Psychics, Mentalists, and Fortune Tellers in Old Time Radio

For almost as long as mankind has walked upright, he has wondered what the future will bring. Most reasonable people accept that there is really no way know what tomorrow will hold until tomorrow gets here, but there are plenty of conmen and scam artists who would like to have others believe that they have a special insight on events yet to unfold, whether the "gift" comes from interpreting "signs" or communicating with other-worldly spirits.

Reading signs is a relatively safe way to predict the future, even if the signs that the fortune-teller tries to interpret are pure hokum. The ancient art of astrology is an example of sign reading, as are palmistry, tea leaf reading, tarot cards, and numerology. If the fortune teller happens to make a faulty prediction and gets caught, she can claim that her art was interrupted because she was not able to see all the relevant signs. Usually, the most talented fortune teller will make predictions which are so general that they are bound to come true, or they will base the prognostication on inside information that the mark does not know they have. When this occurs, the supposed mystic will choose the signs which fit their inside information.

As convincing as sign readers can be, the really frightening futurists are psychics, mentalists, and spiritualists. These fortune tellers may claim to use necromancy, or communication with the spirits of the dead, or they may employ scrying or crystal ball reading to show the mark what the mark thinks they want to see. After gaining fame and making his fortune as a magician and escape artist, the great Harry Houdini dedicated his talents to exposing spiritualists as being dangerous con men who preyed on distraught souls.

Although the practice of fortune telling is generally a con, visiting a "real" fortune teller can be a lot of fun. One of the most important elements of the performance is the mark's desire to believe what the fortune teller tells them. When doing a character reading, the fortune teller is actually able to pick up on clues from the mark's clothing, possessions, mannerisms, and speech to know a good deal about them, at least enough to seem as though he has special insight. Often, the mark is so wrapped up in the performance that they will go along with it and accept the very general predictions as applying to somewhat specific circumstances.

• When Blackstone the Magic Detective realizes that a fortune teller is not only a fake but a thief and robber as well, the crook ties up the magician and his associate, Rhoda. Quick thinking Blackstone manages to escape his fate when the sun's rays, focused through the fortune teller's crystal ball, burns through the ropes.
• There is an old tradition among carnival fortune tellers that you should never predict death. Madame Zena must have forgotten the rule when Boston Blackie came into her tent, but what she doesn't see is that the death is her own! Can Blackie discover why Madame Zena is shot, or even why she is in a monkey costume?
• Fortune tellers claim they can predict the future, but Buck Rogers in the 25th Century lives there! Of course, there are still nefarious doings going on when Killer Kane steals a psychic restriction ray machine from Dr. Huer's laboratory. Only Buck can save his friends from the effects of the ray.
• When Casey Crime Photographer comes upon an arson and murder scene out in Frogtown, dark magic seems to be involved and the only witness is the fortune teller Gypsy Mary. Like everyone else in Frogtown, Gypsy Mary doesn't like to have her picture taken, but if Casey has enough money in his pockets...
• A circus fortune teller named Medium Rare and her evil monkey companion, Simi Ann are wrapped up in blackmail and murder, but she doesn't count on Dick Tracy working undercover disguised as a clown.
• In "The Case f the Crystal Prophecy", Nick Carter, Master Detective discovers a rash of middle-aged, rich widows who have committed suicide. The cases seem unrelated, but each of the women had seen a fortune teller who had predicted all of the suicides.
• It's all about Truth, Justice, and the American Way on The Adventures of Superman, but when Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen go to Arabia where they encounter a fortune teller waiting for "the Red Fez". There is also a Polish princess who looks just like Lois! Can we read Superman's fortune in the sands?
• There's more than death and murder in a fortune teller's predictions. When the tea leaves say that a handsome man is coming into the life of Gracie's gal pal, Tootsie Sagwell, George gets confused and thinks Gracie is leaving him for Herbert Marshall. Hopefully, Mr. Marshall will recover from visiting The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.
• We would never have guessed that Gildy knew anything about fortune telling, but that is what he does for the "Bundles for Blue Jackets" drive when the real swami doesn't show up. Unfortunately, the cops think that The Great Gildersleeve playing a fake fortune teller is a real conman.

See also: Scams, Con men, Cheats, and Bunco Artists in Old Time Radio, Magic Collection, and Mind Readers in Old Time Radio.