The Mystic

1925 film

September 27, 1925 (1925-09-27)

Running time

70 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent with English intertitles

The Mystic is a 1925 American MGM silent drama film directed by Tod Browning, who later directed MGM's Freaks (1932). It was co-written by Browning and Waldemar Young, writing a similar storyline to their earlier 1925 hit film The Unholy Three. Browning was unable however to hire his favorite star Lon Chaney this time around, and The Mystic wound up a little-known film with a cast of now-forgotten names.^[1] Aileen Pringle's gowns in the film were by already famous Romain de Tirtoff (known as Erté).^[2] A print of the film exists.^[3]

Plot

The Mystic (full film)

As described in a film magazine reviews,^[4] Zara is a gypsy rogue who joins with confederate Zazarack to aid Michael Nash, the crooked guardian of heiress Doris Merrick, to gain control of her estate by way of fake seances. Jimmie Barton with the aid of Zara and her gypsies succeeds in swindling the Wall Street financier out of his fortune. Jimmie tries to tell Zara that he loves her. In a fight with her confederates, he proves his love for her. Zara and her band are captured by the police, and Jimmie escapes with the loot. Zara’s suitor tries to get her to marry him, but seeing the hopelessness of his cause, he notifies Jimmie. They are reconciled after Jimmie returns the stolen money.

Cast

Aileen Pringle as Zara
Conway Tearle as Michael Nash
Mitchell Lewis as Zazarack
Robert Ober as Anton
Stanton Heck as Carlo
David Torrence as Bradshaw
Gladys Hulette as Doris Merrick
DeWitt Jennings as Police Inspector

Home video

After years of being a VHS exclusive, The Criterion Collection announced a Blu-Ray set that also includes Freaks and The Unknown released on October 17, 2023.^[5]^[6]

Footnotes

^ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p.289. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
Eaker, 2016: “Because of the lack of usual Browning stars, The Mystic is an interesting, lesser-known film in the director’s canon. Not only is it thematically related to his other films, but it also shows the idiosyncratic continuity of his taste in actresses and his ability to mold actors, whoever they were.”
^ "Progressive Silent Film List: The Mystic". Silent Era. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
Eaker, 2016: “the luxurious costumes for The Mystic were the work of legendary French designer Erté. Erté said it was a thrilling experience to collaborate with such a distinguished surrealist as Tod Browning.”
^ "The Mystic". American Silent Feature Film Survival Database. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
^ "New Pictures: The Mystic". Vol. 22, no. 8. Chicago, Illinois: Exhibitors Herald Company. August 16, 1925. p. 51. Retrieved July 28, 2022 – via Internet Archive. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Criterion Announces October Releases". Blu-ray.com. July 17, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
^ Mermelstein, David (October 23, 2023). "Tod Browning's Spooky Silent Films". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 19, 2023. (Subscription required.)