The Mad Magician (1954)

Director:

John Brahm

Writers:

Crane Wilbur (screenplay)
Crane Wilbur (story)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

3D THRILL! Fuel for the human bonfire!

Plot:

Don Gallico is a master at designing magical illusions which are sold by his employer, Mr. Ormond, to famous magicians such as Rinaldi...

Plot Keywords:

Mask | Disguise | Murder | Magic | Theremin

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Don Gallico / Gallico the Great
Mary Murphy	...	Karen Lee
Eva Gabor	...	Claire Ormond
John Emery	...	The Great Rinaldi
Donald Randolph	...	Ross Ormond
Lenita Lane	...	Alice Prentiss
Patrick O'Neal	...	Lt. Alan Bruce
Jay Novello	...	Frank Prentiss
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Corey Allen	...	Gus the Stagehand (uncredited)
Conrad Brooks	...	Bonfire Extra (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	Detective (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Carriage Driver (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Tom Powers	...	Inspector (uncredited)
Keith Richards	...	Man on Telephone (uncredited)
Lyle Talbot	...	Program Hawker (uncredited)
Roland Varno	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Carriage Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
John Brahm

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Crane Wilbur		screenplay
Crane Wilbur		story

Produced by
Bryan Foy	....	producer

Original Music by
Arthur Lange
Emil Newman

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Grant Whytock

Art Direction by
Frank Paul Sylos		(as Frank Sylos)

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Makeup Department
George Bau	....	makeup creation
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup creation

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John K. Kean	....	sound (as John Kean)

Special Effects by
Dave Koehler	....	special effects (as David Koehler)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Martien	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Samuel Hoffman	....	musician: theremin (uncredited)

Other crew
Bob Haskell	....	magical effects

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The first movie to be broadcast on television in 3-D.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the mad magician is performing on stage and about to appear the girl from the table, you can see the magicians cape reflect in the mirrors that are hiding the girl around the legs of the table.

Quotes:

Frank Prentiss:Good luck on your murder. Oh, I say,
[takes out a newspaper]
Frank Prentiss:there was a very nice one in the Fall River thing. The killer used an axe and...
Alice Prentiss:Oh no no, don't tell me now, Frank, save it.
Frank Prentiss:I shall.
[leaves the room]
Alice Prentiss:Oh, Frank! Do they know who did it?
Frank Prentiss:Know who... oh no no, some neighbors saw him, but he was wearing a mask.
Alice Prentiss:[writing, narrating] His impersonation of the man he had killed was perfect. The mask he wore was equally perfect. Another face that fitted him like an outer skin. Thin as tissue and elastic enough to give with every move of the facial muscles.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monsterama Sci-Fi Late Night Creature Feature Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

The Vigorous Vincent! The Phenomenal Price!

Basically the exact same movie as "House of Wax" - Vincent Price's first genuine horror hit released the previous year - but seriously who cares, because "The Mad Magician" offers just as many sheer thrills, delightful period set-pieces, joyous 3-D effects, sublime acting performances and macabre horror gimmicks as its predecessor! "Never change a winning team" is exactly what writer Crane Wilbur must have thought when he penned down Price's character Don Gallico, another tormented soul besieged by fate and out for vengeance against those who wronged him. Don Gallico is about to perform his very first own illusionist show as Gallico the Great and plans to exhibit the greatest magic trick in history; entitled "The Girl and the Buzz Saw". Gallico's promising solo career is abruptly ruined before it even begins when his previous employer Ross Ormond appears on stage and shoves a contract under his nose, stating that all of Gallico's inventions are the rightful property of the company. The sleazy and relentless Ormond, who by the way also ransacked Gallico's once beloved wife, takes off with the buzz saw trick and programs it in the show of Gallico's rival The Great Rinaldi. Inevitably Gallico snaps and sadistically butchers Ormond, but – also being a master of creating disguises – recreates his victim's image and even starts leading a double life. "The Mad Magician" is an amusing and thoroughly unpretentious 50's horror movie in Grand Guignol style, with a whole lot of improbably plot twists (the landlady turns out a brilliant crime novelist?) and a handful of fantastically grotesque gross-out moments (although they obviously remain suggestive for most part). The 3-D delights near the beginning of the film, like a yo-yo player and a goofy trick with water fountains, merely just serve as time-filler and contemporary 50's hype, but it's still fun to watch even now and without the means to properly behold them. "The Mad Magician" is also interesting from a periodical setting point of view, as the events take place around the time fingerprints were starting to get used as evidence material and the character of Alice Prentiss is an obvious reference towards famous crime authors of that era. Needless to state that Vincent Price remains the absolute most essential element of triumph in this film, as well as from nearly every other horror movie this legendary man ever starred in. Like no other actor could ever accomplish, Price depicts the tormented protagonist who gradually descends further and further into mental madness in such an indescribably mesmerizing way. You pity Don Gallico, yet at the same time you fear him enormously. You support his vile acts of retaliation and yet simultaneously you realize his murderous rampage must end in death. Vincent Price simply was a genius actor and, in my humble opinion, the embodiment of the horror genre.