- Magic Fire
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Magic Fire is a biographical film about the life of composer Richard Wagner, released in the United States on March 29, 1956 by Republic Pictures. It had been released in the United Kingdom on July 15, 1955. Additional European releases were in Denmark on November 21, 1956, and in Finland on October 18, 1957.
Contents
Overview
Directed by William Dieterle, the film made extensive use of Wagner's actual music, which was arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Dieterle worked with Korngold on several Warner Bros. films, including A Midsummer Night's Dream and Juarez. It was one of the final films Republic made in the two-strip color process known as Trucolor.[1]
Although many details about Wagner's life were accurately portrayed, the film often distorted some facts, apparently for dramatic purposes. One high point was the accurate depiction of the riot at the Paris Opera House for the premiere of the revised version of Tannhäuser. The film depicted King Ludwig II's patronage of Wagner, without going into much detail about the king's controversial personality.
The film used a very large cast, opulent sets, and lavish costumes. Since Republic was known primarily for westerns and adventure serials, Magic Fire was one of the rare "prestige" films to be produced by studio chief Herbert Yates. Nevertheless, critical response was mixed and box office receipts in the U.S. were disappointing.[2]
Cast and crew
- Directed by William Dieterle
- Writing credits: David T. Chantler, screenplay (as David Chantler); Ewald André Dupont, screenplay (as E. A. Dupont);
- Bertita Harding, novel "The Original Music of Richard Wagner" and screenplay
- Alan Badel ... Richard Wagner
- Yvonne De Carlo ... Minna Planer
- Carlos Thompson ... Franz Liszt
- Rita Gam... Cosima Liszt
- Valentina Cortese ... Mathilde Wesendonck
- Peter Cushing ... Otto Wesendonck
- Frederick Valk ... Minister von Moll
- Gerhard Riedmann ... King Ludwig II
- Erik Schumann ... Hans von Bülow
- Robert Freitag ... August Roeckel
- Heinz Klingenberg ... King of Saxonia
- Charles Régnier ... Giacomo Meyerbeer
- Kurt Großkurth ... Magdeburg Theatre Manager (as Kurt Grosskurth)
- Fritz Rasp ... Pfistermeister
- Hans Quest ... Robert Hubner
- Jan Hendriks ... Mikhail Bakunin
- Hans Elwenspoek ... (uncredited)
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold ... Hans Richter (uncredited)
- Rolf Kralovitz ... (uncredited)
- Werner Lieven ... (uncredited)
- Werner Westerholt ... (uncredited)
- Produced by William Dieterle
- Original Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
- Cinematography by Ernest Haller (director of photography)
- Art Direction by Robert Herlth
- Costume Design by Ursula Maes
- Virgil Hart .... assistant director
- Frank T. Dyke .... sound
- Walter Rühland .... sound (as Walter Ruehland)
- Léo L. Fuchs .... still photographer (uncredited)
- Stanley E. Johnson .... supervising editor (as Stanley Johnson)
- Tatjana Gsovsky .... choreographer
- Rudolf Hartmann .... opera stager (as Professor Rudolf Hartmann)
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold .... music supervisor
Footnotes
External links
The films of William Dieterle 1920s Man by the Roadside • Behind the Altar (with Julius Brandt) • The Saint and Her Fool • Sex in Chains • The Brandenburg Arch (with Max Knaake) • Triumph of Love • Frühlingsrauschen • Das Schweigen im Walde1930s Die Maske fällt • Kismet • Ludwig der Zweite, König von Bayern • Der Tanz geht weiter • Eine Stunde Glück • Die Heilige Flamme (with Berthold Viertel) • The Last Flight • Her Majesty, Love • Man Wanted • Jewel Robbery • The Crash • Six Hours to Live • Scarlet Dawn • Lawyer Man • Grand Slam • Adorable • The Devil's in Love • From Headquarters • Fashions of 1934 • Fog Over Frisco • Madame Du Barry • The Firebird • The Secret Bride • A Midsummer Night's Dream (with Max Reinhardt) • Dr. Socrates • The Story of Louis Pasteur • The White Angel • Satan Met a Lady • The Great O'Malley • Another Dawn • The Life of Emile Zola • Blockade • Juarez • The Hunchback of Notre Dame1940s Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet • A Dispatch from Reuter's • The Devil and Daniel Webster • Syncopation • Tennessee Johnson • Kismet • I'll Be Seeing You • Love Letters • This Love of Ours • The Searching Wind • Portrait of Jennie • The Accused • Rope of Sand1950s Paid in Full • Volcano • September Affair • Dark City • Peking Express • Red Mountain • Boots Malone • The Turning Point • Salome • Elephant Walk • Magic Fire • Omar Khayyam • Dubrowsky1960s Mistress of the World • Die Herrin der Welt - Teil II • Die Fastnachtsbeichte • The ConfessionCategories:- 1955 films
- 1950s drama films
- American films
- English-language films
- Films directed by William Dieterle
- Films about classical music and musicians
- Film scores by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
- 1950s drama film stubs
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