Svengali (1931)

Sinister music maestro Svengali (John Barrymore) can control the actions of women through hypnotism and his telepathic powers. When a pupil (Carmen Myers) he seduced announces she has left her husband for him, he uses his powers to cause her suicide and promptly forgets her. He meets beautiful model Trilby (Marian Marsh) and becomes infatuated with her, but she falls for young artist Billie (Bramwell Fletcher), who also loves her. One day, Svengali hypnotizes Trilby to cure her headache, but also examines her upper palate and decides it is an ideal cavity for great singing. He convinces her to fake her suicide, so Billie and friends will forget her, and goes on a singing tour with her. Svengali uses his powers to make her sing wonderfully and Madame Svengali, as Trilby is now known, becomes a sensation throughout Europe. But Billie discovers the ruse and follows the pair, upsetting Svengali enough to have him cancel performances too frequently, so they can no longer perform in Europe. They go to Egypt, but Billie relentlessly follows.