Black Magic ** (1949, Orson Welles, Nancy Guild, Akim Tamiroff, Valentina Cortese) – Classic Movie Review 9441

Director Gregory Ratoff’s 1949 black and white adventure movie Black Magic stars the old magician Orson Welles, who hams it up in an absurd swashbuckler as Cagliostro the magician-hypnotist-adventurer, who learns his skills from hypnotism pioneer Doctor Mesmer (Charles Goldner).

Cagliostro gets involved in a wicked plot by Viscount de Montagne (Stephen Bekassy) and Madame Dubarry (Margot Grahame) to provide a servant girl Lorenza as a double for Marie Antoinette (both played by Nancy Guild) to take power in France. Valentina Cortese also stars as Zoraida.

An intriguing story, based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas père, with fascinating elements and characters, and a very interesting cast are largely squandered in Charles Bennett’s flat, often boring screenplay and Ratoff’s dull handling. But at least Welles seems to be enjoying himself.

And, apparently he was. Welles recalled making this film was the most sheer fun he ever had working in the movies. It’s just a shame that more of that sense of fun isn’t up there on screen.

Italian count Cagliostro (1743–95) was jailed for life by the Inquisition for his association with Freemasonry.

Also in the cast are Frank Latimore, Robert Atkins, Lee Kresel, Gregory Gaye, Berry Kroeger and Raymond Burr.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9441

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