''Miracles for Sale'' is a 1939 American

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

directed by

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

, and starring Robert Young and Florence Rice. It was Browning's final film as a director. The film is based on a locked-room mystery novel by well-known mystery writer

Clayton Rawson Clayton Rawson (August 15, 1906 – March 1, 1971) was an American mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician. His four novels frequently invoke his great knowledge of stage magic and feature as their fictional detective The Great Merlini, a p ...

, ''

Death from a Top Hat ''Death from a Top Hat'' (1938) is a locked-room mystery novel written by Clayton Rawson. It is the first of four mysteries featuring The Great Merlini, a stage magician and Rawson's favorite protagonist. In a poll of 17 detective story writer ...

'', which was the first to feature his series detective The Great Merlini. In this film, Merlini's character has been changed into Michael Morgan (The Amazing Morgan) as portrayed by Robert Young. Don Diavolo, another series character in Rawson's work under his pseudonym, Stuart Towne, appears here as Dave Duvallo.

Plot

In the late 1930s, inactive New York magician Michael "Mike" Morgan exposes fraudulent magicians and psychics who prey on the unsuspecting. When demonologist Dr. Sabbat is mysteriously murdered, Mike assists the police in developing suspects which include Tauro and Dave Duvallo - two magicians last seen with Sabbat; a couple named La Claire who perform tricks by telepathy; a psychic named Madame Rapport; and, a young lady named Judy Barkley who is in New York to prevent Madame Rapport from claiming a $25,000 prize offered by a local psychic association.

Cast

* Robert Young as Michael 'Mike' Morgan * Florence Rice as Judy Barclay *

Frank Craven Frank Craven (August 24, 1875September 1, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's ''Our Town''. Early years Craven's parents, John T ...

as Dad Morgan *

Henry Hull Henry Watterson Hull (October 3, 1890 – March 8, 1977) was an American character actor perhaps best known for playing the lead in Universal Pictures's '' Werewolf of London'' (1935). For most of his career, he was a lead actor on stage and a c ...

as Dave Duvallo * Lee Bowman as Mr. Al La Claire *

Cliff Clark Cliff Clark (June 10, 1889 – February 8, 1953) was an American actor. He entered the film business in 1937 after a substantial stage career and appeared in over 200 Hollywood films. In the last years of his life, he also played in a numb ...

as Police Inspector Marty Gavigan *

Astrid Allwyn Astrid Allwyn (born Astrid Christofferson; November 27, 1905 – March 31, 1978) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Allwyn was born in South Manchester, Connecticut, part of a family that included four sisters and a brot ...

as Mrs. Zelma La Claire *

Walter Kingsford Walter Kingsford (born Walter Pearce; 20 September 1882 – 7 February 1958) was an English stage, film and television actor. Early years Kingsford was born in Redhill, Surrey, England. Career Kingsford began his acting career on the Lo ...

as Colonel Herbert Watrous * Frederick Worlock as Dr. Caesar Sabbatt (Credits) / Sabbat in Film (as Frederic Worlock) *

Gloria Holden Gloria Anna Holden (September 5, 1903 – March 22, 1991) was an English-born American film actress, best known for her role as '' Dracula's Daughter''. She often portrayed cold society women. Early life Holden was born in London, England. She ...

as Madame Rapport *

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom '' My Three Sons'' Demarest, ...

as Detective Quinn * Harold Minjir as Tauro

References

External links

* * * * {{Tod Browning 1939 films 1939 mystery films American black-and-white films American mystery films Films directed by Tod Browning Films based on American novels Films based on mystery novels Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films about magic and magicians 1930s English-language films 1930s American films