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Is Ingrams movie extant? If so is it available?

Yes, it exists. No, it's not on an officially sanctioned DVD.

http://www.wbshop.com/Magician-The-1926 ... lt,pd.html" target="_blank

Isn't that official?

I saw it when they showed it on TCM. Not a bad film, it looks beautiful and the performances are good. Might be Alice Terry's best film.

telical wrote:http://www.wbshop.com/Magician-The-1926 ... lt,pd.html" target="_blank

Isn't that official?

I got mine from WB archive a while back, but it was difficult to find on their site.

Didn't know about that Archive DVD. For those who have it, a question—does it have the Robert Israel score on it?

It is a funny thing, but I was just about to post something about this film (with a link, too!)...here we go:

If some of you folks feel that your lives are difficult and need a dose of the macabre, please have a look at this thrilling excerpt from Rex Ingram’s satirical adaptation of W. Somerset Maughm’s THE MAGICIAN (1926), just to demonstrate that there are those folks who are worse off than you.

It has been written that Maughm did not care much for Ingram’s adaptation of his 1908 novel, which is a biting fictionalized work inspired by the real life occultist Aleister Crowley. (I don’t believe that Crowley appreciated the book or the film, so it goes to show that two artists are better than one occultist in this bizarre triangle). Going one step further, Alice Terry (the wife of writer, producer, director Rex Ingram, and one of the players in this film version) also did not appreciate the film. And, if we need to put a final nail in the coffin, some critics of the day dismissed the film as “tasteless.” However, it appears that the silver lining to all these negatives came from the ever-present N.Y. Times critic, Mordaunt Hall, who wrote in his 1926 review “...it is...apparent that he (Ingram) and Mr. Maugham make an excellent team for furnishing screen entertainment.” Who says New Yorkers are not as progressive as they think?!

For those of you who have not yet seen this classic, the granddaddy of horror features, the story concerns a self-styled sorcerer (Paul Wegener) hell-bent on creating life à la Dr. Frankenstein. (For one of the most disgusting character descriptions in popular fiction, please read Maughm’s novel and see what he had to say about Oliver Haddo...or was it Aleister Crowley?). Through a terrible accident, Margaret Dauncey (Alice Terry) is paralyzed and her honorable uncle is determined to have the famous American surgeon, Dr. Arthur Bourdon (played by Russian actor Ivan Petrovich, whose American character has a French name), operate on his niece in the hopes of saving her from being crippled for life. The highly talented doctor does save Margaret from this fate, and wouldn’t you know it, the handsome doctor and the beautiful damsel fall in love with one another. But, and there is always a but/pause in life at such moments, Oliver Haddo has observed the operation and has determined in his mind that she is the only woman on Earth that is pure enough to be on his list of “ingredients” to perform his life creating experiment–Haddo has managed to find the secret to creating life in a rare ancient text found in an equally rare ancient book housed at the historic, but not quite as ancient, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris–these days, the library’s collection contains over one million volumes!

There should have been a law against stalking in those days, but it still would not have circumvented the events that would lead to the spectacular fireworks finale of this film; and it does occur during a terrifying tempest, high atop a hill in an ancient keep that truly rises to this perverse occasion. Rex Ingram, to use a colloquial phrase, pulls out all the stops and delivers a virtuoso piece of film direction: the virginal fair haired beauty lies in *an hypnotically induced trance (*let’s start an argument about grammar), our hero and her lover, her honorable uncle, and their guide, brave the storm and reach the tower. An evil and angry dwarf (Haddo’s henchman who appears to be relatively useless to Haddo), who is supposed to be guarding the premises, decides to take a stroll in the fine weather, thus allowing the intruders to enter Haddo’s domain. And, just as Haddo is about to have his way with La Belle au bois dormant, guess what happens?

Whereas Rex Ingram’s film versions of SCARAMOUCHE (1923) and THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (1921) are rather dramatic works, his working of THE MAGICIAN is a devilishly witty piece of ingenious dark humor. He gives clues throughout this photo play that it is not to be taken seriously as you would the former examples. From the very opening (one book end), we observe a stone gargoyle watching over Paris: evil lurks above the romantically picturesque city. By the end of the film, the sorcerer’s tower has exploded violently leaving rubble everywhere and Haddo’s dwarf hanging comically in a tree, under siege by an angry bird (the other book end). In other words, there is nothing to fear.

Just about midway through the film, Haddo breaks the law and plucks a rose for Margaret right in front of her and Bourdon. Handing her the rose and making his exit, Arthur says, “He looks as if he had stepped out of a melodrama.” To which Haddo, who is dressed with dark cloak and hat, reacts by throwing his cloak over his shoulder and marches off contemptuously stage left. Clearly a reference to a theatrical cliché, Schubert’s Erlkönig serves to punctuate this humorous moment.

Without going on too much longer, the film is filled with wonderful details, sardonic humor, and has everything a modern day audience wants from a film: sex, drugs, violence and a wild ride through Hell. And please note, I am hardly condescending when describing this film–I love this film because of its brilliance, wit and humor. All of the details contributing to the trajectory of the narrative have a reason and purpose for being a part of this production–even the dwarf!

This sequence is the climactic fight between Bourdon and Haddo and is scored with Franz Liszt’s immortal Piano Sonata in B minor, which I orchestrated and conducted. The film is available on DVD from the Warner Bros. Shop.

Please enjoy wisely.

Robert Israel

P.S. Margaret’s uncle is “honorable” because, although he was seeking the same formula for creating life as was Haddo, when he finds it at the end of the story, he does the “right” thing and destroys it. A virtuous character, indeed.

Excellent. Thanks for the clip. That set looks fantastic.
You're quite correct in that Crowley publically professed a dislike for the book ( I don't know about the movie), but, you can bet yer life that he would've been more than pleased with the fact that it was about him. He did love himself and the ground upon which he walked.

Jack Theakston wrote:Didn't know about that Archive DVD. For those who have it, a question—does it have the Robert Israel score on it?

Looks like Robert Israel got here before I did, so I'll just say, "Great score, Bob!"

I love this film, and all of Rex Ingram's films -- he had such a dynamic visual style!

Robert Israel Music wrote:And please note, I am hardly condescending when describing this film–I love this film because of its brilliance, wit and humor. All of the details contributing to the trajectory of the narrative have a reason and purpose for being a part of this production–even the dwarf!

That is one thing I notice with a greater frequency in silent movies: they seem to function
well as complete allegorical instruments, like great literature. It's not that talkies don't often
do that, but it seems much more pronounced in silent films. Since watching many silent
films lately, I would get a sense that "this stands for this and can mean other things as a greater
degree of this typology" and how the whole thing functions similar to a work like Pilgrims Progress.
I am amazed at how often this happens in silent films. They seem more literary, more like reading
the book (maybe coming from reading the intertitles?

telical wrote:They seem more literary, more like reading the book (maybe coming from reading the intertitles?

I think silent films seem more like literature because, unlike the film school generation, silent filmmakers - and to a lesser degree their successors in the talkies - were a literate group, and developed a vibrant and rich narrative cinematic style from a deep affinity for literature.

Mitch Farish wrote:

telical wrote:They seem more literary, more like reading the book (maybe coming from reading the intertitles?

I think silent films seem more like literature because, unlike the film school generation, silent filmmakers - and to a lesser degree their successors in the talkies - were a literate group, and developed a vibrant and rich narrative cinematic style from a deep affinity for literature.

Yes, these films are the product of a culture that reads. I think we forget how much reading went on for pleasure and what place literature held in the period 1880-1930. Also don't you think that we also must read silent films in a way that spoken and inflected dialogue replaces. Even the most melodramatic stage styles of that surely informed many a film-maker was highly wrought literature, and they were still artists who understood the real power of an allusion or a symbol.

Robert,

This clip is very powerful and gripping with your scoring arrangement. THE MAGICIAN was the last MGM Silent on TCM to be commissioned a new score. And that was nearly 2 years ago. Hope that it won't be the last. This has been released by Warner Archive, but there where processing errors with the master, and it was pulled off the market for several months. Glad to see that it is back and available for purchase again.

I'm curious to see if HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920) is aired next month with the score that was written for it recently. Hope so, the excerpts I've seen sounded promising.

Gagman 66 wrote:Robert,

This clip is very powerful and gripping with your scoring arrangement. THE MAGICIAN was the last MGM Silent on TCM to be commissioned a new score. And that was nearly 2 years ago. Hope that it won't be the last. This has been released by Warner Archive, but there where processing errors with the master, and it was pulled off the market for several months. Glad to see that it is back and available for purchase again.

I'm curious to see if HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920) is aired next month with the score that was written for it recently. Hope so, the excerpts I've seen sounded promising.

I'm looking forward to Huckleberry Finn with much anticipation, especially after reading William K. Everson's glowing opinion in his American Silent Film. The respect silent filmmakers showed for classic literature, and the fact that the silent versions are the best adaptations of many literary works, underscores how far down we've come as a literate society since then. Another good example is The Last of the Mohicans (1920) by Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown. Hope it make a return appearance on TCM. I missed David Shepard's restoration when it aired in May of 2010.

Gagman 66 wrote:Robert,

This clip is very powerful and gripping with your scoring arrangement. THE MAGICIAN was the last MGM Silent on TCM to be commissioned a new score. And that was nearly 2 years ago. Hope that it won't be the last. This has been released by Warner Archive, but there where processing errors with the master, and it was pulled off the market for several months. Glad to see that it is back and available for purchase again.

I'm curious to see if HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920) is aired next month with the score that was written for it recently. Hope so, the excerpts I've seen sounded promising.

Gagman, since you bring up a 1920 film, in addition to 'HUCK FINN' how about Borzage's HUMORESQUE?

sepiatone,

HUMORESQUE I thought was 1921. It's a very good film. Yes, I'd love to see an official DVD release. The film is Public-domain. So is HUCK FINN, but if either were to be released it's likely to come from Kino or a Eureka.

Gagman 66 wrote:I'm curious to see if HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1920) is aired next month with the score that was written for it recently. Hope so, the excerpts I've seen sounded promising.

Actually, Huckleberry Finn will air with a score that was compiled for it even more recently -- it'll be a new effort by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra that we finished earlier this month. I'm pretty happy with it -- it's a lighter film than we've worked on for a while. It's our first work directly for George Eastman House.

I've put a couple of excerpts up on our home page, including our opening music Sea Song by Christopher O'Hare (big lyric solo for Dawn Kramer, our trumpet player), and Serenade Norvegienne by Gustave Sander.

Will there be a Huck Finn DVD release anytime soon? Please, please...please...

Rodney,

Thanks for letting as know in advance that you worked on the score for HUCK FINN. Anxious to hear it. I got your new Calender in the mail today by the way. Both copies this time. I appreciate the prompt service. Will be looking forward to HUCK next month. Any idea who scored ROARING RAILS? Do you know if there will be more product from Eastman House on TCM forth-coming later on?

ROARING RAILS will be a Philip C. Carli score performed on the Möller Theater organ at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY.

Jack Theakston wrote:ROARING RAILS will be a Philip C. Carli score performed on the Möller Theater organ at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY.

Excellent! That should be well worth hearing.

Dear Jeffrey,

I am glad that you enjoyed the clip–I know that this is not one of your top of this list favorites, but perhaps it will grow on you with time...or hypnotic suggestion!

I do think that MARE NOSTRUM is quite a good film and has some amazing moments throughout: the execution scene is so perfectly directed and edited...there is not a single wasted shot and each one has a purpose.

With my regards,

Robert Israel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEKhxCgAG_U" target="_blank" target="_blank

I finally got to see THE MAGICIAN today.

A beautifully measured piece of work, maybe a little on the slow side. It looks great. Beautiful scenery and the finale in the lab is wonderful. Wegener is over the top, but reading Robert Israel's post above, now I see why.

Fantastic score, Mr Israel.