Count Merlin (Holmes Herbert) is a Hindu seer and a master of occult sciences. He tells fortunes using a crystal ball and reads the palms of high-class clientele. One day his assistant (John George), tells him that a special visitor has arrived to have her fortune told. The woman is Florence Talbot (Margaret Livingston), the wife of the wealthy Richard Talbot (Rockliffe Fellowes). She is with a patron of Merlin’s, Mrs. Deering (Rose Tapley), the wife of the local District Attorney, Frank Deering (Crauford Kent). Merlin tells Florence things about her past that no one knows.
According to Merlin, Florence had been previously married. Her name was Florence Dwight, and they had a young daughter, Anne (Joan Pearce). The Dwights had been circus performers when Florence took their daughter and ran off with Richard Talbot. Florence is unnerved by what the Count reveals. Florence is unaware that Merlin is actually her first husband, Peter Dwight. Peter was devastated and had been searching for Florence and his daughter for the last fifteen years.
Florence gets talked into having Merlin at the house to do some readings and put on a show. As part of the audience are the Deerings, the now adult Anne Talbot (Dorothy Gould), her boyfriend, Jerry Starke (Fred MacKaye) as well as Dr. and Mrs. Walter Paynter (Philo McCullough and Anita Garvin). Florence and Walter Paynter are having an affair. Florence wants to run away with Walter and has been nagging him to leave his wife.
Merlin performs the disappearing cabinet trick where he makes one of his assistants disappear into thin air. Some of the onlookers are not impressed so they decide that one of them should try the trick. Florence ends up selected to go into the cabinet. Since dinner is ready, Florence suggests they do the trick later. Before they resume the trick, someone puts a poisoned dart in the cabinet that pricks Florence and kills her. Merlin is suspected but there are several people at the party with better motives to kill the cheating wife.
“The Charlatan” was released in 1929 and was directed by George Melford. It is an American silent murder mystery. The film was based on the 1922 play “The Charlatan” by Leonard Praskins and Ernest Pascal. There are two versions of the film, one a silent version and the other a part-talkie version. The only version known to have survived is the "all silent" version.
The story is somewhat pedestrian but done really well with some nice twists and turns. The identity of the killer was nicely hidden, and the suspense kept all the way to the end. The film is mostly forgotten and could do with a good restoration. Just about everything else about the film is great. Holmes Herbert was an accomplished actor of the time and does a great job here. Margaret Livingston, as the serial cheater, is also wonderful.
George Melford also directed the Spanish version of Universal Pictures’ “Dracula” 1931.