Mandrake, the Magician (1939)

Mandrake and his assistant Lothar are working the cruise lines and make the acquaintance of Professor Houston who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by a masked Crime Lord known as "The Wasp".

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
Rex Downing	...	Tommy Houston
Edward Earle	...	Dr. Andre Bennett
Forbes Murray	...	Professor Houston
Kenneth MacDonald	...	James Webster
Don Beddoe	...	Frank Raymond
Dick Curtis	...	Dorgan - Henchman (Chs. 6-8)
John Tyrrell	...	Dirk - Henchman
Stanley Brown	...	Green-Henchman [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 Henchman [Chs. 8-9]

Storyline

Mandrake and his assistant Lothar are working the cruise lines and make the acquaintance of Professor Houston who has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by a masked Crime Lord known as "The Wasp".

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Plot Keywords:

superhero | damsel in distress | held at gunpoint | henchman | cruise ship performer | 

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Taglines:

BLACK MAGIC Conjures Up A Holocaust Of Thrills!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shown on Turner Classic Movies in its entirety. One chapter each Saturday morning during 2019.

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Goofs

At the end of chapter three, the announcer states that the 'Wasp' orders that Tommy Houston captured and to throw him out of the speeding car. In reality, Tommy overhears the henchmen's plan and stows away in the rumble seat of their car. As soon as Tommy finds out what he wants to know, he jumps from the car so he can notify Mandrake what's going on.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Monkees: The Monkee's Paw (1968)

User Reviews

An intriguing and magical cinema serial

"Mandrake, the Magician"(1939 - 214 minutes - 12 episodes), is one of the classics B&W cinema serials of Columbia, directed by Sam Nelson and Norman Deming. Based on the known Comics created by Lee Falk and Phill Davis in 1924 and written by Joseph F. Poland, Basil Dickey and Ned Dandy. Mandrake (the actor Warren Hull) is a sagacious detective who is traveling in a maritime cruise when he knows the professor Hudson (the actor Forbes Murray), the author of a machine that uses the energy of the radio waves. Developed for the good, the powerful device becomes a dangerous weapon when it falls in the hands of an evil genius known as "Wasp". Mandrake and his faithful assistant, Lothar (the actor Al Kikume), will fight Wasp and his gang, living an intensely battle between the good and the evil. The Mandrake's dress style with the black and red layer, ternary and top-hat, had immortalized the figure of the magician. The English word "Mandrake" is the name of a root that was always associated with magical powers and miraculous cures. Lothar was an African prince and one of the first black character treated in a serious way in Comic books, he was always considered as an intelligent and loyal ally. With original special effects for that time, the film deserves reverence to the great performance of Warren Hull, that gave life to one of the biggest icons of the Comic books of all times.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mandrake el mago

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

215 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1