MN
Motion Picture News
Lawrence Reid praised the film as weird, fantastic, and suspensive, highlighting its splendid atmosphere, unique settings, and very well-acted international cast.
A young woman, Margaret Dauncey, is caught between the forces of a charlatan magician, Oliver Haddo, whom she is unable to resist, and the love of a handsome surgeon, Arthur Burdon, who has saved her from being a helpless cripple by performing a delicate operation on her spine.
Directed byRex Ingram
Written byRex Ingram, W. Somerset Maugham
Critical Consensus
6.7
IMDb
6.1
TMDB
The film received a mixed critical reception; while praised by some for its atmospheric qualities, unique settings, and strong acting, others found it slow, draggy, or noted directorial carelessness despite its suspense and interest.
The Cast
Alice Terry
Margaret Dauncey
Paul Wegener
Oliver Haddo
Firmin Gémier
Dr. Porhoët
Iván Petrovich
Dr. Arthur Burdon
GH
Gladys Hamer
Susie Boyd
HW
Henry Wilson
Haddo's Servant
HS
Hubert I. Stowitts
Dancing Faun
CF
Claude Fielding
Dancing Faun (uncredited)
GF
Gerald Fielding
Dancing Faun (uncredited)
Rosita Garcia
Young Woman Bitten by Snake (uncredited)
Trivia
Upon its release, The Magician was met with a barrage of negative criticism, mostly on grounds of tastelessness, which sealed the picture's doom.
Paul Wegener's co-workers found him difficult to work with; he reportedly screamed at his personal make-up artist for slight provocations.
Some film historians suspect Rex Ingram lost interest during filming, leaving sequences to others, which may explain his 'Supervised by Rex Ingram' credit.
The film's laboratory sets and gestures are considered a formative influence on James Whale's conception of the 1931 film Frankenstein.
The Magician remained commercially unavailable for decades until its DVD release in the Warner Brothers Archive Collection in 2011.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
TT
The New York Times
Mordaunt Hall was impressed with the cast, particularly Alice Terry's beauty, Ivan Petrovich's empathy, and Paul Wegener's restrained performance.
V
Variety
Fred was impressed by Wegener's acting but criticized the film itself as very slow-moving and draggy, offering only a single thrill.
CD
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Described the film as a 'wild, improbable tale' with suspense and interest, but suggested director Ingram was 'sometime careless.'
Audience
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