Supernatural *** (1933, Carole Lombard, H B Warner, Vivienne Osborne, Alan Dinehart, Randolph Scott) – – Classic Movie Review 12,454

‘Leave Your Love Secrets At Home When You See SUPERNATURAL’ The rich and strange 1933 supernatural horror film Supernatural stars Carole Lombard as an heiress possessed by the spirit of a vengeful executed murderess.

‘Leave Your Love Secrets At Home When You See SUPERNATURAL’

Director Victor Halperin’s rich and strange 1933 Paramount Pictures black and white horror American pre-Code supernatural horror film Supernatural is based on a story by Garnett Weston, and stars Carole Lombard, H B Warner, Vivienne Osborne, Alan Dinehart, and Randolph Scott.

Vivienne Osborne plays Ruth Rogen, a murderess who is on death row in New York City for murdering three of her former lovers. H B Warner plays Dr Carl Houston, who believes the evil spirit of an executed murderer sets off to commit more crimes after death, and gains permission to experiment on Rogen’s body after she is executed via the electric chair.

Carole Lombard stars as heiress Roma Courtney, who attends a staged séance and finds herself possessed by the ghost of the executed female killer, Ruth Rogen (Vivienne Osborne), who is seeking to use her for revenge on her fourth lover, a phony spiritualist named Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart), who betrayed her to the police. This makes Roma run off with the fake spiritualist, want to commit similar killings and then want to commit suicide. But then Roma’s boyfriend Grant Wilson, played by Randolph Scott, tries to track Roma down and return her soul.

Supernatural is a creepy supernatural horror story, a bit daft and well off the beaten track for the sophisticated comedienne, who is evidently outside her comfort zone. But the film is always watchable, Lombard gives it style and grace – as do cinematographer Arthur Martinelli and director Halperin – and it is brisk, and nice and short, at just 65 minutes

Also in the cast are Beryl Mercer, William Farnum, Willard Robertson, George Burr Macannan, and Lyman Williams.

The film is the follow-up to Halperin’s hit White Zombie and reunites the Halperin brothers, director Victor Halperin and producer Edward Halperin, with their crew on it, including screenwriter Garnett Weston and cinematographer Arthur Martinelli.

Filming took place on the Paramount Studios lot in Los Angeles in spring 1933. It was an uneasy shoot. Lombard felt she was more suited for comedy films and her resentment to the film often led to arguments on set with director Halperin. The Long Beach earthquake hit while filming, causing cast and crew to run from the studio set shrieking in fright.

The screenplay is by Harvey F Thew (writer), Brian Marlow (writer) and Garnett Weston (adaptation).

Supernatural premiered at the New York Paramount on April 21, 1933 but was not as financially successful as White Zombie, playing in smaller cinemas and even as a second film in double features, but it continued to screen throughout the year, even through the Christmas season. It opened in the UK on February 10, 1934.

The cast are Carole Lombard as Roma Courtney, Alan Dinehart as Paul Bavian, Vivienne Osborne as Ruth Rogen, Randolph Scott as Grant Wilson, H B Warner as Dr Carl Houston, Beryl Mercer as Paul’s landlady Madame Gourjan, William Farnum as Nicky Hammond, Willard Robertson as Prison Warden, George Burr Macannan as Max Schmitt, and Lyman Williams as Ghost of John Courtney.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,454

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