The Mind Reader (1933)

Chandler, a con-man, and his helper Frank decide to create a clairvoyant act for the carny circuit, as a little research reveals Ameicans spent $125 million on mind-readers and astrology. The carny, renamed Chandra, falls for one of his marks, Sylvia, but their love is tested when he brings tragedy to other peoples' lives and she asks him to go straight.

Director: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Warren William, Constance Cummings, Allen Jenkins, Natalie Moorhead, Mayo Methot, Clarence Muse, Earle Foxe, Loretta Andrews, Irving Bacon, Robert Barrat, Harry Beresford, Clara Blandick, Symona Boniface, George Chandler, Sidney D'Albrook, Don Dillaway, Robert Greig, Grace Hayle, Walter Miller, William J. O'Brien, Inez Palange, Christian Rub, Ruthelma Stevens, Harry Stubbs, Fred 'Snowflake' Toones, Eddy Waller, Kathrin Clare Ward, Tom Wilson

After trying several different rackets a confidence man decides to go into business as a mind reader. Now known as Chandra the Great, he travels through small towns with his sidekick Frank, pretending to read minds as Frank feeds him the questions through a concealed microphone. In one town, the owner of a purse that Frank has stolen comes to Chandra for help. Because Chandra is very attracted to the woman's niece, Sylvia Roberts, he reveals its hiding place. To impress her, he acts as if he were sincerely interested in helping people with his special powers. When she volunteers her services, he hires her as his secretary. Chandra manages to keep the truth about his racket a secret from Sylvia, until one night when Frank does not show up on time and Sylvia must read the questions. Chandra convinces her that the carnival act is merely advertising for his real work, answering the letters from people asking for his advice. Slowly Sylvia becomes suspicious of his sincerity, and when a woman commits suicide after Chandra's advice proves false, Sylvia demands that he go straight. Now using the name Chandler, he gets work as a door-to-door salesman, but sales are so poor that Frank, who is working as a chauffeur, easily persuades him to go back into the mind reading business. As Dr. Munro, Chandra gets information from Frank about the mistresses of wealthy men and sells it to their wives. Sylvia has no idea that her husband is the notorious Dr. Munro. When one of her friends decides to divorce her husband after a visit to the mind reader, Sylvia visits his office, planning to confront him. She learns Munro's identity when one of the divorced husbands attacks Chandra who shoots the husband in the struggle. Chandra runs out the back way, leaving Sylvia to face murder charges. Much later, he returns to clear her name and asks her to wait for him until his release

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