A rich widow thinks of remarrying. However, she is still mourning for her late husband, who, in her fond memories, has grown into a giant of a man : caring, gallant, talented, infinitely charismatic. Within this mix there suddenly arrives a stranger capable of communicating with the dead - well, at least that's what he says... "Mr. X." is quite a good mystery thriller, with an unusual, twisty plot and fine performances. It boasts not one but two interesting villains, both of them driven by greed but different in their evil : one is a liar and a cheat, the other has become more monstrous still. The supernatural or pseudo-supernatural aspects are well evoked, through striking and inventive visual effects. (Watch out for the scene with the vengeful wedding dress !) There are also some fine magic tricks.The movie does have its weak points. For instance, there is a storyline about a private detective, specialised in the investigation of pseudo-psychics, which starts out in a very promising fashion and then peters out, to the point where one gets the impression that the private detective character might just as well have been replaced by a postman or a gardener character. But there is much to enjoy for an audience willing to overlook the occasional mistake. Excellent black-and-white cinematography, proving once more that black-and-white was an artform in itself.

A slightly intriguing film noir, this somewhat suspenseful (if obvious) thriller is packed with tension but results in predictable twists and turns and a rather incomplete conclusion. It all surrounds a vulnerable widow (Lynn Bari), the obviously fake swindler (Turhan Bey), and visions of the dead husband that in spite of filmed with a spooky glaze leads to a twist that you will see coming miles away. It leads to a showdown between two evils, one of which is hiding a little bit of good under that sinister desire for the mighty buck.Cathy O'Donnell's young ingénue is a bit too dumb to be believable, trapped with a really unbelievable character who gets far too much romantic subplot that takes away from the sinister structure that is far more interesting. Still, there are some tense moments, including a cliff-side trance for Bari that will keep you on the edge of your seats in fright.

This is a delicious little House-On-The-Cliff-By-The Seething Sea" "B" movie, an immersion in style and spiritualist hocus-pocus, starring Lynn Bari, who usually played hard-bitten criminal types, and Turhan Bey, a 40's leading man almost forgotten, since many of the films he was in (with folks like Maria Montez) haven't been released on DVD. Bey usually played exotic types in flashy costumes, and here is no exception--he even has a cackling pet raven to follow him around with avian commentary on the shifty doings in the neighborhood.As a side note, Bey retired to Vienna and worked as a photographer, and passed away in 2012; Out of The Blue, an odd little comedy made for Eagle-Lion, in which he co-stars with George Brent, Ann Dvorak and Virginia Mayo, has been released on DVD.What makes The Amazing Mr. X. stand out from most of its kind is the dazzling atmospheric cinematography from John Alton--just the opening interior scenes are enough for me to watch the film again! Yes, it's hokey melodrama, but great fun if you're in the mood.

The Amazing Mr.X starts off a little slow but then starts to pick up some speed. Its a very interesting and unique old School type thriller. It has an interesting way of shifting the bar to subtle to making you guess what could possibly happen next. Although this movie can appear boring at times, it is a great opening into a psychological portal of the late 1940's. The actors also play their character roles with great feeling that also adds to the mystique of the entire film. Old School movie fans will definitely enjoy this intriguing thriller. Overall the movie is decent with some minor kinks in it, it lacks in the action department but the story plot makes up for this flaw. I definitely recommend this to any Old School Horror/Thriller fan.