Miracles For Sale (1939)

An inactive magician (Robert Young) devotes his time to exposing fraudulent psychics and magicians who prey on the unsuspecting public. When a demonologist (Frederick Worlock) is mysteriously murdered, he assists the police in solving the murder. Based on the novel DEATH FROM A TOP HAT by Clayton Rawson and directed by Tod Browning (FREAKS) in his final film. I love a good locked room murder mystery and this one has a variety of interesting suspects. While no where near the quality of his classic films (DRACULA, FREAKS, his Lon Chaney collaborations), this is a respectable swan song for director Browning. A mixture of murder mystery and screwball comedy, the movie fits perfectly in Browning's oeuvre as it deals in trickery and illusions. The movie moves quickly so one needs to pay attention or you'll get lost in the who's who and who did what of it all. With Florence Rice, Frank Craven, Henry Hull, Lee Bowman, William Demarest, Gloria Holden, Astrid Allwyn and Cliff Clark.