Name: Hands of Destiny
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 h 1 min
Rating: 3.9
Cast: Josef Ranald, Terence Alexander, Hilda Fenemore

Unique exploitation in which a highly-regarded palmist plays himself

Austrian palmist Josef Ranald somehow managed to ingratiate himself with everyone from Bob Hope to Hitler and he had the signed palm prints to prove it. His 1938 book, "How to Know People by Their Hands", first produced a spin-off movie (also called "Hands of Destiny") in 1941. Then came this British programmer put out by exploitation outfit Adelphi. Ranald wrote the script, which repeats his claim that the evil of the entire Nazi hierarchy (and Mussolini) could be read in their hands. He also appears as himself in dramatisations of two of his cases. In Shanghai he saves a young woman from drowning and assures her that her palms show that happiness lies ahead. (He's right of course). In the U.S.he reunites a mother with her long-lost son because he is able to match palm prints. These stories require considerable suspension of disbelief. To use one example we're invited to accept that a child's palm print on a toy piano is of sufficient clarity for it to be matched some 16 years later with that of a university student. In these more cynical times it's also odd to hear Ranald described as a scientist and for there to be "absolute proof" of his theories. Nevertheless this is an exploitation film quite unlike any other and few who see it will be disappointed. It's adequately produced and director Tony Young (best known for film and TV work with The Goons) rises to the challenge of recreating pre-War Shanghai by putting half a dozen Chinatown residents on a Bankside wharf. Best known for her working-class housewives, Hilda Fenemore (here billed Fennimore) excels in a quite uncharacteristic role. As Ranald's manager, Terence Alexander has the task of spouting pages of narrative, something he did three years earlier in "Death Is a Number." I can guarantee that, although Ranald's claims and predictions may be better suited to a fairground caravan, no one will watch this film without examining their own palms.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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Hands of Destiny

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