Supernatural
Tags: paranormal, revenge, murder

Plot synopsis:
Roma Courtenay (Carole Lombard) is approached by phony psychic Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart) who claims to have a message from Courtenay'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), who has unfinished business, including killing Bavian, her one-time lover. Fearing that Roma is actually under the charlatan's control, her fiancé (Randolph 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 possessed 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.

Review: Randolph Scott however is wooden, and the role of Bavian could have done with a more charismatic player than Alan Dinehart.
The real scene stealer in this movie however is Beryl Mercer - much better in this than anything else I have seen her in.I also find this film interesting plot-wise, as I have on occasion come across texts which refer to "The Uninvited" as the first significant Hollywood film to deal with spirit possession when clearly this is not the case.
Having independently made one of the most unusual horror films up to that time in WHITE ZOMBIE (1932), the Halperin Brothers were given the opportunity to duplicate its success  on a bigger budget, relatively speaking  by a major studio, Paramount.
Despite a nice opening montage sequence depicting the exploits of the murderess (Vivienne Osborne), it takes a while to get going: Carole Lombard only appears 15 minutes into the movie, and the possession plot only really comes into play during the last 15 (interestingly, the 'transference of souls at the moment of death' gimmick was also featured in EXORCIST III [1990]  though it's unlikely this element was derived from the film in question).
That said, I enjoyed SUPERNATURAL a good deal and there are some undeniably stylish sequences throughout.Still, one might say that luscious Lombard's virtually the whole show here, though she isn't totally comfortable in her role.
Randolph Scott and H.B. Warner lend solid if unexceptional support  but the villainous character of the spiritualist (Allan Dinehart) isn't particularly well-developed, while Beryl Mercer offers the obligatory comic relief as the latter's tipsy landlady (who isn't above spying on and eventually blackmail her boarders!).For all that, the latter stages of the film  involving the séance (highlighted by the 'apparitions' of Lombard's dead twin brother and various other tricks perpetrated by Dinehart to milk his gullible clients) and Lombard's possession (particularly the nice close-ups of her lit eyes)  are reasonably effective.
All in all, while I wasn't excessively let down by it, I can only see SUPERNATURAL (I wouldn't mind having it on an official DVD from Universal, either, perhaps as part of a horror collection?) improving with further viewings, and I would certainly like to catch up with the Halperin Brothers' subsequent horror outings  REVOLT OF THE ZOMBIES (1936) and TORTURE SHIP (1939)  even if their reputation is nowhere near as assured as this one's is, let alone WHITE ZOMBIE.
Horror film not for Lombard fans.
Most Carole Lombard fans are looking for light comedies and romances, certainly not horror pictures.
Horror fans, however, must be delighted to find Lombard starring in this movie from the Halperins, who produced the successful Lugosi vehicle "White Zombie" in 1932.Only a few times in the 1930s' golden age of horror did these films get the star power and production they deserved.
Among major studios Paramount led the way with this type of film, even predating Universal with John Barrymore's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in 1920 when the only horror films were coming out of Germany.
In the '30s Paramount, encouraged by Universal's success, cast Charles Laughton in "The Island of Lost Souls" and Frederic March in a remake of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." In "Supernatural" Lombard is fine in the lead role of a woman possessed by the evil spirit of a murderess.
The fact that it rates 6.0 stars is amazing when you consider what types of films Lombard's fans are used to seeing her in..
By the thinnest of plot connections in Supernatural is millionaire heiress Carole Lombard connected to Vivienne Osbourne a serial murderess who is awaiting her execution in prison.
With good reason as it turns out.Dinehart is a fake medium, but H.B. Warner is the real deal, a psychologist studying life after death.
He wants Osbourne's body after she dies for experimentation and she agrees to it.Turns out he's a family friend of Carole Lombard who is mourning the recent death of her brother, leaving her sole heir to a vast fortune.
Closely following is Dinehart who is definitely one scurvy rat.Lombard did far better work in her career in those screwball comedies than she does her as a frightened heiress who gets possessed by the spirit of a killer.
Supposedly a female serial killer has not been identified, but apparently Supernatural anticipates one will eventually be found.Randolph Scott plays Lombard's boyfriend.
Of course his part is colorless and he's given little to do, but look concerned.Not the best work for fans of either Carole Lombard or Randolph Scott..
Supernatural is a slow moving pic about séance versus science as Carole Lombard is exposed to the dark side via a shady mystic and an overzealous doctor.
I kept telling myself that this wasn't Carole Lombard that I was watching as I couldn't believe she would do such a horrible movie.
good early supernatural film.
Carole Lombard stars with Randolph Scott, Alan Dinehart, Vivienne Osborne, and H.B. Warner in "Supernatural" from 1933, directed by Victor Halperin.
Halperin apparently did not like Lombard's performance in this, regarding her as better in comedy.The story begins with a woman, Ruth Rogen (Osborne), on death row after being convicted of several murders of men with whom she was involved.
Bavian is a fake medium, and he contacts the twin sister, Roma (Lombard), of one of Rogen's victims, saying he has a message from her brother.
This of course is the first step in getting his hands on her money.A doctor, Carl Houston (Warner) gets Rogen to agree to let him have her body after execution so he can do some sort of electronic ray experimentation, believing that the mind goes on after death.
The beautiful, glamorous Lombard does a terrific job as the sweet, unhappy Roma becoming the murderous Rogen, and the other performances are excellent, though they may seem a bit dated now.
Beryl Mercer as Bavian's landlady is terrific in a small role, and Vivienne Osborne is a standout.See this if you have the opportunity..
It's truly groan inducing, even for a film made in the 1930s.The most amazing scene in SUPERNATURAL is the one at the prison, when the warden and psychologist have a discussion.
Supernatural (1933) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Decent horror/thriller from Paramount has a woman about to be executed for killing three of her lovers during an orgy.
After her death a doctor accidentally releases her spirit into the body of a good girl (Carole Lombard) who then tries to carry out the death wish.
This here was directed by Victor Halperin who directed White Zombie the previous year and the biggest difference between the two films is that this one here actually moves at a rather fast pace unlike the Lugosi title.
On the other hand the story is a bit too dry to be fully entertaining and both Lombard and Randolph Scott give pretty mediocre performances..
SupernaturalFor maximum comfort while possessing, pick a vessel with the same shoe size.Luckily, the lost soul in this horror movie found the perfect fit.Paul (Alan Dinehart) is a medium who's trying to bilk heiress Roma (Carole Lombard) out of her fortune by pretending to be in spiritual contact with her lost brother.
However, during one of their séances the spirit of Ruth (Vivienne Osborne), an executed murderess, enters Roma's body and seduces Paul.But just as they are about to set sail on her yacht, Roma reveals to Paul that she's really Ruth, the wife he sent to the electric chair.
While the possession angle of the story is just as goofy as it is nonsensical, the lively antics of the bewitched Carole Lombard are enjoyable to watch; unfortunately, the 1933 special effects are not.Moreover, no matter whose body you possessed in the 1930s you always end up in the breadline.
It's even more interesting through the unlikely casting of Carole Lombard and Randolph Scott in their only movie together in a premise such as this.As the opening credits roll with lightning volts shifting from listings of players to production crew through its haunting chants, the story sets its pattern through forward message readings from Confucius: "Treat all supernatural beings with respect, but keep aloof from them"; Mohammed: "We will bring forth the dead from their graves"; and Matthew "And he gave his twelve disciples power against the unclean spirits to cast them out." The photo-play opens with newspaper clippings revolving around the trial of Ruth Rogan (Vivienne Osborne), labeled one of the most dangerous women in world history, a love murderess responsible for the deaths of three men.
Doctor Carl Houston (H.B. Warner), the world's greatest psychologist, confirms with the prison warden (Willard Robertson) how he believes the evil spirit of the deceased can go from one body to the next to continue its series of crimes.
Ruth grants the request in hope she can return from the dead and avenge her execution on Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart), the man who betrayed her to the police.
More newspaper clippings hit the screen about the death of millionaire playboy, John Courtney (Lyman Williams), and how his twin sister, Roma (Carole Lombard) is now in control of the Courtney fortune.
In order to obtain that fortune for himself, Bavian, a spiritualist, sends Roma a telegram on how he can hold a seance and communicate with her dead brother, thus inviting her to attend at his Greenwich Village apartment.
During the seance where Roma attends with her beau, Grant Wilson (Randolph Scott), who believes Bavian to be a phony medium, comes along for the ride hoping to expose him, but Roma believes otherwise.
About the same time, the soul of Ruth Rogan enters and takes control of Roma's body, and through her, carries on with her treat of vengeance on Bavian while the spirit of Roma's brother guides Grant to save Roma's soul before it's too late.An unusual tale and worthy follow-up by Victor and Edward Halperin's recently released now classic thriller of WHITE ZOMBIE (United Artists, 1932) starring Bela Lugosi.
It's notable standpoint, aside from the realistic seances, is how the camera catches in close range cat-eye effect of Lombard while under the new personality of the deceased Ruth Rogan.
Beryl Mercer, best known as the mother in either ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (Universal, 1930) or THE PUBLIC ENEMY (Warner Brothers, 1931), does well as the hard drinking landlady who spies on questionable activities that go on around her watch.
For only the opening scene, many rank SUPERNATURAL to be one of Vivienne Osborne's better known films.
Not as well known as some movies of this period, SUPERNATURAL, at 64 minutes, has turned up on video cassette as part of the Carole Lombard collection around 1995, and DVD a decade later as part of Paramount's Vault Collection, did have very rare cable television broadcasts over the years on both the Sci-Fi Channel (late 1980s) and briefly on American Movie Classics (2001-2003) before disappearing from view again.
Worthwhile not so much for Carole Lombard but for the now obscure Halperin brothers who produced such a melodrama that may not be super but a natural in screen entertainment.
Silly horror tale about the soul of an executed murderess possessing the body of another woman.
Some impressive visuals throughout, but the main plot is absurd--according to this, the spirits of executed killers possess living people and have them perform "copycat" murders!
With the sole exception on Vivienne Osborne as the murderess everyone is horrible--even Carole Lombard and Randolph Scott!
This is a very unusual, interesting and even pioneering horror andhaving read a number of negative comments about this film I can't help feeling people are missing the point almost as much now as audiences did in 1933.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADTry to see this as not a Carol Lombard film but a bigger budgeted follow up from the guys who made White Zombie.
Whilst it's true that Lombard is pretty bland through most of this she does okay in her possessed scenes.But the performance that really stands out for me is that of little Beryl Mercer as the landlady of the faker who attempts blackmail.
After the success of White Zombie (1932), the Halperin Brothers moved to Paramount where they produced this stylish, big-budget horror piece, its thrills even more chilling because they now seem so credible when presented against such lavishly realistic sets, and augmented by Martinelli's rivetingly moody cinematography.The cast too is absolutely out of the box.
So is Warner's high society doctor, and especially William Farnum's amiably greedy Hammond.Last but second only to Miss Lombard's is the powerful performance delivered by Vivienne Osborne in a tenth of the star's footage.
"Supernatural" broke new ground, being one of the first films to deal with possession by otherworldly influences.
Between "White Zombie" (1932) and it's supposed sequel "Revolt of the Zombies" (1936) the Halperin Brothers made only 2 films - one was the forgettable "I Conquer the Sea", the other was the unusual and innovative "Supernatural" starring the luminous Carole Lombard.With several scriptural quotations, as well as a montage of newspaper headlines and courtroom shots, the scene is set and we are introduced to Ruth Rogan (the always excellent Vivienne Osborne) who is to die in the electric chair for murdering three lovers.
Meanwhile, Roma Courtney (Carole Lombard), who is grieving over the death of her brother, John, receives a note from spiritualist Paul Bavian (the always excellent Alan Dinehart), who tell her he has been visited by a "distressed John" and wants to arrange a seance.
There is always a naysayer in these movies and in this one it happens to be Randolph Scott, who plays Roma's shoulder to cry on (and hoping to be more) Grant.
When Roma bursts in, Ruth (looking no worse for her electrifying death) is sitting there and after a flutter of curtains, the harassed doctor demands that Grant "get Roma out of the room" - too late she is already possessed!!!Bavian has a few secrets, not the least that he is a phoney spiritualist.
If any actress can be forgiven for rebelling against typecasting, it was Beryl Mercer - maybe she was just taking one last stand, because in this movie her role was that of a sly, drink dependent hag who lived in a roach infested room.Roma, now possessed by Ruth's evil spirit organises another seance and when Hammond is murdered she and Paul take off - he, envisioning a night of lust, she with murder on her mind.
Lombard's transformation to the possessed Roma is more than just acting.
Believe me, you can.The film opens with Ruth Rogen being tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for strangling her three lovers with her bare hands for the fun of it all.
Dr. Carl Houston (H.B. Warner) comes to visit Miss Rogen in jail and asks if he can perform some experiments on her once she is dead, since the good doctor is interested in the paranormal.
She agrees only because she sees the possibility of the escape of her soul into another person's body - it seems there is one more person she wants to strangle before she closes her affairs in this world and she doesn't care whose body she uses to do it.At the same time, wealthy Roma Courtney (Carole Lombard) has just lost her twin brother, John, through death.
Slimy fake spiritualist Paul Bavian (Alan Dinehart) reads the newspapers and gets an idea.
Did I also mention that Roma got a little too close to Ruth's body during one of Dr. Houston's experiments one night?
The séance scenes are not scary at all, since the audience can see how Bavian is doing his tricks, but the scene where Roma and her fiancé walk in unexpectedly to Houston's lab and see the body of Ruth Rogen sitting upright in a chair, dressed in some kind of evening gown, seeming to stare right at them - that is good precode horror stuff..
Not a great film by any means (and one that Lombard resented having to make), it is actually pretty enjoyable for its spooky atmosphere, haunting photography, and the melodramatic performance of Vivienne Osborne as the most malicious psychopathic murderess in film history.
There's a good thrill or two to be had in this, especially when nosy landlady Beryl Mercer gets a bit too nosy and the antics of doctor H.B. Warner who fears that once Osborne is executed for her crimes, her evil spirit may not be finished.Lombard doesn't really get much to do in this other than open her eyes extremely widely for the scenes where she is infiltrated by the dead woman's spirit.
"Ruth Rogen" (Vivienne Osborne) is a black widow serial killer who has been found guilty in a court of law and sentenced to death.
Speculating that her malevolent spirit might be released upon her death and cause similar murders a psychologist by the name of "Dr. Carl Houston" (H.B. Warner) gets permission to conduct an experiment on her body immediately after her execution to prevent this from happening.
Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong and a rich heiress named "Roma Courtney" (Carole Lombard) becomes possessed with Ruth's spirit instead.
Also included in the plot is a fake spiritualist who is trying to obtain Roma's fortune and who also had a relationship with Ruth just prior to her incarceration.
Anyway, rather than detail the entire story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fairly interesting movie for the most part.
Made during the Great Depression, filmed in black and white and lasting only 65 minutes this movie is obviously a product of its time.
That said, while I certainly understand the limitations placed upon any film during this era I firmly believe that a bit more time should have been added to this movie in order to help clarify and establish the overall plot.