The Silver Screen Oasis

Everyone,

Just a reminder. Don't forget about Rex Ingram's THE MAGICIAN (1926) with Alice Terry Tonight! A broadcast premier. People who have seen this film (I haven't) rave about it. The movie will have a brand new score by Robert Israel and his Orchestra recorded in Europe last Fall. This is the first new MGM Silent to be shown since Chaney's MOCKERY clear back in July. My thanks to TCM for making another long unseen Silent Classic available to the public.

I just hit record.

Anybody saw it? Any reviews? I'm deadly curious...Not everyday you get to see an Ingram picture!

feaito wrote:Anybody saw it? Any reviews? I'm deadly curious...Not everyday you get to see an Ingram picture!

I did. It's a lesser Ingram, if there is such a thing. I confess, I'm not a big fan of Alice Terry, I find her pretty in her way but deadly dull. Wegener mugged shamelessly, but he was fun. Some good scenes, especially the vision of Hades. Also some very interesting sets which I won't spoiler for those who have not seen it.

After I basically "Panned" the choice of this movie on the TCM boards, I received another E-mail direct from Robert Israel tonight explaining his detailed analysis of THE MAGICIAN, and all the concentration and preparation that He put into scoring the picture. I'll post his comments here later on, providing that He indicates that it is OK for me to to do so? I will not post without his express consent. Anyway, it makes for very interesting reading. You might see the film in a different light having read his in depth perspective. He also explained why he scored the film in the manner in which He did, and just how much thought and design actually went into the project. He asked me to take a look at the movie again, after reading his insightful comments. Didn't mean to undermine his efforts in any way. I feel most privileged to have heard from him again.

Well crap, I missed it. Serves me right. There's so few premieres, and I've recorded nearly everything they show regularly.

jondaris,

Hey john, get me your E-mail address. I don't think that I have it? i will forward the message from Robert. I recorded THE MAGICIAN if you can't find it elsewhere?

I got to see The Magician. I agree with Donna that Alice Terry is quite a dull actress but her husband more than makes up for it with the sets and the direction. Although a lesser known Ingram, I found it just as watchable as his better known. I'm presuming that it was filmed on the Continent since that is where Ingram preferred making his movies. There's some interesting shots of Paris (I presume) the roads punctuated now and again with cars. The sets almost steal one or two of the scenes themselves, the scenes in Hades are well done. Waggener as Haddo does mug shamelessly but seeing as the original story by Maugham was meant to be based on Aleister Crowley he might not be far off the mark. Well done to TCM for showing this great movie.

I don't think Alesiter Crowley is much known in this country, Alison, certainly not these days. Too bad, because he was one of history's true weirdos -- I mean characters.

If you watch Monty Python's Flying Circus, you will see a photo of him (considered the iconic photo of him) used quite often in Terry Gilliam's animations (he looks like he just escaped from a really bad mental hospital), and he is included on the cover of the Beatle's Dr. Pepper album.

As I recall from reading about Crowley, he sued Maugham for plagiarism for using text from Crowleys "mystical" writings in "The Magician."

I'm sorry I haven't yet gotten to see this movie. Crowley's life deserves screen treatment, and I can think of several current actors who would probably jump at the chance to play him

I actually think Crowley is still pretty well-known, at least to classic rock fans. He's influenced many rock bands and songs, including Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Stiv Bators, and, along with appearing on the cover of Dr. Pepper, a bust of Crowley is featured on the back cover of The Doors greatest hits album The Doors 13. Ozzy Osboune also had a minor hit in 1980 with his song Mr. Crowley.

Back in the early 80s, when Congress was addressing how rock music was warping the spines of the youth and recommended the labeling of albums, Crowley was frequently brought up as an example of said warping, and many ultraconservative and evangelical groups scrutinized lyrics and album covers, finding all kinds of alleged references, all of which would lead to the listener's eventual doom. This scrutiny, of course, raised Crowley's notoriety, meaning that a lot of listeners who paid little attention to lyrics or album covers became more interested in Crowley and his "teachings".

Mish, you have greater faith in the average American's willingness to find out what's behind the title than I do.

I just asked one of my co-workers, a rabid and knowledgeable rock/metal fan (and not only an attorney, but a former band manager) if he's heard of Crowley, and all he knew was that there are songs about him, not what Crowley's all about.

And I'll bet Crowley himself would have revelled in the fact that ultraconservative American witch-hunters were railing against him.

jdb1 wrote:I just asked one of my co-workers, a rabid and knowledgeable rock/metal fan (and not only an attorney, but a former band manager) if he's heard of Crowley, and all he knew was that there are songs about him, not what Crowley's all about.

That surprises me a little, especially being a fan of metal (of which I know very little).

On reflection, I suspect you are right that Crawley is less and less "influential" in today's art (maybe he'd even be considered retro), and fewer and fewer people care who Ozzy was singing about. Crawley was de rigueur though, for a time. My interest was sparked by his appearance on the Pepper cover and the alleged "sign of the devil" hand gesture that the cartoon John Lennon has on the Yellow Submarine cover. (That sign was appropriated by the recently deceased Ronnie James Dio, who was a metal singer and took over for Ozzy when Ozzy left Black Sabbath to go solo and record...Mr. Crowley! It all fits! Ahhhhhhhh……)

Thanks to Alison's kindness last night I watched "The Magician" (1926) and I pretty much agree with her and Donna's opinions. The movie is not as good, in the whole, as the other Ingram films I've seen, especially "Mare Nostrum" (1925) my favorite Ingram to date. Upon seeing Paul Weggener's face I kept recalling stills of him portraying "The Golem"...The Hades' sequence is quite remarkable IMO, sexy and risqué. Since this film was released on 1926 I wonder why is it that Metro-Goldwyn appeared as the releasing company instead of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM. I bet this film was made in Europe. Wasn't it? Robert Israel's score is an absolute asset to the film and its atmosphere.

The Magician (1926-Rex Ingram) is on tomorrow morning on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012 @ 07:15 AM (ET). Btw, the great director Michael Powell worked as assistant director for Ingram and appears in this film as "the man with the balloon." This movie appears to be part of an entire day of Somerset Maugham movies tomorrow. More can be seen here:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3617/Magician-The/

It's a great movie, I've just read 2 Maugham novels, a great writer, have fun with his films.

I love your avatar Moira