Miracles for Sale is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Tod Browning, and starring Robert Young and Florence Rice. It was Browning's final film as a director.[1] The film is based on a locked-room mystery novel by well-known mystery writer Clayton Rawson, Death from a Top Hat, which was the first to feature his series detective The Great Merlini. In this film, Merlini's character has been changed into Michael Morgan (The Amazing Morgan) as portrayed by Robert Young. Don Diavolo, another series character in Rawson's work under his pseudonym, Stuart Towne, appears here as Dave Duvallo.

Miracles for Sale
Film poster
Directed byTod Browning
Screenplay byHarry Ruskin
Marion Parsonnet
James Edward Grant
Based onDeath from a Top Hat
by
Clayton Rawson
Produced byJ.J. Cohn
StarringRobert Young
Florence Rice
CinematographyCharles Lawton Jr.
Edited byFredrick Y. Smith
Music byWilliam Axt
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • August 14, 1939 (1939-08-14)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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In the late 1930s, inactive New York magician Michael "Mike" Morgan (aka "The Amazing Morgan") exposes fraudulent magicians and psychics who prey on the unsuspecting. When demonologist Dr. Sabbat is mysteriously murdered, Mike assists the police in developing suspects which include Tauro and Dave Duvallo - two magicians last seen with Sabbat; a couple named La Claire who perform tricks by telepathy; a psychic named Madame Rapport; and, a young lady named Judy Barkley who is in New York to prevent Madame Rapport from claiming a $25,000 prize offered by a local psychic association.

Cast

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References

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  1. ^ Nugent, Frank S. (August 10, 1939). "Miracles for Sale (1939) THE SCREEN; Murder in Magicians' Row Is the Theme of 'Miracles for Sale,' the New Mystery at the Criterion". The New York Times.
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