Supernatural (film)
Encyclopedia
Supernatural is a 1933 horror film directed by Victor Halperin. The film is about Roma Courtenay (Carole Lombard
) who attends a staged seance but finds herself Roma suddenly possessed by the spirit of the executed murderer Ruth Roge.
Supernatural was the followup to the Halperin's White Zombie
and uses many members of the crew from that film in its production. Trouble grew on the set between Carole Lombard and the director as Lombard felt she was more suited for comedy films. The film was not as financially successful as White Zombie on its initial release.
) is approached by phony psychic Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart
) who claims to have a message from Courenay's recently deceased brother. After attending a staged seance, Roma suddenly becomes possessed by the malevolent spirit of the executed murderess Ruth Rogen (Vivienne Osborne
), whose has unfinished business which includes killing Bavian, her one-time lover. Fearing that Roma is actually under the charlatan's control, her fiancé (Randolph Crane Scott) tries to rescue her.
H.B. Warner plays a scientist who is a friend of the Courtenay family. At the film's beginning he visits the warden of the penitentiary where Rogen is incarcerated. He tells the warden that violent crime always increases following the execution of a murderer, and he believes this is because some kind of malevolent spiritual influence is released after the killer dies. The warden agrees to give him Rogen's body after the execution so that he can attempt to contain the evil force.
Roma becomes possesed by Ruth Rogen's spirit when she walks into the scientist's laboratory while he is experimenting with her body. Just as she enters the room the corpse receives a jolt of electricity and the eyes flick open and make contact with Roma.
The movie is beautifully shot with atmospheric sets, fogbound streets, and lots of intense moody shadows. The story, however, has an odd, truncated quality, as though possibly there were other scenes intended for inclusion which were never shot. For instance, at the fake seance (during which the ghost of Roma's brother really does visit, but without the crooked medium knowing it), the medium pretends to channel a message from beyond claiming that Roma's brother did not die in an accident but was murdered by the family's attorney. Why the medium chose to make this inflammatory accusation is never explained, and it is a plot line that is not developed further.
Arthur Martinelli. They also had Oliver Lodge aboard as a technical director. Madge Bellamy
wrote in her autobiography that the Halperin Brothers tried to get her from Paramount Studios for the lead role, but the studio insisted on signing Carole Lombard
from Fox Studios. According to Bellamy, Lombard resented her role in the film as "her forte was comedy." Lombard's resentment towards the film often led to arguments on the set with Halperin. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake
hit while filming which caused the cast and crew to run from the studio set shrieking in fright.
. The film was not as strong of a financial success as Halperin's previous film White Zombie
. The film premiered in Australia in July 1933 and in the United Kingdom on February 10, 1934.
gave the film a positive review stating that the film "doesn't make a bit of sense, but it does supply a lot of unwitting fun." Newsweek
praised the film's script, pacing and direction. The New York Times praised the acting of Lombard and Dinehart as well as that the film "succeeds in awakening no little interest in its spooky doings." The Film Daily
noted the script which was "not developed in a manner that makes for good entertainment". Variety
referred to it negatively as a film that dies within the first half-hour.
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
) who attends a staged seance but finds herself Roma suddenly possessed by the spirit of the executed murderer Ruth Roge.
Supernatural was the followup to the Halperin's White Zombie
White Zombie (film)
White Zombie is a 1932 American independent Pre-Code horror film directed and produced by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin, respectively. The screenplay by Garnett Weston tells the story of a young woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Béla Lugosi...
and uses many members of the crew from that film in its production. Trouble grew on the set between Carole Lombard and the director as Lombard felt she was more suited for comedy films. The film was not as financially successful as White Zombie on its initial release.
Plot
Roma Courtenay (Carole LombardCarole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
) is approached by phony psychic Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart
Alan Dinehart
Alan Mason Dinehart was an American Broadway actor, director, writer, stage manager and later, a Character actor and supporting player featured in at least 88 films between 1931 and 1944...
) who claims to have a message from Courenay's recently deceased brother. After attending a staged seance, Roma suddenly becomes possessed by the malevolent spirit of the executed murderess Ruth Rogen (Vivienne Osborne
Vivienne Osborne
Vivienne Osborne was an American stage and film actress known for her work in Broadway theater and in silent and sound films.-Career:...
), whose has unfinished business which includes killing Bavian, her one-time lover. Fearing that Roma is actually under the charlatan's control, her fiancé (Randolph Crane Scott) tries to rescue her.
H.B. Warner plays a scientist who is a friend of the Courtenay family. At the film's beginning he visits the warden of the penitentiary where Rogen is incarcerated. He tells the warden that violent crime always increases following the execution of a murderer, and he believes this is because some kind of malevolent spiritual influence is released after the killer dies. The warden agrees to give him Rogen's body after the execution so that he can attempt to contain the evil force.
Roma becomes possesed by Ruth Rogen's spirit when she walks into the scientist's laboratory while he is experimenting with her body. Just as she enters the room the corpse receives a jolt of electricity and the eyes flick open and make contact with Roma.
The movie is beautifully shot with atmospheric sets, fogbound streets, and lots of intense moody shadows. The story, however, has an odd, truncated quality, as though possibly there were other scenes intended for inclusion which were never shot. For instance, at the fake seance (during which the ghost of Roma's brother really does visit, but without the crooked medium knowing it), the medium pretends to channel a message from beyond claiming that Roma's brother did not die in an accident but was murdered by the family's attorney. Why the medium chose to make this inflammatory accusation is never explained, and it is a plot line that is not developed further.
Production
Supernatural reunited the Halperin brothers with their crew they had on White Zombie. This included screenwriter Garnett Weston and cinematographerCinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
Arthur Martinelli. They also had Oliver Lodge aboard as a technical director. Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy was an American film actress who was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era, and ended following a romantic scandal in the 1940s.-Early life:...
wrote in her autobiography that the Halperin Brothers tried to get her from Paramount Studios for the lead role, but the studio insisted on signing Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
from Fox Studios. According to Bellamy, Lombard resented her role in the film as "her forte was comedy." Lombard's resentment towards the film often led to arguments on the set with Halperin. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake
1933 Long Beach earthquake
The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 took place on March 10, 1933 at 17:55 PST , with a magnitude of 6.4, causing widespread damage to buildings throughout Southern California. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach on the Newport-Inglewood Fault. An estimated fifty million dollars worth...
hit while filming which caused the cast and crew to run from the studio set shrieking in fright.
Release
Supernatural premiered at the New York Paramount on April 21, 1933. It's one week at the theater grossed $23,300. The film played at smaller theaters and even as a second film in a double featureDouble feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
. The film was not as strong of a financial success as Halperin's previous film White Zombie
White Zombie (film)
White Zombie is a 1932 American independent Pre-Code horror film directed and produced by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin, respectively. The screenplay by Garnett Weston tells the story of a young woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Béla Lugosi...
. The film premiered in Australia in July 1933 and in the United Kingdom on February 10, 1934.
Reception
The New York HeraldNew York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
gave the film a positive review stating that the film "doesn't make a bit of sense, but it does supply a lot of unwitting fun." Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
praised the film's script, pacing and direction. The New York Times praised the acting of Lombard and Dinehart as well as that the film "succeeds in awakening no little interest in its spooky doings." The Film Daily
Film Daily
The Film Daily was a daily publication that existed from 1915 to 1970 in the United States.For 55 years, Film Daily was the main source of news on the film and television industries...
noted the script which was "not developed in a manner that makes for good entertainment". Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
referred to it negatively as a film that dies within the first half-hour.