Black Magic (1949)

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

Directors:

Gregory Ratoff, Orson Welles (uncredited)

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas (novel) (as Alexandre Dumas père), 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

Novelist Alexander Dumas tells his writer-son of Joseph Balsamo, a gypsy boy in southern France who was embittered because his parents were wrongfully hanged and he himself was tortured by the order of Viscount de Montagne. Years later, the man, a carnival charlatan, attracts the attention of Dr. Mesmer, a pioneer in the study of hypnotism. Balsamo rejects Mesmer's plea that he use his power for healing and, instead, decides to use it to seek wealth and fame. He changes his name to Count Cagliostro, and achieves fame throughout Europe by mixing hypnotism with mysticism and showmanship. He is called to cure a girl, Lorenza, held by De Montagne, because she resembles Marie Antoinette, wife of the heir to the throne of France. Cagliostro decides to join De Montagne and Madame du Barry in a plot to seize the power by discrediting the future Queen. Cagliostro achieves his revenge on De Montagne by persuading him to hang himself. He makes Lorenza marry him but can never make her love him. ...

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Plot Keywords:

flogging | whipping | hypnotism | revenge | marie antoinette | 

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Taglines:

...It Will Hold You in its Spell!

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

Italy USA

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

Italian censorship visa # 5644 dated 20 April 1949.

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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

Featured in Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (2014)

User Reviews

An almost lost classic

Would like to see this film on TCL channel. As a Wells admirer, it will always be a classic. My husband was a stage hypnotist, in the 1950's, having studied psychology at The Detroit Institute of Technology in Detroit Michigan. (several stories in local papers) He appeared on stage along with the showing of Black Magic,(Vanity Theatre) in Windsor Ontario Canada while a student to demonstrate hypnosis. As a result, he traveled to several cities giving demonstrations. At one time he had his own by- line in a Michigan paper in which he discussed hypnosis, Father Stan Murphy (Asumption College Windsor, Ontario Canada) had him on The Christian Culture Series, and demonstrations for the Canadian Police. His picture and stories were carried along with the movies credits in the media. (Have clippings for anyone interested)