Mandrake the Magician | Rotten Tomatoes

Mandrake the Magician

1939

3 hr. 35 min.

Adventure

Action

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The comic-strip conjurer (Warren Hull) uses his amazing abilities to prevent a scientist's radium-energy machine from falling into the hands of the mad genius known as the Wasp.

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Audience Member

Before getting this serial of one of my favourite characters from the comics I loved as a kid (created by Lee Falk, before he started Phantom), I read few reviews and ratings of 73% on IMDb were encouraging! What a mistake! This Columbia's serial has almost nothing to do with Falks's Mandrake the Magician, the world's foremost exponent of mind over matter! He is just a fist-slugging detective and his assistant Lothar looks like a discarded Ukrainian cleaner. The story starts on a cruise and moves to the Professor Hudson's home - he has developed a radium energy machine, which is much coveted by "The Wasp", who sends his hordes of henchmen in waves to steal the invention. This is a sad example of film making, from terrible acting of all involved: Warren Hull as Mandrake the Magician, Doris Weston as Betty Houston, Al Kikume as Lothar, Rex Downing as Tommy Houston, Edward Earle as Dr. Andre Bennett and almost idiotic character of Professor Houston played by Forbes Murray. I will love to mention the directors Norman Deming and Sam Nelson - run away from anything with their names attached if I am to judge according to what I just watched! I really wonder how could they even try to make something like this when the original Mandrake is almost a perfect character for mystery and action.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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Norman Deming

Director

Sam Nelson

Director

Warren Hull

Mandrake the Magician

Doris Weston

Betty Houston

Al Kikume

Lothar

Rex Downing

Tommy Houston

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Edward Douglas

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Rated: 2/5

Feb 8, 2005

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Synopsis

The comic-strip conjurer (Warren Hull) uses his amazing abilities to prevent a scientist's radium-energy machine from falling into the hands of the mad genius known as the Wasp.

Director: Norman Deming, Sam Nelson
Screenwriter: Joseph F. Poland, Basil Dickey, Ned Dandy
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 17, 2020