The Magician1926
“THEY FOUGHT FOR A GIRL'S SOUL!”
Directed by Rex Ingram
The premise
A young woman, Margaret Dauncey, is caught between the forces of a charlatan magician, Oliver Haddo, whom she is unable to resist, and the love of a handsome surgeon, Arthur Burdon, who has saved her from being a helpless cripple by performing a delicate operation on her spine.
Horror Vault's take
In 1920s Paris, a young sculptress finds herself inexplicably drawn under the sinister influence of Oliver Haddo, a charismatic and dangerous sorcerer whose hypnotic powers threaten to overwhelm her free will entirely. Standing between her and ruin is the surgeon who restored her health — a man whose rational, scientific worldview is wholly unprepared for the darkness Haddo commands. Rex Ingram's silent adaptation draws on W. Somerset Maugham's novel to craft a visually sumptuous clash between love and malevolent occult ambition. The film remains a striking artifact of early cinematic horror, with Paul Wegener's imposing presence lending Haddo a genuinely chilling menace.
Content: Themes Of Hypnotic Coercion And Loss Of Bodily Autonomy, Peril Directed At A Female Character, Occult Imagery
Cast
Alice Terry
Margaret Dauncey
Paul Wegener
Oliver Haddo
Firmin Gémier
Dr. Porhoët
Iván Petrovich
Dr. Arthur Burdon
Gladys Hamer
Susie Boyd
Henry Wilson
Haddo's Servant
Hubert I. Stowitts
Dancing Faun
Claude Fielding
Dancing Faun (uncredited)
Gerald Fielding
Dancing Faun (uncredited)
Rosita Garcia
Young Woman Bitten by Snake (uncredited)
Michael Powell
Man with Balloon at Snake Charming (uncredited)
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