The Mystery Mind
by Arthur B. Reeve
Reeve sure did turn out a large number of potboilers with science fiction film tie-ins.
I would have liked to purchase one of the Harry Houdini photoplay novels (for example The Master Mystery). But it looks like Houdini collectors have driven the price of these beyond my range. So in place of this I bought The Mystery Mind. Instead of featuring the world-famous escape artist, the star of this film is "J. Robert Pauline, The Famous Hypnotist" (as the intro page calls him).
My appreciation from reading The Mystery Mind came not so much from Reeve's writing. The usual twists and turn are all there. Hey, how can you go wrong with a story about a beautiful heiress (one Violet Bronson) harassed by such nasty folks as the Evil Eye, The Phantom Face and above all The Mystery Mind? But again and again, in wading through books like these it is visualizing the craziness of a lost serial on a 1920 era theater screen that keeps me intrigued. Helping out with this were a selection of stills bound in the book.
J. Robert Pauline plays the hero Dr. Robert Dupont. A sampling of his mental feats is best given with a few quotes:
Robert to Violet: "I know enough about thought transference and metal telepathy to know that any secret is safe which you whisper to me here now".
Violet to Robert: "Remember how you told me once about signatures, how some intangible something about everyone on a subconscious plane would enable their influence to be recognized...?"
Dupont's thoughts when Violet is in peril: "Hypnotism, and the use of mind in therapeutics, seemed so much more worth while as field for his efforts that clairvoyance had barely interested him. But now! Violet was in danger! No possible means of helping her should be neglected."
And of course,
Dupont to any bad guy daring to meet his gaze: "You are in my power!"
written: 1/17/2002