User Reviews

Tod Browning's final feature length film is a dandy. It seems someone is killing off New York City's prestidigitators, and one of them, Mike Morgan (Robert Young) wants to know why; plus he may be the next victim. As Red Buttons used to say, "Strange things are happening." Murder victims disappear; murder victims reappear as apparitions. Never fear. Police Inspector Marty Gavigan (Cliff Clark) is hot on the case with his at times able assistant Detective Quinn (William Demarest).

A mysterious blond, Judy Barclay (Florence Rice), dashes from a taxi cab seeking sanctuary in Mike Morgan's abode of tricks and treats. Who is after her? Why is she interested in Mike Morgan? What is her relationship to the other magicians of New York City? The plot thickens as one by one some of the questions are answered, but not all until the very end. Mike Morgan is a topnotch magician who doesn't believe in the hocus-pocus of fake mediums out to scam innocent citizens. Yet so much is cloudy and mysterious he and the Inspector contact spiritualist Madame Rapport (Gloria Holden). Even though rapport with her is lacking, they hope to flush out the killer and uncover the motive behind the crimes.

With Tod Browning's circus background, the magic tricks and other special effects sequences are given an authentic presentation. Given the technological limitations of the day, some of the feats of magic shown are amazing. Another positive note, all the ethereal occurrences are explained through reasoning by Mike Morgan.

Robert Young shines in the lead role. Later, he became typecast twice. First as the perfect father, Jim Anderson, in "Father Knows Best" and then as everybody's perfect family doctor, "Marcus Welby, M.D." Many of the present generation don't realize that he had a long, successful screen career previous to his TV roles. He made many good movies, in particular the noir thrillers "They Won't Believe Me," and "The Second Woman." Florence Rice too turns in a fine performance. She failed to survive the 1930's because critics claimed she was in films as a result of her father's (Grantland Rice) influence. That's a pity since she showed so much promise.

For some reason, mystery movies of the 1930's required a dumb detective, most of whom acted so stupid that they became annoying rather than funny. This time around the supposed nitwit turns out to be the great character actor William Demarest. As always, he really can deliver the laughs.

The prestidigitator Tauro is played by Harold Minjir who usually overacts in his many supporting film appearances. This time, maybe because Tod Browning keeps him in check, he turns in an effective performance.

And, oh, yes, look for Charles Lane the indefatigable as the Fleetwood Apartments desk clerk, still alive at 101 and still available for work.

This was Tod Browning's last film and it got a good send-off. The budget was in the B bracket and the movie itself was somewhat stage-bound, but that's what the plot required and besides, Browning wasn't an "outdoor director" anyway. A few things to the credit of this film: Robert Young's role was to uncover fake mediums seeking to defraud others without denying the possibility of the supernatural. Also, the "explanations" for the hocus-pocus were saved to the very end and were really rather ingenious. Browning wasn't a director to move his camera very much if at all, but the editing was well executed and the action didn't remain glued to any of the sets. The movie has dated a bit but it's still quite amusing. I'm glad I caught it.

Curtis Stotlar

This movie sounds like so much fun: Robert Young as a magician! Who would have thought it would turn out to be really spooky? If you're a lightweight, you can try watching this one on Halloween; it might be just scary enough so you don't have to go to sleep with the lights on.

Robert Young stars as a former magician who now sells "miracles" to other magicians for their acts. His clients include Henry Hull, Gloria Holden, Lee Bowman, and Astrid Allwyn. When a troubled young girl, Florence Rice, comes to him and asks if he'll help prove her sister isn't as psychic as she thinks, he's only too happy to oblige. But they both get sucked into a big mystery with drastic consequences...

This movie's really fun, and while it's not as grand-scale as the epics that came out of 1939, if you're a Robert Young fan and want to see a spooky, magical movie, this is a great one to pick.

I understand this was the famous Todd Browning's final film; well, he certainly picked a good one to go out on. MIRACLES FOR SALE is a murder mystery with a twist: all the suspects are either magicians or oculists. This naturally makes for a very spooky and atmospheric thriller, which is well handled by Browning and the cast. Robert Young is perfect as the glib magician hero, Florence Rice is appealing as the frightened heroine, and Frank Craven and Cliff Clark supply some hilarious dialogue. Unlike many murder mysteries of this vintage, though, MIRACLES doesn't fall into unsuspenseful slapstick by trying to ape the Thin Man films--it gets positively creepy in parts. Also refreshing is the fact that Young's character doesn't deny the existence of the supernatural: he just thinks that the murder in this case is the work of humans. As you would expect in a magician murder mystery, there are several tricks and illusions in the plot, one of which took me in completely. My brother, an amateur magician of sorts, also passed this one on the accuracy of its depiction of the magic profession. Check it out; you won't be disappointed.

I am no scholar of Tod Browning. Therefore, it's not clear to me why his career seems to have ended so early and with this movie. It's a mystery, with a bit of comedy and quite a bit of romance.

Robert Young is excellent in the lead role, and he is not an actor I ever liked much. The supporting cast is superb. The spooky looking Gloria Holden is especially effective, though listed way down in the credits.

This man directed Dracula, a very famous movie, and Freaks, a unique and endlessly fascinating movie. Why did his career end within the same decade as those two? This is, despite its name leads, a programmer. The late 1930s and the 1940s were filled with hybrids like this. Not much of a swan song, I'd say.

Back in the 1930s and 40s, a bazillion B-mystery movies were made. Some were quite good, others rather cheap and indifferent. Despite his status as an occasional A-film actor, Robert Young was given the lead in this MGM B--and with very satisfying results.

Young plays a debunker and magician named Michael Morgan. His character is a lot like today's Amazing Randi--and not surprisingly, psychics dislike him because he often is able to expose their trickery. He wanders into a strange situation where the trickery is so good that he seems almost ready to believe that these psychics MIGHT be real--especially because their tricks are amazing. How amazing is apparent after a murder occurs--and LOTS of weird things occur, such as folks dying and then seeming to come to life!

The film, despite the magic angle, is at heart much like a Charlie Chan, Falcon or Boston Blackie picture. However, its writing is just a bit better as are the rest of the production values. In fact, it's done so well that it really sucks you into the story. Well done all around and a film I nearly gave an 8. And, incidentally, this is director Tod Browning's final film. Although he lived another 23 years, he directed no more films and I'd sure love to know why since so many of his films are brilliant.

The Thirties were racing towards their close, accompanied by a curious speeded-up style of film dialogue, as though the writers were being paid by the word. These flat, metallic exchanges are suitable enough for wisecracks, but they kill any sincerity in lines that are meant to carry emotional depth. So for example, the film opens on Robert Young (later to be your favourite TV doctor Marcus Welby) putting the case for exposing fake mediums in order to protect genuine seekers after psychic truth. He sounds like more like an auctioneer at a meat-market.

This was the last film to be directed by Tod Browning, who exploits his own early experience in the circus by replicating all manner of smoke-and-mirror spectaculars that can hold the attention of audiences who may have been left somewhat behind by the intricacies of the plot. But a conference of magicians is always going to make a good start to a murder story.

It was Browning who had also directed the first Dracula talkie, and he brings in touches of it here, notably in the casting of Gloria Holden, previously of Dracula's Daughter, whose disdainful manner was believed to reflect her genuine boredom at appearing in movies she felt were beneath her. But her disdain manages to suggest mystery, and we are kept wondering whether this glamorous medium will be unmasked before the end. Glamour of a more conventional kind is provided by Florence Rice as the vulnerable blonde at the mercy of sinister dark forces. They say there were also some dark forces in the studio, claiming that it was only her well-connected father who got her the roles, apparently blighting her career.

One joke that certainly wouldn't be allowed today - a haunted skull moving its jaw up and down ("Obviously a woman!"). And a good disciplined performance by a fortyish William Demarest as the regulation sceptical cop.

"Miracles for Sale" is a hodgepodge of a film. It's billed as a crime and mystery, but clearly was written for comedy and romance as well. The screenplay is quite weak, and the direction and acting are unusual if not strange. For instance, Florence Rice's Judy Barclay is so overboard nervous and fidgety, while Robert Young's Michael Morgan is so nonchalant and easy-going about any threats. Then, Frank Craven's Dad Morgan is all comedy in his dialog, and Cliff Clark's Inspector Gavigan is on-again, off-again calm, frustrated and gruff with everyone. And, it's hard to imagine a romance between Michael and Judy.

What there is of mystery in this film is clearly forced on the audience by the plot and screenplay. The only thing that saves this film at all is the peek it gives of how some tricks of magic are done. That's somewhat interesting, one would imagine especially for those who didn't know about them. The plot tries to build some suspense and maybe a sense of fright around a notion of sinister or other worldly forces about. But that's about as scary as looking at a comic book of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Robert Young was established as a leading man and second leading man at MGM by this time, and played in dramas, crime mysteries and comedy romances. He seemed to be having fun in this film. Florence Rice had been in several films, and would have the leads in a few more, but she never rose to star status and quit Hollywood and acting in 1943 at age 36. Of the supporting cast, Lee Bowman would have some leading man roles for a short spell but then was relegated to supporting roles. Henry Hull and William Demarest will be recognized as long-time supporting actors. But the rest of this sizable cast weren't even well known in the late 1930s or had short careers remaining.

Here are the best of the funny lines in this film.

Michael Morgan, "Well, whatta we do now? You don't want me to stay and you don't want me to go." Judy Barclay, "I'm afraid there's nothing anybody can do." Morgan, "Can't I even punch somebody in the nose for you?"

Dad Morgan, "New York is the only town I've ever been in that you can learn to hate in one day."

Judy Barclay, "I wish I didn't have to seem so ungrateful." Michael Morgan, "Well, don't take all the blame. Nobody asked me to follow you.."

Dad Morgan, on the phone with Michael, "Should I bring the gun?... It's against the law to carry a gun in New York? Well, it's a fine time to tell me. I read where three fellows were found yesterday shot full of holes. What'd they shoot them with, saxophones?"

Inspector Gavigan, "Oh, why can't I draw a nice clean ax murder up in the Bronx?"

Dad Morgan, "How comes that you didn't know that Siberian dungeon trick and Duvallo does? He can't be very smart. He was born in New York." Michael Morgan, "Ah, I practically invented that trick. It's based on the principal that in an unsolvable mystery, the real facts are just the opposite of what they seem." Dad Morgan, "Well, I was a little confused before, but now that you explained it, I'm bewildered."

If Browning had the cast speaking any faster, this would have been a half hour film. A very convoluted third tier film. One might have expected more from Browning, who segued working with Griffith as a actor to directing the classic Dracula. His last film. Thanks for TCM for programming it.

The first time I ever saw Florence Rice, that I know of, was in Four Girls in White. I fell in love with her immediately! Don't let one of the other reviews fool you, Florence was a talented hard working actress with a natural appeal, the girl next door type. She also had a comedy streak in her. She and Robert Young create some real "magic" in Miracles for Sale. (pun intended)Tod Browning brings his directorial good sense to the proceedings. Miracles for Sale is a delightful slice of a bygone era.

Sometimes being born privileged is a drawback. Was Florence the victim of petty Hollywood jealousies keeping her from being the huge star that she showed promise of being? Forty seven movies in ten years, OK they weren't all epics but she worked with some pretty heavy hitters. Perhaps in this day of DVD/VHS and our fascination with nostalgia, Florence Rice can be re-born into the STAR she should have been.

Years ago Robert Young complained that he got the parts at MGM that Franchot Tone turned down who in turn got the roles Robert Montgomery rejected. Perhaps it was the prospect of working with Todd Browning in what turned out to be his last film that attracted Young.

If so he made an error, not as big a one as Browning made in taking on a story that couldn't make up it's mind what it was. Was it, comedy, drama, or mystery? It had bits of all three.

Young's character is based on Harry Houdini who when he wasn't performing himself made an avocation of exposing fake mediums. He offers aid and assistance to Florence Rice who is being threatened with death and there are attempts made. But one of the fakers Frederic Worlock is found dead in a locked room, his body displayed in some bizarre ritual.

All the suspects but for Rice are magicians/spiritualists, but this is a real murder committed by a very much alive perpetrator and police detectives Cliff Clark and William Demarest have to find him. Young proves valuable in dealing with this particular group of suspects.

I rather liked Frank Craven who plays Young's father and Gloria Holden best known for being Dracula's Daughter as one of the spiritualists. Holden looks so deadpan serious yet you know she's not thinking much of this material. And Craven has some funny lines. But they're out of place, not like the banter between Nick and Nora Charles when they're on a case.

It's not a horrible film Todd Browning ended his career with, but definitely mediocre.

Clever variation on the amateur sleuth movies so popular at the time. Morgan (Young) is an expert magician who devises tricks for other illusionists, and also arbitrates between greedy tricksters and genuine psychics. In fact, the script goes to some lengths to allow for real psychic experiences, probably so as not to offend believers. Anyway a dislikable trickster is murdered under mysterious circumstances, while fetching ingénue, Judy Barclay's (Rice) life is threatened. But why, and by whom. Now Morgan has to play amateur detective and unravel the various strange happenings.

MGM produced, so no production corners are cut. This shows up in several fairly elaborate sets. The magician theme cries out for noirish touches that are occasionally present, but not enough to create real atmosphere. Nonetheless, there are enough spooky twists to keep up a good level of moody suspense. The plot's pretty involved, as might be expected with all the tricks going on. So you may need the proverbial scorecard. Still, a couple scenes are really jarring, especially the splayed bodies inside diabolical designs.

In the lead, Young is super-smooth and likable, while spook girl Holden (Madame Rapport) gets to look other-worldly. There's some humor, but thankfully it's not clownish as was common for these amateur sleuth films. Anyway, the 70-minutes amounts to an imaginative little B-entry for a studio that did not specialize in them.

A Good Cast and an Excellent Production Design Highlight Director Tod Browning's Last Film. However, Much of the Horror and Mystery are Diluted with the Constant Debunking Dialog and Denouements.

The Suspension of Disbelief is Constantly being Undermined by Voluminous Verbiage and Demonstrations About How All of This is a Bunch of Hooey. One Atmospheric Scene After Another is Quickly Talked Out and We're On to Another.

It is All a Bit Complicated, and that Doesn't Help, with Red Herrings and Disguises. It's a Bumpy Affair and Most of the Entertainment Value is Lost Among the Cerebral and Stoic Conceit.

Some of it Might be Attributed to the Motion Picture Code that was Adamant About Exposing Spiritualism. Religion of Any Sort Other than Judeo/Christian was Meant with Dedicated Disdain.

Overall, the Movie is Worth a Watch for the Cast, the Sleek Production, and Tod Browning's Steady and Surreal Hand, but as a Whole it is a Rather Dense Disappointment.

A genuinely offbeat mystery film from MGM, Miracles for Sale concerns Michael Morgan (Robert Young), a former stage magician who now makes a living selling illusions he creates for use in magic shows. He has also become dedicated to stamping out fake spiritualists, which leads him to meet Judy Barclay (Florence Rice), after which he becomes involved in an ingenious murder plot.

The final film of director Tod Browning, Miracles for Sale is a fitting final film for the man who made some of the oddest films ever (The Unknown, Freaks, Mark of the Vampire). This film was based on a series of locked-room mystery novels by Clayton Rawson. Miracles for Sale does have a feeling that MGM was trying to set up a series, but this is the only entry in it.

Robert Young, an actor who has failed to impress me in the films I've seen him in, impressed me here, delivering a good performance. The rest of the cast is good, if unspectacular, with Florence Rice being a good damsel in distress, and Frank Craven giving a good comedic performance.

I'm terrible at guessing the murderer I mystery films, so the revelation at the end surprised me, though the solution looks glaringly obvious looking back on it. Overall, Miracles for Sale is an above average mystery film. I was entertained.

This film rarity was the last film directed by Tod Browning, who directed Dracula (1931) and FREAKS (1932) as well as several Lon Chaney films. Sadly it turns out to be a surprisingly conventional murder mystery. The main character, played by Robert Young, is an inventor of illusions for stage magician and in his spare time he is a debunker of fake spiritualist mediums. Browning, who used real circus freaks for FREAKS, did not bother to use real stage illusions from the magicians. Instead he uses obvious camera tricks or card tricks in which he plants convenient cards in the performers hands. Fans of Universal horror films of the 30s and 40s will enjoy seeing many familiar faces including Henry Hull of THE WEREWOLF OF London, Gloria Holden of Dracula'S DAUGHTER, and Frank Craven of SON OF Dracula. Also playing is William Demarest and Eddie Acuff. In the end the film really does not work because someone who uses a disguise is just not very well disguised. Rating: 0 on the -4 to +4 scale or 4/10

Creative, underrated detective picture from MGM. The final film from Dracula director Tod Browning. The story has an illusionist taking on fake spiritualists and investigating murder. Robert Young heads a solid cast with particularly fine support from Frank Craven, William Demarest, and Henry Hull. It's a B movie but given that it has MGM's excellent production values you'd never know it wasn't an A. It also has one of the most exciting openings to any movie from this period. Bonus points for the cool secret room Young's character has.

Mike Morgan creates illusions for other magicians to use in their acts. In his spare time, he likes to expose fake spiritualists. One night, Judy Barclay barges into his shop pleading for his help while being followed by an unknown man.

This is really an amateur sleuth movie. The difference is that this guy is an expert in magic. That gives it some unique potential. He can spot misdirections and slight of hands. The problem is that his explanations of the tricks are just confusing the heck out of me. I don't understand any of it. Judy comes in with an intriguing situation. She needs to stay with him and pair up. In the end, I'm just lost in the investigation. I'm not getting the tricks. I must have taken the stupid pill this morning.

It's a welcome change of pace to see a movie in which the protagonist is not just a skeptic (or at least, a paranormal agnostic, if you will) but a person who actively seeks to take down flimflam artists; early dialogue emphatically hammers home the difference between performers and so-called mediums or psychics, and the harm they represent. Would that more films were so smart, and it's a little cheeky to see such a picture from director Tod Browning, whose extraordinary career often delved into the fantastical, or at least readily invited a small sense of it even in his straight dramas. And so it is here in a tale of murder, a mystery to be solved, and characters who in one way or another live on the edges of reality, pretense, and fraud. On the other hand, the pacing is unfortunately rather too brisk for its own good, rendering plot development likewise brusque; early scenes are almost altogether overwhelming, and that feeling doesn't particularly go away. If anything, it might actually get worse, as though Browning or producer J. J. Cohn were actively trying to smash the feature through a grinder. This tack subsequently impacts the acting, direction, and cinematography, and places considerable restraints on the storytelling at large; editor Fredrick Y. Smith was putting in overtime just to keep up. The viewer is made to actively work to be engaged with the material, or risk being totally lost should our attention wander for but a moment. Whatever else is true of 'Miracles for sale,' it really needed to slow down, take a breath, and let its plot speak for itself.

Such heedlessly swift stifling of the adapted screenplay is unfortunate, as it dulls sharp dialogue, chops up solid scene writing, reduces characters to a shade of themselves, and dampens the value of the plot like a crisp new monetary note dipped in a murky swamp. In fact, the plot gets lost a little bit in the dust that's kicked up as the film runs full-tilt toward the horizon. A lot of performances feel forced as a result; some feel amorphous and hazy, whether by deliberate poor choice or as a result of struggling under the rapidity of the proceedings. I can at least commend the contributions of those behind the scenes, for the crew put in good work. The sets and their decoration are swell, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are fetching. While rather caught up in the whirlwind of the pacing, editor Smith and cinematographer Charles Lawton Jr. Were skilled capable in their own right; Browning's direction is technically impeccable. Those effects that are employed are done quite well, and some are rather clever, just as there are some particularly great ideas in the screenplay. Would, however, that the best value of 'Miracles for sale' didn't have to work so hard to compensate for the unbridled gallop with which the title proceeds from the first to the last; so much energy is necessary directed toward attaining that balance that there's far less left to actively, meaningfully entice the audience.

I claim no familiarity with author Clayton Rawson's novel, but if the screenplay is any indication then it's a book I'd enjoy reading. It's regrettable that this adaptation maintains such an unnaturally fast gait, as what would otherwise be a definitively enjoyable, engrossing feature is only half the viewing experience it should have been. As if to emphasize the point, when within the last three minutes the entirety of the murder mystery is explained in a flurry of dialogue, it passes so quickly that it almost does a vanishing act all its own, and suddenly the movie is over. I'm not sure I could even relate the details of the story in full for as recklessly as it charges forward. (Please also note a passing line that has decidedly not aged well, "We New Yorkers have the best police force in the world.") For what is done well and the good ideas that are present I've love to say that I like this more than I do; for as tawdry as the whole is made to be on account of rushing through every single moment, I wonder if I'm not being too generous. 'Miracles for sale' is a decent film; the problem is, it should have been an outright good one. Oh well.

Miracles For Sale (1939)

** (out of 4)

Tod Browning directed film about an ex magician (Robert Young) who now spends his days tracking down fake psychics. One night he meets a strange woman (Florence Rice) and soon bodies are showing up and it appears they are being killed by spirits. Browning's direction is really lacking in this film as it really doesn't contain any of the charm or mystery that it's going for. Young is decent in his role and Henry Hull is nice as well even though she's pretty much wasted. Gloria Holden from Dracula's Daughter also has a small part. There are way too many twists in the film and it also contains one of the most obvious red herrings in film history.