Black Magic [Blu-ray]

Director: Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff

Overview

Gregory Ratoff is listed as sole director of the 1949 Orson Welles starrer Black Magic, but it is now common knowledge that Welles directed most of this lavish costumer himself. Told in flashback, the film recounts the life and times of notorious 18th-century hypnotist/magician/scam artist Cagliostro (played, but of course, by Welles). Learning the secrets of hypnosis from Dr. Mesmer (Charles Goldner), Cagliostro exploits this skill to gain wealth, prestige and, on occasion, romance. His downward slide begins when Cagliostro enters into an Anastasia-like scheme to substitute a young lass named Lorenza (Nancy Guild) for French queen Marie Antoinette. The charlatan's partners in crime are gypsies Gilbert (Akim Tamiroff, who manages to out-ham Welles in some scenes) and Zoraida (Valentina Cortese). Longer on style than substance, Black Magic is a wickedly delightful cinematic exercise, with Welles at his overbaked best.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/25/2022
UPC:	0851968007705
Original Release:	1949
Source:	Classicflix
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	22,474

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Orson Welles	Actor
Akim Tamiroff	Actor
Raymond Burr	Actor
Valentina Cortese	Actor
Frank Latimore	Actor
Nancy Guild	Actor
Margot Grahame	Actor
Stephen Bekassy	Actor
Berry Kroeger	Actor
Gregory Gaye	Actor
Charles Goldner	Actor
Lee Kresel	Actor
Robert Atkins	Actor
Nicholas Bruce	Actor
Franco Corsaro	Actor
Anielo Mele	Actor
Aniello Mele	Joseph Balsamo, as a child
Ronald Adam	Actor
Bruce Belfrage	Actor
Alexander Danaroff	Actor
Lee Lenoir	Actor
Tamara Shayne	Actor
Giovanni Van Hulzen	Actor
Peter Trent	Actor
Giuseppe Varni	Actor
Tatiana Pavlowa	Actor
Silvana Mangano	Actor

Technical Credits

John H. Kneubuhl

Richard Schayer

Gregory Ratoff	Director
John H. Kneubuhl	Screenwriter
Milton Carter	Producer
Edward Small	Producer,Executive Producer
Richard Schayer	Screenwriter