Black Magic (1949)

Hypnotist uses his powers for revenge against King Louis XV's court.

Director:

Gregory Ratoff

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel), Charles Bennett (adaptation),

Stars:

Orson Welles, Nancy Guild, Akim Tamiroff

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Orson Welles	...	Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro
Nancy Guild	...	Marie Antoinette / Lorenza
Akim Tamiroff	...	Gitano
Frank Latimore	...	Gilbert de Rezel
Valentina Cortese	...	Zoraida
Margot Grahame	...	Mme. du Barry
Stephen Bekassy	...	Viscount de Montagne
Berry Kroeger	...	Alexandre Dumas, Sr.
Gregory Gaye	...	Chambord / Monk (as Gregory Gay)
Raymond Burr	...	Alexandre Dumas, Jr.
Charles Goldner	...	Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer
Lee Kresel	...	King Louis XVI / Innkeeper
Robert Atkins	...	King Louis XV
Nicholas Bruce	...	De Remy
Franco Corsaro	...	Chico

Storyline

Giuseppe Balsamo detto Cagliostro, zingaro e mago, vuole vendicarsi del visconte di Montagne, che ha torturato, in passato, lui e la sua famiglia. Usando i suoi poteri ipnotici, Cagliostro spinge il visconte al suicidio. Dopo un matrimonio fallito (sua moglie ama Gilbert, un ufficiale della guardia della Regina) e dopo essere stato smascherato in pubblico dal dottor Mesmer, famoso ipnotista, viene ucciso in duello sui tetti dal capitano delle guardie.

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Plot Keywords:

hypnotism | gypsy | marie antoinette | revenge | novelist | 

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Taglines:

The biggest picture in ten years! The greatest cavalcade of intrigue, spectacle, adventure and excitement you'll ever see on the screen

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cagliostro

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Small Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the latter portion of the plot revolves around the diamond necklace, the real history is different. In 1772, the infatuated Louis XV requested that Parisian jewelers Boehmer & Bassenge create an elaborate and spectacular jeweled necklace for Du Barry, one that would surpass all known others in grandeur, at an estimated cost of two-million livres. The necklace, still not completed nor paid for when Louis XV died, would eventually trigger a scandal involving Jeanne de la Motte-Valois, in which Queen Marie Antoinette would be wrongly accused of bribing the Cardinal de Rohan, Archbishop of Strasbourg in the Alsace, to purchase it for her, accusations which would figure prominently in the onset of the French Revolution.

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Goofs

In the early scene between Cagliostro and Mesmer, Mesmer says that Cagliostro had never heard of "hypnotism" but was practicing it anyway. In fact, Mesmer himself never used the term "hypnotism." He called it "animal magnetism."

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Connections

Referenced in D.O.A. (1950)

User Reviews

A great one to catch on the big screen

Watching this very entertaining film for the first time today, I was curiously reminded of the screwball comedy "Start the Revolution Without Me" made twenty years later. I didn't even remember Welles participation in the film, which starred Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland, but rather the Queen's annoyance toward her husband's obsession with clocks.

I had always wondered why Welles appeared in this zany farce directed by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin. Now I'm sure he had a hand in writing the script! The antics between Marie Antoinette and the King seem to be a continuation of ideas that began with "Black Magic".

This fine Alexander Dumas classic utilizes the same plot device from "The Man in the Iron Mask". In that one Louis the XIV has a twin while Marie Antoinette has one in "Black Magic". Not only does this movie deserve a DVD release, but would be a great one to see in a theater as well.