The Mad Magician (1954)/Old Review

 

October 31, 2010

IMDb user comments

Truly sad is it that a film directed by the caliber of a John Brahm with the star of a Vincent Price could go so sorely unnoticed, overshadowed by the excellent HOUSE OF WAX..that is the case of THE MAD MAGICIAN, a slick Victorian era(Brahm is an absolute master at getting the most out of sets, wardrobe, and extras in regards to period atmosphere and authenticity)horror chiller about a seemingly decent creator of magic show acts which delight the audiences.

Price stars as the much maligned Don Gallico, stuck in a contract with an unscrupulous businessman who exploits his brilliance, allowing others to take credit, showmen, like the slimy "The Great Rinaldi"(John Emery; appropriately hissable) who reap the benefits of another's talents. Gallico simply wants to perform his own shows, using the money paid him for his hard work to create a stunning crematorium act sure to wow those in attendance. Angered beyond reason, Gallico kills his boss, Ross Ormond(Donald Randolph), in a fit of rage using a buzz saw act which beheads him! Ormond also seduced Gallico's wife(Claire, portrayed by Eva Gabor, perfectly cast as a golddigger) using his wealth and prominence..without even the slight hint of remorse, Ormond isn't the least bit concerned about Gallico's plight, even telling his despairing employee that he done the man a favor stealing his wife! Claire, only worried about herself, wasn't content with wasting away in the life of a meager creator of inventions. Gallico is highly skilled at creating masks which mimic specific people almost perfectly and briefly assumes Ormond's identity, a disguise which could backfire if Claire is able to catch him, which she does, ending in tragic results. Gallico was using an assistant, Karen(Mary Murphy), for the stage act that was canceled by Ormond and she is dating a detective, Alan Bruce(Patrick O'Neal).

Bruce is an advocate for a new forensic tool called fingerprinting which could be what ultimately condemns Gallico who can not help himself when Rinaldi threatens to turn him in if he doesn't hand over the crematorium act. As he did with Ormond(Gallico tosses his boss' remains into a bonfire during a sports festival!), Gallico will assume the identity of Renaldi, but isn't as adept at concealing his own habits during stage acts as the minor night visits to a flat in the role of his former employer.

Like many Vincent Price madman, Gallico was a good person driven mad by the indecency of others. Having withstood being taken advantage of time and again, Gallico snaps and it's only a matter of time before he places himself in a bind. You just know, sooner or later, he'll tighten the noose around his neck and hang himself. The masks and acts of the film are really neat(Price's voice is dubbed when assumes the disguises of those he emulates, by the actors)and as I mentioned above Brahm astutely brings alive a whole different era using Columbia studios sets. It's amazing that this film was just thrown together, but if you are to do so who better to hire as director than Brahm and cast as your star than Price? The exciting conclusion has Bruce in a tough situation, strapped to the table of Gallico's crematorium, in perilous danger.

Lenita Lane becomes an important character who lends a hand in potentially catching Price as the wife of a man who lets a room to who they believe is Ross Ormond. Lane's Alice Prentiss is a murder mystery novelist who figures Gallico out while pondering her next story. Criminally underrated and well worth searching for

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