not only was sexuality suppressed in cinema, but, with a few exceptions, actors from all ethnic minority cultures -- Jews , Blacks, Asians, Native Americans -- were mostly eliminated from leading roles and reduced to small comedy bits or set pieces as as villains or victims. Fortune tellers underwent the same degradation, and in very few post-Code films are the psychics truly psychic.

During the Hays Code era, from 1934 to 1968, fortune tellers were generally portrayed as comedic bumblers, scamming fraudsters, or wicked villains -- and sometimes two of three in the same film. One favoured trope was the fraudulent fortune teller who is is surprised when a prediction actually comes true. Another stereotype was the fraudulent fortune teller who reforms in order to find love, or dies in the attempt. A third styling featured the evil "exotic" fortune teller, often Romani or Asian, who manipulates clients for monetary gain. A fourth concept was the wise elder who dons a costume and poses as a fortune teller to convey information to younger people in order to improve their lives.

In addition to the cultural biases against fortune telling that permeate film, the portrayal of psychic readers faced other considerable barrier as a subject for film -- and that is the ludicrously

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  1932: "Business and Pleasure," starring Will Rogers, Joel McCrea, and Boris Karloff. Will Rogers with a crystal ball and Jetta Goudal as Madame Momora.
  Black and white publicity still.
  Genre: Comedy.

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  1932: "Business and Pleasure," starring Will Rogers, Joel McCrea, and Boris Karloff. Will Rogers with a crystal ball and Peggy Ross as Olivia Tinker.
  Black and white publicity still.
  Genre: Comedy.

• 

  1933: "The Mind Reader," starring Warren William and Constance Cummings.
  Colour poster.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  1933: "The Mind Reader," starring Warren William and Constance Cummings.
  Colour Lobby Card.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  The Mind Reader 1933; Loretta Andrews, Ruthelma Stevens, Warren William, Constance Cummings, and Mayo Methot.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  1933: "The Mind Reader," starring Warren William. Warren William with a crystal ball.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  1933: "The Mind Reader," starring Warren William and Constance Cummings.
  Colour Lobby Card.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  1933: "The Mind Reader," starring Warren William and Constance Cummings.
  Colour Lobby Card.
  Genre: Action, Crime, Drama.

• 

  1936: Red Lights Ahead," starring Andy Clyde and featuring Ann Doran with a crystal ball.
  Colour poster.
  Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family.

• 

  1936: Red Lights Ahead," starring Andy Clyde. Paula Stone and Ann Doran with a crystal ball.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family.

• 

  1936: Red Lights Ahead," starring Andy Clyde. Ann Doran with a crystal ball in the dark.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family.

• 

  1936: Red Lights Ahead," starring Andy Clyde. Addison Randall and Ann Doran with a crystal ball.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family.

• 

  1943: "The Crystal Ball," starring Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard.
  Colour poster.
  Genre: Comedy, Music, Mystery.

• 

  1943: "The Crystal Ball," with Paulette Goddard.
  Black and white publicity still.
  Genre: Comedy, Music, Mystery.

• 

  1943: "The Crystal Ball," starring Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard. Virginia Field consults crystal gazer Paulette Goddard.
  Colour lobby card
  Genre: Comedy, Music, Mystery.

• 

  1943: "The Crystal Ball," Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland.
  Black and white publicity still.
  Genre: Comedy, Music, Mystery.

• 

  1945" "Her Lucky Night," starring the Andrews Sisters, Martha O'Driscoll, and Noah Beery, Jr. Here Martha O'Driscoll gets her fortune told by a crystal gazer.
  Black and white lobby card.
  Genre: Comedy, Music, Musical.

• 

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

• 

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

• 

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

• 

  1948: "The Amazing Mr. X," an unusual photo shot from beneath the table of a Spiritualist seance with a crystal ball.
  Black and white publicity still
  Genre: Thriller.

• 

  1964–1972: A publicity still fo the "Bewitched" television series featuring Marion Lorne as Aunt Clara, holding a crystal ball.
  Colour publicity still.
  Genre: Situation Comedy.

See Also

Lovely Ladies and Their Little Balls

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catherine yronwode
curator, historian, and docent
Your Wate and Fate

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Special thanks to my dear husband and creative partner nagasiva yronwode for illustrations, scans, and clean-ups.

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