Paul Porcasi

John Barrymore gives one of his great performances as Svengali, the grotesque, mesmeric music teacher who hypnotizes the artists' model Trilby (Marian Marsh) into becoming a famous singer — and destroys himself loving what he created. Adapted from George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby, the novel that gave English the word "svengali" for a manipulative mentor. Directed by Archie Mayo for Warner Bros., with expressionist sets that turn the hypnosis sequences into genuine nightmare imagery. The film is in the public domain.

Drama · Romance · Horror