- A quote from a "Supernatural" (1933) film poster
“Treat all supernatural beings with respect… but keep aloof from them!”
“Supernatural” from 1933 opens with this Confucius quote along with a similar one from the prophet Mohammed and a passage from the book of Matthew, all about the supernatural and the undead.
That, along with what could only be described as the sound of ghosts or banshees wailing along to the films main musical theme.
Directed by Victor Halperin, and co-produced by Victor and his brother Edward, the Halperin brothers were responsible for many notable early sound horror films, like the early zombie film and Bela Lugosi vehicle, “White Zombie” (1932).
The film features a scientist who is interested in experimenting with transporting souls of the dead out of their body to investigate of they go on to commit more crimes after death. Meanwhile a wealthy heiress’ brother dies and a bogus medium attempts to get access to her wealth by claiming he has been contacted by her late brother. It turns out the so-called psychic is actually the ex-lover of the murderess who the doctor is experimenting with and who he outed as a murder. During an unfortunate series of events, Ruth (the murderer) possesses the body of the Roma (the heiress).
The idea of a female serial killer was relatively shocking for the time and was more or less unique among American horror, up to that point.
The film opens with one of two inventive montages that helps it stand apart from other films of its era.
Montages were still a relatively new film technique that was originally invented by soviet filmmakers in the 1920s. Supernatural makes good use of the novel practice by using it to introduce the character of Ruth Rogen at the beginning of the film and by showing that Bavian, the psychic, is a fraud.
Also of note are the many visual effects used throughout the film to show the spirit of Ruth entering and exiting Roma’s body and to show Roma’s dead brother Johnny seemingly haunt her and her love interest.
Even the transitions seem ahead of their time, using things like vertical and horizontal wipes, as opposed to simple cross-dissolves that seemed like the only visual transitions in use in the early 1930s.
Also present in the film is the cliché of an eccentric over-the-top medium, whose connections to the occult seem to bleed into personality and dress. Bavians wardrobe and choice of furniture during his first séance with Roma is typical of this common portrayal of psychics in film.
The film, typical of early “talkies” features a sparse use of soundtrack music, as studios and filmmakers were still getting used to thinking about music as a means of enhancing the mood and soundscape of a movie.
Madame Gourjan; Bavian’s landlord, and Nicky Hammond; friend of Roma, who are both murdered by Bavian, serve as the comic relief characters, a trope that is still in use in many modern horror films to date.
The only downsides to the film are a lacklustre performance by leading lady Carole Lombard as Roma (and Roma possessed by Ruth Rogen), a ham-fisted attempt at romance between Roma and her eventual fiancée Grant Wilson and a very abrupt and slightly out of place comedic ending that was somewhat typical of films of the time.
Supernatural is an important film in horror history, popularizing the idea of a femme fatale, a phony psychic and introducing the occult and religious idea of possession, but through a scientific lens. While not as impactful and memorable as the Halperin classic “White Zombie”, Supernatural is still an important and interesting piece of early sound American horror.