Mandrake the Magician

"Mandrake the Magician" was a very popular comic strip back in the day. Because of this, it's not surprising that someone would try to make a TV show out of it, though the networks were not impressed and never okayed the show. Because of that, there's just this pilot episode...which is available to watch on YouTube.

Mandrake is apparently a genius at hypnosis and mind control. He solves crimes and rights wrongs and is aided by Princess Narda and Lothar (Woody Strode). However, an evil doer kidnaps Narda in order to force Mandrake to help him cross-examine a man...and Mandrake isn't about to betray the cause of niceness in order to rescue Narda. So what's next?

With characters like Mandrake and the like, you would expect a lot of action and suspense. Sadly, you have neither in the show and instead it's incredibly static and dull...which is most likely why the adventure series was never adopted by the networks. Only okay...nothing special.

By the way, Woody Strode was a fine actor...with great performances in "Spartacus" and "Sergeant Rutledge". He also, along with Kenny Washington, was also the first to cross the color barrier in pro sports--signing with the LA Rams BEFORE Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers. Yet, sadly, none of his brilliance is evident in the show...and he's given very little to do.

Part of this film was shot on location in Bermuda, at Marley Beach, which my parents were operating as a cottage colony in the 50s.

I was very young, but hung out with the leads and got their autographs, watched some of the shooting, all very exciting for a little boy! Lothar, played by Woody Strode, was so tall and impressive, but a very friendly guy.

Coe Norton, who played Mandrake, was, of course, a highly-skilled stage magician, and I caught his act in the States in the 1980s. He cut a really sharp figure in tails as the master magician Mandrake on set! I'm not sure what happened to Narda, played by Lisa Howard - she was VERY pretty indeed! A couple of years ago I managed to buy, on eBay, a videotape of this pilot - the programme was rather darkened in the transfer, alas, (a proper commercial production NOT a pirated version I hasten to add!) but in any case this pilot did not apparently pass muster, as the proposed TV series never happened, and the pilot was left sitting on the shelf in the TV history room.

I greatly enjoyed watching the film, for obvious reasons, and it is a good example of an adventure show from fifty years ago! A shame no one has revived Mandrake to bring him back as a half-hour TV show.