Mandrake the Magician (1939)

Columbia's 7th serial (between Flying G-Men and Overland With Kit Carson)was based on the King Features newspaper comic strip created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis, Mandrake the Magician, the ... See full summary »

Directors:

Norman Deming, Sam Nelson

Writers:

Joseph F. Poland (screenplay), Basil Dickey (screenplay),

Stars:

Warren Hull, Doris Weston, Al Kikume

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Hull	...	Mandrake the Magician
Doris Weston	...	Betty Houston
Al Kikume	...	Lothar, Mandrake's Assistant
Rex Downing	...	Tommy Houston
Edward Earle	...	Dr. Andre Bennett
Forbes Murray	...	Professor Houston
Kenneth MacDonald	...	James Webster
Don Beddoe	...	Frank Raymond
Dick Curtis	...	Dorgan - Thug (Chs. 6-8)
John Tyrrell	...	Dirk, lead thug
Stanley Brown	...	Green, thug [Chs. 1, 2, 4]
Beatrice Curtis	...	Rest Home Nurse [Chs. 3,10]
Robert Sterling	...	Henchman
Sam Ash	...	George Regan, hypnotist [Chs. 3-5]
Lester Dorr	...	Gray, gas station thug [Chs. 8-9]

Storyline

Columbia's 7th serial (between Flying G-Men and Overland With Kit Carson)was based on the King Features newspaper comic strip created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis, Mandrake the Magician, the world's foremost exponent of mind over matter, although most of us who read the strip over the years were never really certain whether Mandrake was really a magician, or just had even more ability to cloud men's minds than the Shadow. The serial does allow Mandrake to discard his tie and tails when he isn't performing professionally, but out of his top hat and cloak, he is mainly a fist-slugging detective in this serial. Mandrake and Luthor are working the cruise lines and meet Professor Hudson who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by "The Wasp", who sends his hordes of henchmen in waves to steal the invention, and they blow up a radio station, a power plant and a dam pdq just to show they mean business. Mandrake, after 11 chapters, finally catches up to "The Wasp" in ...

---

Plot Keywords:

serial | electrocution | based on comic | based on comic book | part animation | 

---

Taglines:

BLACK MAGIC Conjures Up A Holocaust Of Thrills!

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 1939 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

215 min 215 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles:

• 1. Shadow on the Wall
• 2. Trap of the Wasp
• 3. A City of Terror
• 4. The Secret Passage
• 5. The Devil's Playmate
• 6. The Fatal Crash
• 7. Gamble For Life
• 8. Across the Deadline
• 9. Terror Rides the Rails
• 10.The Unseen Monster
• 11.At the Stroke of Eight
• 12.The Reward of Treachery

---

Connections

Referenced in The Witches (1967)

User Reviews

Abracadabra!

Mandrake, the Magician features a dashing, young hero who may not have any super-powers to speak of, but, being a magician (the worlds' best, of course) he does manage to foil the bad guys with a well-timed magic trick, or two. And if that happens to fail, Mandrake can certainly be counted on to throw a mean punch, sometimes heroically taking on up to five of The Wasp's ruthless henchmen all at one time.

Presented in 12 super-exciting chapters, this enjoyable, 1939 "Cliffhanger" has Mandrake and his loyal pals taking on The Wasp, a dastardly evil criminal, who will stop at nothing in order to get his greedy hands on Prof. Houston's amazing radium-energy machine.

For plenty of laughs and excitement, check out all of the B-Grade action!