Chandu the Magician

Sixty or more years ago, I saw this movie in Tehran, Iran. I was about ten at that time and there was a huge poster of the movie in the bicycle shop where I took my bike for repairs. The whole poster was the face of Chandu the Magician with his hands and opened fingers in front of him. I was mesmerized by the supernatural powers of that magician, who could make the audience see things that were not there. It was the first movie I fell in love with, but they didn't show the sequels which I now see on this website had been produced. I was waiting in such earnest to see more of my favorite hero. They were innocent times....

Willian Cameron Menzies does a more than adequate job creating suspense in this early serial-style thriller about a yogi mystic named Chandu protecting the world, his sister and her family, and his Egyptian princess love from the evil megalomaniacal ways of Roxor. Roxor has built a death ray to make himself master of the world. Only trouble is that the inventor will not give him the secret of the ray and Chandu is on to his dastardly scheme. Edmund Lowe makes a dashing, affable hero with his ready wit and his theatrical gestures conjuring magic. Roxor is played with aplomb by heavy Bela Lugosi. Lugosi steals all of his scenes and gives a first-rate performance. Irene Ware as the Princess Nadja makes an attractive, bright leading lady, and the rest of the cast fares well too. A thoroughly nice comedic turn is performed by Herbert Mundin as Mr. Miggles. He is a drunken friend/servant of Chandu and sees himself in miniature every time he takes a drink. The film boasts what must have been relatively high production values for the day. It plays well considering it was made in 1932. There are some great scenes in the film. Menzies, best known for directing Invaders From Mars, uses a very fluid camera. A scene where Chandu looks into a crystal is most impressive as the camera zigs and zags through a Egyptian tomb. Another memorable scene depicts the scientist's daughter, clad only in a tight slip, offered on the slave trading block. The scene was risque for its time to be sure. While Chandu is certainly not a great film, it is definitely a cut above many films made in its time.

Based upon the radio show of the same name this film is the story of Chandu,, real name Frank Chandler, a white man taught the secrets of the yogis. Chandler has been set loose to save his family who has been put into peril by the evil Roxor, played by Bela Lugosi (who not long after would play Chandu himself in a movie serial).

Containing more action than most serials this is a true popcorn movie that moves pretty much from start to finish. There are dangers aplenty as Chandu struggles to save the world.

The film is near perfect, but suffers from a couple of small flaws. The first is the over use of the small man that Biggles sees each time he drinks. Chandu enchants Biggles to prevent him from drinking and its used a couple of time too many. The second is that toward the end the effects look weak. The underwater sequence is terrible, and the use of rear screen as people flee the temple is awful.

Still this is a movie to sit down with a big bucket of popcorn and enjoy.

9 out of 10.

What fun! This is a dandy film of its type.......so corny and the typical early 30s serial type cliffhanger with lots of dashing around, ridiculous plot and narrow escapes. The settings with the Egyptian flavor are simply silly and fake but the special effects are not as bad as you might expect for an early film.

Edmund Lowe doesn't seem quite right for the part of Chandu.....I would have pictured someone with a little more exotic look to add just a hint of mystery. Ricardo Cortez or Nils Asther, although supporting players, may have been able to pull it off; however, Lowe does a serviceable job. Of course Lugosi went on to play the part later but appears here as the arch-villain who is bent on conquering the world with a death ray stolen from Chandu's brother-in-law. As usual he is over the top which is just what the film needs....a maniacal bad guy with visions of grandeur. He is all ham but of course this was his stock in trade and he pulls out all the stops.

Herbert Mundin is on hand for a little humor which probably wasn't necessary but he is such a great character actor that you aren't too put off by it. If you like Mundin, see "Cavalcade", in which he really gets a chance to show his acting ability which is not all comedic.

If you like films that are camp, don't require you to think too much or try to figure out character's motivations, this is the one for you. Its fast, fun and so dumb that you love it. Great for a rainy Saturday afternoon at the matinée.

... I almost expect somebody in this film to say those tired old lines. This is one of the few precode Fox films that has managed to survive. So many were lost to vault fires or just nitrate deterioration from neglect. Odd how this obscurity survived and is on DVD even!

Chandu (Edmund Lowe) is a magician who seems to just be "graduating" as the film begins with a ceremony full of mumbo jumbo that I cannot make sense of even when I rewind and replay it several times. Chandu finds out that his brother-in-law, who was working on a death ray invention, has been kidnapped by Roxor (Bela Lugosi), and so he rushes to his sister's side to protect her and her daughter and try to save his brother-in-law before Roxor can learn the secret of the death ray. And what does Roxor want? Power? RIches? Fame? no he wants to destroy society so mankind will revert to beasts and he can be the smartest guy in the world. Weird. I guess this is what happens when a sociopath is forced to wear a dunce cap as a kid.

If this sounds like something out of silent film, that is how it plays out too. The romance scenes, the action scenes, everything plays out with silent film technique in direction and acting. I generally really like Edmund Lowe and his roles, so I have to lay this at the feet of the director. I could take this in stride in 1929 and 1930 during the transition to sound, but that time is long over.

Probably the most tiresome character, though, is Albert, Chandu's loyal companion. He is cowardly, a drunk, and always having to be rescued by Chandu even though saving Albert from himself is NOT his primary mission. Prohibition was still in force, so maybe all of these unfunny drunks I encounter in these Prohibition era films are supposed to be knocks at an unpopular law. But today, it's just not funny.

Mildly recommended for fans of Edmund Lowe and Bela Lugosi.