Oct 17, 2019 bela lugosi features as the villainous roxor in this film adaptation of the wildly popular radio serial. Chandu the magician 1932 monstergirls halloween 2015 special feature. The 1932 film chandu the magician is a prime example of the macguffin science fiction subgenre that would become increasingly popular in the forties, and which had permeated the hollywood film and radio serials since the teens. Previously available on dvd from 20th century fox home entertainment, both individually and in the fox horror classics vol.
Although predating them by 30 or so years, this is only a step removed from the fabled james bond series of films and the following indiana jones series. Menzies handled the visual style while varnel handled the actors. To be fair, chandu the magician is hardly the most impressive adventure film of the era. Chandu the magician 1932 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Chandu then astral projects himself out of his own body and walks across burning coals without harm. A darker instance would be the 1940 bmovie stranger on the third floor. Chandu the magician, six hours to live and trick for. Bela lugosi in chandu the magician 1932 edmund lowe and irene ware in chandu the magician. Chandu the magician is an american supernatural radio drama. Chandu the magician is a 1932 american precode mysteryfantasy film directed by william cameron menzies and marcel varnel.
Chandu the magician was heard on several different networks and aired in two distinctly different series, one in the 1930s and a revival 12 years later. Thats why chandu the magician is pretty bad despite its cool imagery. Chandu the magician 1932 used to be a very hard film to see. They dont appear to have been a perfect team though because this film is choppy and uninvolving. Marcel varnel and william cameron menzies kino lorber. Action, horror and fantasy elements are scattered throughout this film but none of those elements. Created by raymond morgan and harry earnshaw, chandu the magician was one of the longestrunning adventure serials that aired on the radio. Followed in 1934 by a twelvepart serial called the return of chandu.
A precursor to marvels doctor strange, chandu the magician is the story of frank chandler. This movie was based on a very popular radio serial of the 1930s. Chandu the magician 1932 edie christine horror buff. I was surprised at how well this film played with an upgraded blu player and a 60 tv screen. Oct 08, 20 chandu the magician 1932 used to be a very hard film to see. The film was based on a popular radio program of the time.
In between the two runs of the series was a gap of twelve years, which meant the first run was prewar by. Bela as the villain roxor does steal that film rather handily. It wasnt lost or even mislaid it was just in that curious limbo where nearly all fox films made before the merger with. Chandu the magician was a popular radio serial that ran between 1932 and 1936 and was later revived in 19489. Walthall, weldon heyburn, june lang, michael stuart director.
When tarzan and other heroes of the day were dominating cinema screens, chandu probably seemed like a nobrainer cash in on a familiar property. Aug 27, 2016 the film itself is beautifully art directed by william cameron menzies and features a wonderful performance by lugosi as the villain, not the lead character chandu. Media in category chandu the magician film the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. With edmund lowe, irene ware, bela lugosi, herbert mundin. O ur next classic film on the agenda is 1932s chandu the magician sometimes called simply chandu. While chandu is certainly not a great film, it is definitely a cut above many films made in its time. Chandu the magician slave market scene with june vlasek aka june lang is quite memorable. When delusional madman roxor kidnaps a scientist in hopes of using his death ray to achieve world dominance, he is opposed by chandu, a powerful hypnotist and yogi. Reissued on bluray by kino lorber, it concerns the adventures of the benign. Some of these pictures and descriptions may give away plot details that you might not want to know before watching the film.
Lowe has zero charm as a leading man and, despite a poor character and lines with little screentime, lugosis star shines brightest. The dashing frank chandler, alias chandu the magician edmund lowe, must use his secret yogi training in order to save the world from the evil rival magician, roxor bela lugosi who has kidnapped brilliant scientist, robert regent, to take over the world. Chandu the magician 1932 classic horror film board. Chandu chandrasekhar born 1992, an niitan, a simple person and leaving at new delhi. Chandu the magician 1932 full movie download full hd youtube. Chandu the magician is a 1932 american precode mysteryfantasy film starring edmund lowe as frank chandler and bela lugosi as the villain roxor that he. In the spider 1931, edmund lowe dinner at eight portrayed chatrand the great, a hypnotist and magician who solves a murder. The film is billed as being based on the radio serial by harry a. Mystic edmund lowe foils turbaned roxor bela lugosi and his nile death ray. Complet vostfr, riders of death valley film en entier francais streaming vf.
Sep 04, 2016 chandu the magician 1932, adapted from a popular nightly radio broadcast of the same name, is one such film. This is the original series starring gayne whitman. Mar 18, 2017 in the spider 1931, edmund lowe dinner at eight portrayed chatrand the great, a hypnotist and magician who solves a murder. Chandu is also slang for a type of smokeable opium. Directed by william cameron menzies, marcel varnel. Strangely, in the later serial the return of chandu 1934, lugosi himself took over the lead role. Curse that darned production code for eliminating this sort of thing. The holy mountain, from 1926, is available for streaming from kanopy. Although edmund lowe is chandu, bela steals the show as the villain of the piece. Dashing frank chandlers alter ego, chandu the magician, strikes fear into the underworld. Morgan and broadcast in fifteen minute episodes, the program ran from 1932 to 1936 and then was revived with new talent in 1948 and broadcast until 1950. The film itself is beautifully art directed by william cameron menzies and features a wonderful performance by lugosi as the villain, not the lead character chandu. There was also another film in 1935, again with lugosi, called chandu on the magic island. Edmund lowe, irene ware, bela lugosi, herbert mundin, henry b.
Two years after chandu the magician, the film s villain, bela lugosi, was offered the rare opportunity to play the heroic frank chandler himself in the exhilarating 12part serial the return of chandu. Edmund lowe stars as suave frank chandler, better known to his enemies as chandu the magician. Rent chandu the magician 1932 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. I would ve paid a pretty penny for the nicelybuilt bettylou in that seethrough little slip. Bela lugosi, edmund lowe, and irene ware in chandu the magician 1932. Chandu the magician 1932 directed by william cameron. Outdoor scenes and well lit scenes in the movie seemed very clear, almost like watching the original from 84 years ago. Watch chandu the magician full movie in hd visit when delusional madman roxor kidnaps a scientist in hopes of usi. Jul 29, 2014 chandu the magician, one of the longest running radio adventure serials, was heard on several different networks and aired in two distinctly different series, one in the 1930s and a revival 12. I ran the 1932 fox film chandu the magician, which id been curious enough about while we were watching the 1934 serial the return of chandu to order from along with the rest of the films released in the two fox horror classics boxed sets. Chandu the magician is one of those movies where the outcome is never in question and the peril is purely cartoon, but the wonderfully unironic fun of it all never lets up. Rent chandu the magician 1932 starring edmund lowe and irene ware on dvd and bluray. This film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are. This silly fantasy scifi adventure film is based on a popular radio serial.
Action, horror and fantasy elements are scattered throughout this film but none of those elements ever come together to make a very interesting movie. When the evil roxor kidnaps his brotherinlaw, chandu employs all his powers to get him back. The film maintains a fun and energetic momentum throughout its. Menzies had a codirector, inexperienced frenchborn comedy maven marcel varnel, with whom he split duties. Based on the radio play of the same name, written by harry a.
Based on the radio series chandu, the magician created by harry a. The 1932 fox film corporation film chandu the magician, is about a magician who uses hypnotic powers to foil the schemes of a megalomaniac who wants to rule the world. A revival on a different network took place 12 years later in the 1940s and 1950s. But, hey, if youre going to keep someone in the series, it should be lugosi. Chandu the magician is a film directed by william cameron menzies, marcel varnel with edmund lowe, irene ware, bela lugosi, herbert mundin, year. Irene ware and bela lugosi in chandu the magician 1932. The two series starred frank chandler, also known as chandu, an american who had learned mystical arts, such as astral projection, which he used to. The character was one of a number of mystical superheroes that were popular in the 1930s others including the likes of the shadow and mandrake the magician. However, lugosi did play the character in later serials that featured chandu the magician.
In 1932, chandu the magician was adapted into a film starring edmund lowe as the eponymous character, with bela lugosi as roxor. Chandu film director born 1975, indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Chandu the magician adventure old time radio downloads. Jul 27, 2014 this is the original series starring gayne whitman. Roxor bela lugosi and the death ray in chandu the magician 1932. Though he tries to keep his supernatural powers a secret from his beloved sister dorothy virginia hammond, niece betty. The story introduces us to the villainous roxor bela lugosi, a mad scientist of sorts who kidnapped a scientist named robert regent henry b.
The radio series was broadcast from 1932 to 1933, and fox obtained the rights hoping the film would appeal to a readymade audience. This film quite closely adapts the first radio serial. Based on the radio serial of the same name, chandu the magician is a veritable rollercoaster ride of thrills and terror, boasting some of the best special effects of its period. Bela lugosi features as the villainous roxor in this film adaptation of the wildly popular radio serial.
Chandu the magician is a 1932 american precode mysteryfantasy film starring edmund lowe as frank chandler and bela lugosi as the villain roxor that he must stop. The 1932 film version of chandu the magician establishes chandus fantastic powers in the opening sequence where he telepathically levitates a rope into the air that a fellow swami climbs before vanishing at the top. Chandu the magician 1932 12 out of 4 chandu edmund lowe must stop a madman bela lugosi from blowing up the world with his death ray. The show was first heard in the 1930s, and was revived in 1948. Chandu the magician 1932 imdb directed by william cameron menzies, marcel varnel. Directed for fox by marcel varnel and william cameron menzies in 1932, chandu the magician, based on the popular radio serial of the day, is a quick seventyone minutes of fun, pulp style adventure and suspense. Chandu the magician, a 1932 film adaptation of the radio series. Its success led lowe to take on the role of the similar and similarly named chandu the magician 1932, reuniting him with director william cameron menzies and screenwriters barry conners and philip klein. With the amazing production designer william cameron menzies in the directors chair, this is a relentless barrage of awesome effects. Chandu the magician is a 1932 film about a madman who kidnaps a scientist in hopes of using his death ray to achieve world dominance who is opposed by chandu, a powerful hypnotist and yogi directed by william cameron menzies. If you have come to this site to find pirated or illegal material, you will be disappointed.
Chandu the magician 1932 william cameron menzies, marcel. Aug 26, 2016 this feature is not available right now. Outdoor scenes and well lit scenes in the movie seemed very clear. Items similar to vintage western movie poster columbia pictures 1932 tim mccoy, two. Edmund lowe plays an illusionist by the name of chandu who goes trekking to egypt to stop an evil magician from convincing the inventor of a death ray to give him his secrets. Written by barry conners and philip klein, based on the radio play of the same name, written by harry a. Chandu the magician is a 1932 film about a madman who kidnaps a scientist in hopes of using his death ray to achieve world dominance who is opposed by chandu, a powerful hypnotist and yogi. Based on the popular radio show in the early 1930s, chandu the magician is a supernatural adventure film in the vein of indiana jones which that was based on old serials such as. Chandu, the magician 1932 having mastered teleportation and other mystical powers after studying with indian yogis for three years, frank chandler edmund lowe returns home.
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