Note: The Mind Reader now covered in greater detail on the site HERE.
I sat down to watch Warren William in The Mind Reader (1933) for the first time in quite awhile today, and I was only a couple of minutes in when I knew I had to share this image with you:
That’s William as Dr. LeBlanc, the Painless Dentist from the first scene in the movie. Here’s how he gets to the point above —
LeBlanc: “And now my friends, if there are any among you, suffering from that scourge of mankind, toothache, let him step up here and be relieved instantly, painlessly, immediately, and without charge.”
A local named Hank is prodded to the stage by his friend.
LeBlanc: “Now relax my friend, it will all be over before you know it.”
Hank: “Be careful, doc, she’s awful sore.”
LeBlanc: “You won’t even feel it my good fellow. And now my friends you’ll notice how quickly and painlessly all this is done. No surgical shock and no nervous strain on the patient. All right my friend, let’s have a look at it. Open wide please. Ahaaa, acute hemorrhoidal laparotomy! Fortunately, it is one of my specialties. All right friend, relax, relax, open wide –”
With this, Dr. LeBlanc climbs on top of Hank and cues the band to start playing. The image above shows William as LeBlanc with one hand on top of Hank’s head to sturdy himself and the other being used to rip a tooth out from his jaw with a pair of pliers. The loud music masks Hank’s screams.
Just a peek at The Mind Reader for you for now. Basically, WW is a carny here, after he’s tried out being Doc LeBlanc he tries selling spectators on Allen Jenkins’ flagpole sitting, then comes upon the idea of mind reading. First he’s Chandra, but after falling in love with Constance Cummings he knocks off his con for a bit becoming a poor but respectable door-to-door brush salesman. Eventually he brings his mental magic to the upper crust as Dr. Monroe, as he’s shown here:
I always make mention of The Mind Reader as one of my 5 or 6 favorite Warren William pre-code movies. These images should give a hint why.
Note: The Mind Reader now covered in greater detail on the site HERE.
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Just watched for the first time last night, The Gold Diggers of 1933. I loved it and WW was great, though a different role for him. (I’ll be posting about it on my blog later today or tomorrow.) Do you know where I could get a hold of some more WW titles, especially The Mind Reader?
Hi Jenny,
Just read your Gold Diggers write-up today, what a fun movie, no? Campy enough where I’m surprised somebody hasn’t tried to revive it, especially in these times.
I grabbed most of the harder to find titles off a seller on iOffer some time back but apparently that seller is gone.
One of our regulars here, Jeffers, commented about a seller (truth3152) who offers 4 different Warren William DVD-R box sets on eBay which included some tougher titles such as Bedside, Under 18, and Times Square Playboy, but unfortunately no Mind Reader or Match King (yet).
Jeffers comment is on my Bedside post if you’d like more detail, or just search eBay by seller for: truth3152
Thanks, Cliff
Thanks Cliff! I will go after the box set because Beside and Under 18 look intriguing to say the least. Maybe Mind Reader will pop again sometime either on TCM or ioffer.
Yes, Gold Diggers is a ton of fun. I’ve watched it a couple more times just because everything else lined up in my Tivo right now sort of pales in comparison.
I just watched Arizona (1940) today, too. I’ll be posting about it soon.
I finally had a chance to see The Mind Reader and it does indeed make for another terrific view. Sort of a less-credulity-straining precursor of Bedside, in some respects (charlatan doesn’t deserve beautiful woman’s devotion, his fraud ends in tragedy; but her steadfastness is better motivated, and his comeuppance is not preposterously waived by benign authorities). In addition to WW, the rest of the cast really impressed me, too–Allan Jenkins is always fun if given anything worthwhile to do; Clarence Muse for once (in the few roles I’ve seen him in) didn’t have to rise above the material to make his usual strong impression; and Constance Cummings was just wonderful (I haven’t seen her before, but certainly want to see her again). But who was that Karl Malden lookalike ballyhooing for the OTHER mind reader at the start of the movie?
I’m glad to learn from your post that The Match King is coming back to TCM, which I hope means it will also soon be coming back to (unofficial) DVD. That’s the last remaining must-have, must-see WW title on my personal list!
I hope Jenny the Nipper was able to track down the set with Bedside. As I noted earlier, truth3152 doesn’t actually post it on eBay, but once you are in contact with him it is available to his private customers.
I see you already called the parallels with Bedside to me months ago in the comments on that blog post!
That was the darkest Allen Jenkins I can remember seeing.
You can actually catch more Constance Cummings the same night as “The Match King” — She’s in “American Madness” airing at 9:30 pm.
Just posted “The Match King” btw.
Thanks, Jeffers, as always, for your contribution!
Cliff