Carnival Magic

This was shot in the summer of 1980, but not released until three years later. So, while it's listed as a 1983 film, there's a lot of late 70s' residue.

Regina Carrol as Kate is one of the main highlights. She was 37 during shooting in the summer of 1980, but still very beautiful (physically and inwardly), even stunning. There's a good scene that specifically explains why she was a little long in the tooth as the magician's assistant. She happened to be director Al Adamson's wife from 1972-1992 when she died of cancer at the too-young age of 49. Al passed away three years later.

There are other points of interest, like Don Stewart (known for his ten-year stint in Guiding Light) as the brooding-yet-principled magician with mesmerizing powers learned in Nepal, as well as the setting of the traveling carnival itself. I realize it's a 'B' production with some third-rate acting (e.g. Stoney), but the flick works mostly because it fleshes out the characters and you care about them and their story.

Anyone who appreciates low-budget movies involving circuses, like "When the Circus Came to Town," "Roustabout," "Circus of Horrors" or "Circus of Fear," aka "Psycho-Circus," should find something to like.

It runs 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Shelby, North Carolina, which is almost an hour's drive west of Charlotte; as well as Gaffney, which is a half-hour drive south of there, across the border in South Carolina.

GRADE: B.

A magician in a carnival -- who actually can read minds and levitate people and objects -- works with a super-intelligent chimp named Alex, who can also talk.

Whether this is a bad movie or a so-bad-it-is-good movie will be up to the viewer to decide. I mean, either way we have to all agree it is pretty bad, right? But it does have a certain charm.

The "talking" ape is bizarre, because he basically just grunts and says nothing of value. There is a creepy 40-year old man who sexually assaults a teenage girl... and the next day she announces to her father that they are getting married. What? There is a mad scientist with s poorly dubbed German accent. Why? And a dead wife who is never fully explained.

I was asked on Friday, July 11, 1980 by Mr Feltner, while renting him a car, if I wanted to be in a movie. I'm sure I looked at him as if he was a dirty old man and he quickly read the situation and said, "Not THAT kind of movie. We are shooting at Earl Owensby Studios (which living in the area I was familiar with) and told me he would give me a line to say and $75. Sounded interesting, so I said ok, I'll be there. I drove to Gaffney on Saturday, July 12, 1980 to do my one line. In the directors cut he mentions that he asked the girl who rented him a car from Avis Rent a Car, me, to come down to Gaffney, SC to appear in this movie and that I rode down with him, which I did not. As I stated previously, I drove down the next day.

I had always assumed that the movie was never shown. Imagine my surprise after all these years, to discover that the movie was released and I was in it at around the 26 to 28 minute mark. The girl in the blue shirt in the Midway scene. I ended up spending the entire day. The monkey had gotten lose and they had to set up for the long shot on the Midway which was the scene I was in. It took over 2 hours to find the monkey, and another 3 hours to set up for the Midway shot.

I recall on the first take, after saying my one line, he yelled CUT! And asked if I could say my line less southern, as he didn't want the movie to sound like it was made in the south. I was a bit embarrassed but tried it again. Then I heard some one say, don't worry about it. When can dub over her voice later. To my surprise they didn't dub over my actual voice and they didn't cut my scene out of the movie.

After shooting wrapped for the day he asked if I wanted to go eat with him and the cast. I agreed and we went out to a local Steak House that served hush puppies. Don Stewart looked at them and asked what they were, cornbread??? I told him no, they were hush puppies. He nearly lost his mind laughing and asked me to repeat what they were until he had everyone at the table laughing at the word hush puppy and my southern accent. I won't lie, I was slighly offended. I can take a joke and laugh at myself. But when they started trying to mimic me and laugh, it started to get old. Mr. Feltner saw what was going on, he seemed to always be paying attention to everything going on even when you didn't think he was. He was extremely nice and somewhat paternal toward me. Being in a movie, even a sub B Movie, was an eye opening expericence. It does strip away a lot of the magic.

My review was written in November 1982 after viewing at a screening room in Times Square.

Lensed in 1980 at Earl Owensby Studios and other Norh Carolina locations, "Carnival Magic" is a mild children's film about a carnival magician and his talking chimp partner. Lacking any special effects or adult audience hook, the low-budget Elvin Feltner production faces tough sledding in the marketplace, though it may find takers in U. S. regions and foreign territories hungry for family fare.

Don Stewart toplines as Markov the Magnificent, a small-time circus magician whose chimp partner Alexander the Great (Trudi the chimp) can speak (well-synched dubbing by Linda Sherwood). Amidst very tame romantic subplots. Film's sole conflict arises when Markov's popularity overshadows that of the circus's lion tamer, who kidnaps Alex and gives him to an unscrupulous doctor for scientific experiments.

With filmmaking technique more appropriate to "backyard" pictures, "Magic" offers little beyond its fantasy element of a talking chimp. Judging from the lack of on-screen reaction to Trudi's dubbed dialog, even this factor seems extraneous. Since the old-fashioned magic tricks are achieved by editing, only the smallest tot will be impressed.

Acting is weak, with lead Stewart baring his chest a lot but underplaying to dreary effect. Tech credits are subpa, with director Al Adamson, vet of dozens of action and horror/sci-fi cheapies, unable to conjure up the sentimentality the script aims for.

I found a DVD and just gave it a spin - not nearly as bad as a feared, but it's still one weird flick. I like that it captures the sleazy vibe of those flea market carnivals of the 70s - like the movie, they mixed kiddie attractions with crazy gross freakshows and sometimes burlesque and peep shows (I saw my first stripper sneaking under a carnival tent!). But the acting was so weak, it made Ed Wood's posse look like a PBS ensemble.

And what was up with that crazy chimp voice?? Al Adamson makes some of the most inexplicable flicks ever. There's a full audio commentary by the producer/co-director, "a critical appreciation" and silent outtakes, and the print quality is outstanding. How crazy that the flick was rated G! The producer says they had to cut the animal trainer slapping his girlfriend's face from three slaps down to two to get the G rating. His memory is astounding, he recalls where each performer was hired from. One gal was the rental car agent he picked up when he flew in, he just gave her a line in the midway scene!

There's one scene of the monkey running off after a trick - the producer says the monkey just ran off the set and was missing for hours! Nobody knows where he went or what he did. He just strolled back onto the set later that day, and they resumed shooting his scenes.

I bet there's some neighbor somewhere near where they shot this who's still telling wild tales that nobody will believe about the day that monkey showed up and raided the dog food dish....