My boyfriend found a $3 dvd set of a Boris Karloff anthology series I’d never heard of called “The Veil”. Apparently it was film and never aired as a series. And it’s not bad!
The Crystal Ball is an episode not about the writing process, but about how the world can view fiction writers as fanciful and people to be placated.
Edmond is a popular author in early 20th century France with his love stories translated and sold in multiple western countries. His girlfriend, Marie, had left him for his rich publisher, Charles. Her parting gift is a crystal ball, which Edmond’s uncle (Karloff) says is just like her - beautiful but useless. Boris Burned You, Lady!
The uncle is pretty observant of people. He makes Edmond burn Marie’s letters, pointing out that as a writer of “ sentimental love stories” Edmond will keep pining if he keeps her words. The uncle makes another comment that Edmond would never fall for a woman who didn’t show a flair for “passionate” word smithing. Edmond also tries throwing himself in work, but he’s blocked.
Sadly, these steps do not help Edmond as he has to attend dinners at Marie and his boss’s house and, oh yeah, because he starts to see visions of Marie in the frickin crystal ball. Yes, this is that kind of story.
The visions show him Marie’s affairs with a Parisian artist while her husband is away on business. Edmond spirals into a sleepless obsession with her dalliances and his work suffers greatly despite a deadline on the horizon. Finally, he reveals to his uncle that he thinks he’s going mad because of the crystal ball images. The uncle dismisses this as the jealous fantasies of an overactive imagination. But he does offer the solution that if Edmond sees Marie go someplace, he should check that place in reality. “ if you are going out of your mind let’s find out in time to do something about it!” the uncle rather practically declares.
I won’t give away the entire plot although I’m sure you’ll figure it out on your own, but I do want to add how Edmond tries to tell his boss. The publisher has a similar reaction as the uncle. Good writers has realistic fantasies (oxymoron) and it’s all in Edmond’s head.
Now another important thought - how did that crystal ball not burn down Edmond’s house! He kept is uncovered in his garden with the sun directly shining on it! I’m just saying.
