Chandu on the Magic Island (1935)

On the mystic island of Lemuria, the cult of Ubasti seek the Egyptian Princess Nadji to sacrifice so that their goddess Ossana, whose soul resides in Nadji's body, may be resurrected by ... See full summary »

Director:

Ray Taylor

Writers:

Barry Barringer (screenplay), Harry A. Earnshaw (based on the radio drama by),

Stars:

Bela Lugosi, Maria Alba, Clara Kimball Young

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bela Lugosi	...	Frank Chandler (Chandu)
Maria Alba	...	Princess Nadji (archive footage)
Clara Kimball Young	...	Dorothy Regent (archive footage)
Dean Benton	...	Bob Regent (archive footage)
Phyllis Ludwig	...	Betty Regent (archive footage)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	The Voice of the Ubasti (archive footage)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Capt. Walker (archive footage)
Josef Swickard	...	Tyba (the White Magician) (archive footage)
Jack J. Clark	...	Vitras (the high priest) (archive footage)

Storyline

On the mystic island of Lemuria, the cult of Ubasti seek the Egyptian Princess Nadji to sacrifice so that their goddess Ossana, whose soul resides in Nadji's body, may be resurrected by Black Magic. Nadji is located in the Far East port of Suva, but shielded by the White Magical powers of Frank Chandler, an American raised by Eastern mystics who is also known as Chandu. When Chandu takes a voyage alone, however, the evil Voice of Ubasti is able to magically spirit her to Lemuria, where Black Magic reigns supreme. Chandu sets out in pursuit with his sister Dorothy, niece Betty and nephew Bob; but, shipwrecked on the magic island, Chandu finds his family also held prisoner for sacrifice while he is plunged into an endless maze of caverns beneath the evil temple, where both his mortal and magical strength seem rendered useless...

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Plot Keywords:

magic | island | lemuria | temple | goddess | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Adventure

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sol Lesser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited from The Return of Chandu (1934)

User Reviews

Re-editing the Second Half of an Above Average Serial

To deliver another adventure featuring "Chandu" the radio hero, they cobbled this together as "Chandu on the Magic Island". It is parenthetically subtitled "A Sequel to 'The Return of Chandu'." Both look like they were re-edited from serial footage; as usual, the soundtrack music is a dead giveaway. It's unfortunate film preservations don't restore serials, because you can see this was exciting stuff for the time with above average visuals for the genre. At the time, Bela Lugosi and Clara Kimball Young were considered big stars passing their prime; with some fresh faces and supporting veterans, they add up to a good cast.

**** Chandu on the Magic Island (1935) Ray Taylor ~ Bela Lugosi, Maria Alba, Dean Benton, Clara Kimball Young