Black Magic (1949): Cast & Plot
Black Magic is a 1949 horror thriller directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Orson Welles as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro, Robert Atkins and Leonardo Scavino. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 45m (105 min)
- Director
- Gregory Ratoff
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Edward Small Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Black Magic About?
The premise of Black Magic without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
…It Will Hold You in its Spell! A hypnotist uses his powers for revenge against King Louis XV’s court.
Black Magic Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- flogging
- whipping
- king louis xv character
- king louis xvi character
- marie antoinette character
- alexandre dumas sr. character
- alexandre dumas jr. character
- madame dubarry character
- 1780s
- 1790s
- 1770s
- two word title
+38 more Show fewer
- color in title
- hypnotist
- hypnotized woman
- hypnotism
- revenge
- gypsy
- throne
- showmanship
- queen
- pioneer
- novelist
- mysticism
- insane man
- king
- heir
- healing
- duel
- charlatan
- carnival
- year 1852
- told in flashback
- 18th century
- voice over narration
- surrealism
- father son relationship
- writer
- violence
- vengeance
- treachery
- suicide
- soldier
- retribution
- name change
- mesmerism
- lust
- fraud
- flashback
- dual role
Black Magic Cast & Characters
Orson Welles leads the cast as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro, with Robert Atkins as King Louis XV and Leonardo Scavino as Gaston / Beniamino Balsamo (as Leon Lenoir). Directed by Gregory Ratoff; 34 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Gregory Ratoff
-
Orson Welles as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro - Robert Atkins as King Louis XV
- Leonardo Scavino as Gaston / Beniamino Balsamo (as Leon Lenoir)
- Tamara Shayne as Maria Balsamo
Also Starring in Black Magic
· 30 more- Lee Kresel King Louis XVI / Innkeeper
- Annielo Mele Joseph Balsamo as a Child
- Stephen Bekassy Viscount de Montagne
- Akim Tamiroff Gitano
- Charles Goldner Dr. Franz Anton Mesmer
- Margot Grahame Mme. du Barry
- Nancy Guild Marie Antoinette / Lorenza
- Valentina Cortese Zoraida
- Frank Latimore Gilbert de Rezel
- Raymond Burr Alexandre Dumas, Jr.
- Ronald Adam Court President
- Gregory Gaye Chambord / Monk (as Gregory Gay)
- Berry Kroeger Alexandre Dumas, Sr.
- Silvana Mangano
- Franco Corsaro Chico
- Nicholas Bruce De Remy
Show all 34 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Milly Vitale
- Joop van Hulzen Minister of Justice
- Giuseppe Varni Boehmer
- Harriet Medin
- Rosina Galli
- Bruce Belfrage Crown Prosecutor
- Peter Trent Dr. Mesmer's Friend
- Nicholas Soussanin
- Tatyana Pavlova Grieving Mother
- Ludmilla Dudarova
- Michele Sakara
- Alexander Danaroff Dr. Duval / Baron von Minden
- Valentino Bruchi
- Filippo Minelli
More from Gregory Ratoff
More films directed by Gregory Ratoff, best-rated first: Intermezzo: A Love Story, Oscar Wilde, That Dangerous Age and Moss Rose.
Black Magic Plot Summary
What happens in Black Magic from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Joseph Balsamo, Orson Welles, known as Count Cagliostro, unfolds through a series of flashbacks that trace a complex rise from hardship to notoriety. The tale begins with a French gypsy boy who endures sieges of cruelty—tortured under Viscount de Montaigne, Stephen Bekassy and doomed when his parents are ordered to hang. He is saved by a band of gypsies led by Gitano, Akim Tamiroff, and he swears revenge against the Viscount, fanning the flames of a restless, calculating ambition. This origin sets the stage for a life shaped by illusion, manipulation, and a hunger for power that will soon be fueled by science’s newest frontier.
Full summary
The whole story of Black Magic, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Black Magic?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the real name of the man who assumes the title Count Cagliostro?
Black Magic Also Known As
7 alternative titles, including “Cagliostro” and “Graf Cagliostro”.
- Also known as
-
- Cagliostro
- Graf Cagliostro
- Memórias de um Médico
- 黑魔王
- Καλιόστρο
- Den svarta demonen
- Màgia negra
Seen Black Magic?
Movies Like Black Magic
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Mysteries of Black Magic, Black Magic Woman and Black Magic Rites.
Black Magic FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Black Magic, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Black Magic?
Black Magic runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).
When was Black Magic released?
Black Magic was released on August 19, 1949.
Who directed Black Magic?
Black Magic was directed by Gregory Ratoff.
More films by Gregory Ratoff Who is in the cast of Black Magic?
Black Magic stars Orson Welles as Joseph Balsamo aka Count Cagliostro, Robert Atkins as King Louis XV and Leonardo Scavino as Gaston / Beniamino Balsamo (as Leon Lenoir), among 34 credited actors.
Does Black Magic have a post-credit scene?
No. Black Magic has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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