kevin olzak 1943's "Flesh and Fantasy" is included in the Brunas-Brunas-Weaver book UNIVERSAL HORRORS, and as such gained a distinction it probably never wanted. Unusual for the studio, it's an anthology film comprised of three tales about personal responsibility and shaping one's fate, with slight supernatural overtones. Like 1945's "Dead of Night" and its Amicus offspring, we have a framing story, the delightful Robert Benchley playing off against David Hoffman (the face announcing the 'Inner Sanctum' series). Story one stars Betty Field as a plain-looking woman whose belief in her own unattractiveness has left her lonely and bitter; a chance encounter with a bearded stranger (Edgar Barrier) offers her a mask to disguise her ugliness from the man she's loved from afar, who now recognizes her beauty during an evening of Mardi Gras. This seems a bit overlong even at a mere 27 minutes, but the second story breezes by quickly, top billing Edward G. Robinson as wealthy attorney Marshall Tyler, whose belief in an eccentric palmist (Thomas Mitchell) nets him the woman of his dreams, but an ominous future in discord. Only when pressed further does the prognosticator confess that Tyler is going to kill someone; he becomes so obsessed with who his victim should be that he neglects his beautiful bride-to-be (Anna Lee) and comes to a bad end. Story three pairs Charles Boyer and Barbara Stanwyck, but its drawn out shipboard romance is a letdown coming after the best segment. What was intended to be the first tale in a four-part anthology was excised and reshaped into a 64 minute feature, 1944's "Destiny," which may have been the most dazzling of all; judge for yourself. Unbilled bits come from Peter Lawford, Marjorie Lord, Jacqueline Dalya, Doris Lloyd, Ian Wolfe, Clarence Muse, and Grace McDonald (who played a different character in "Destiny").

Robert J. Maxwell Robert Benchley is upset by a dream he's had and it takes three tales of slightly paranormal goings on to get him over the jitters, along with two thirds of a bottle of scotch. It's rather like "The Twilight Zone" with more subtlety and no science fiction. Or, if we compare it to a feature film, the English "Dead of Night" comes to mind.Tale number one is set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. (It's always Mardi Gras in New Orleans movies.) Betty Field is a real schlub, dressed in rags, disheveled, mean spirited, and deeply in love with her neighbor, Robert Cummings. She dons the mask of a beautiful woman, runs into Cummings on the street, and they get all hormonal. At midnight, when she reluctantly removes her mask, she's radiant. The radiance is augmented by her sparkling costume, fresh make up, and stylish hair. It really IS a remarkable change. She glows with good-heartedness.The second story is from Oscar Wilde but it seems more like Poe. It's about a self-fulfilling prophecy. A palmist, Thomas Mitchell, tells Edward G. Robinson that Robinson is going to murder someone. E.G., a respectable fellow, thinks it's nonsense but over time convinces himself that he must kill somebody before he can get on with his life and his plans for marriage to the beautiful Annabelle Lee -- I mean Anna Lee, not Annabelle. So he kills somebody.In the third story, Charles Boyer is a circus tightrope walker. He has a dream in which he falls during a difficult stunt and the image that sticks with him is Barbara Stanwyck, a stranger, shrieking in the audience.The three stories having been read, Benchley duly exits the scene by turning it all into a joke and squeezing past a step ladder rather than walking under it.Universal Studios wasn't noted for nuance. Their staples were movies about Francis the talking mule and the Abbott and Costello series. But this is pretty good. The director, Julien Duvivier, brought impressive panache to the production. The imagery isn't highly stylized but the superb lighting turns the spooky scenes even more impressive. Alexander Tansman's musical score fits the movie perfectly -- sprightly yet with portentous overtones.The acting is seasoned and professional. Bess Flowers, who appeared in more movies than anyone else on earth, is here. Thomas Mitchell looks half deranged as the palm reader. Barbara Stanwyck is alluring enough to seduce an ordinary insurance salesman, as she did in the same year's "Double Indemnity," only here without the fake blond pompadour.Most of the dialog is functional but there are a few lines that sparkle here and there. Robinson tells Mitchell that he's not interested in the past, only the future, and Mitchell replies, "But Mr. Marshall, the future IS the past. One slides gently into the other. Look around you. Poof -- it's past." Cute.It's a movie made for adults rather than kids, though they might get a kick out of it too. If you enjoy it, take a crack at the more tightly wound "Dead of Night." Try it while stoned.

Alex da Silva Doakes (Robert Benchley) is read 3 stories to help in his decision as to whether or not to believe in fate or dreams.In the first story, its "Mardi Gras" and everyone is wearing masks and costumes. Henrietta (Betty Field), is depressed as she is ugly and is about to drown herself when a stranger (Edgar Barrier) appears. He leads her to a mask shop and tells her to pick a mask and join the festivities on condition that she return at midnight. She goes out and meets with Michael (Robert Cummings) who she has loved from afar for a considerable time. Wearing her mask, she enjoys a few hours with him before returning to the mask shop at midnight. However, Michael has followed her......In the second story, a palmist (Thomas Mitchell) is predicting events with astonishing accuracy at a soirée at the house of Lady Pamela (May Witty). Marshall (Edward G Robinson) sees that the palmist is not being honest with him and goes to his house to insist that he tells him the truth about what he can see. He warns Marshall that he will kill someone. The rest of the tale is played out with Marshall struggling with his conscience as he picks victims to kill.....In the third story, a tightrope-walker (Charles Boyer) has a dream that during his act he falls from the wire while staring at a woman (Barbara Stanwyck) that he has never met. The dream prompts him to cancel the dangerous part of his act. On his way over to America he meets the woman on the boat and they fall in love. He asks her to attend his next show which she does. What happens....?...........It is well-acted and I liked the first 2 stories in particular. The only dodgy part to the 1st tale is in believing that Henrietta is ugly - she just isn't! In the 2nd tale, Edward G Robinson is very good as he reconciles himself to his fate and delivers some funny lines along the way. There is also good support from the Dean (C Aubrey Smith). The 3rd story develops at a slower pace than the previous two and has an ambiguous ending.....Its a film that you remember once it has finished.

Ron Oliver The inevitability of Fate and the mysterious movements of Destiny control our FLESH AND FANTASY.Director Julien Duvivier, in a follow-up to his previous TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942), crafted this new & intriguing sequential film. The emphasis, this time, is on the supernatural and precognition. In spite of the film's homilies about the ultimate power of personal responsibility, the movie is in reality about nothing more than providing some suspenseful entertainment for its audience.The three sequences are tied together by Robert Benchley, in his famous character of Doakes, who is shown the stories in a book at his men's club in an attempt to help him get over a case of the jitters.SEQUENCE ONE A bitter, unattractive seamstress (Betty Field) hopes a Mardi Gras mask will help her attract the affections of a young student (Robert Cummings). Edgar Barrier appears as the mysterious mask maker. Movie mavens will spot Marjorie Lord as a desperate client and Peter Lawford as an inquisitive Pierrot, both unbilled.The most intriguing moments in this sequence happens in the first few seconds, when demons are shown pulling a corpse out of the water, and in the last few, when the viewer sees what is in the mask shop window. Mr. Barrier's voice, honed by years of stage and radio experience, is put to good effect.SEQUENCE TWO A London lawyer (Edward G. Robinson) is told by a celebrated palmist (Thomas Mitchell) that he will commit a murder. Anna Lee appears as Robinson's fiancée; Dame May Whitty as her gossipy godmother. Wonderful Sir C. Aubrey Smith makes the most of his short role as a saintly cleric. Doris Lloyd plays a grieved widow, and Ian Wolfe a librarian, both uncredited.Based on a short story by Oscar Wilde, this is the film's most compelling episode. The acting is especially good, with Robinson topnotch and Mitchell turning in a canny performance. The special effects, in which Robinson discourses with his own reflection, are executed very nicely. Notice the mistake in the credits when they refer to Sir C. Aubrey Smith's character as the Dean of Chichester rather than the Dean of Norwalk.SEQUENCE THREE A circus aerialist (Charles Boyer) has a frightening dream in which he sees a beautiful woman (Barbara Stanwyck)-- and then he meets her. Charles Winninger plays the concerned owner of the circus. Clarence Muse appears unbilled as Boyer's attendant.The story is slightly silly, but the stars make a fine effort and the high wire scenes, using a double, are indeed suspenseful.