THE MAD MAGICIAN
US, 1954, 72 minutes, Black and white.
Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Eva Gabor, Patrick O’ Neal.
Directed by John Brahm.
The Mad Magician is an early Vincent Price horror film, made after his House of Wax. As usual, he is elegant and eloquent, especially while insane
Filmed in 3D and black and white, film obviously still has some sequences for poking things at its audience. However, it is an entertaining thriller with Price as an inventive magician whose creations are used by others. He attempts to go public and eventually has to kill people, then cover up his murders. He plays in rather low key fashion and this makes his performance more credible. Eva Gabor appears briefly as his wife. The romantic leads are Mary Murphy and a very young Patrick O'Neill. There are some amusing minor characters, better drawn than usual. There is a turn of the century period setting and direction is by veteran John Brown.
1. Enjoyable horror, murder thriller?
2. Black and, white photography, turn of the century period decor and costumes? The design of sequences for 3D effects? Musical score?
3. The title and its focus on Don Gallico? His skills as an inventor, his ambitions to be a performer? The thwarting of his ambitions? His turning murderous? His ingenuity in his killings? The final confrontation, his comment on his own madness?
4. Vincent Price's style as Gallico? His performing on the stage, his nervousness? His mimicking other magicians? The stopping of the show? The businessman and his power over Gallico, taking his wife, owning his creations? Gallico's vengeance? Friendship with Bruce, friendship with Karen? Clare and her return, fickle? His killing of the entrepreneur, concealing his body, burning it on the bonfire? His mask and assuming his identity, persuading the Prentices to believe him? His killing of Clare after her discovery? His confrontation with Rinaldo, Rinaldo's blackmail and his killing him? His further madness, taking Rinaldo's place, the confrontation about the fingerprints? The final threats, the carriage ride, the confrontation with Bruce? The crematorium? His own death? A mad magician for this kind of small thriller?
5. Bruce and the police, his skill in investigation, knowledge of fingerprints, his confrontation of Rinaldo? The final fight with Gallico, on the crematorium slide, the rescue? Karen as heroine, her assistance of Gallico, liking for him, attraction for Bruce, her phone call and revealing the truth? The final drama?
6. The entrepreneur and his callous closing of the show, his hold over Gallico, his use of Clare? His beheading? Gallico taking his place and suspicions that he was the murderer? Rinaldo and his style, pretensions? His attempt at blackmail? His being killed in the crematorium?
6, Alice Prentice and Frank? Frank and his being a yes-man to Alice? Alice and her skills as a writer, imagination, involved in the search, her detection and clues, her realising the truth? Her participation in the finale?
8. A popular thriller? Themes of sanity and madness, trickery, power and money, betrayal, good and evil?
