Black Magic (1949)

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Black Magic is a 1949 Italian–American adventure drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Orson Welles, Nancy Guild and Akim Tamiroff. Set in the 18th century, it chronicles the life of Joseph Balsamo, an illusionist and charlatan who also went by the alias of Count Cagliostro. It is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' 1848 novel Joseph Balsamo.

Production

The movie was originally known as Cagliostro. Producer Edward Small went through a number of directors and stars in trying to get this film off the ground, starting in 1943. Charles Boyer was to star with Akim Tamiroff, and Irving Pichel directing, then in early 1944 J. Carrol Naish was reported to play Alexandre Dumas, Sr. Later that year, George Sanders was announced as the star with Douglas Sirk directing.

Shortly after World War II, another Cagliostro surfaced in Europe. French producer Henry de Saint-Girons announced his version in April 1946, to be directed in color by Robert Péguy from a script by Pierre Maury. But the modest production, to be filmed at the small Château de Vieux Moulin in Nièvre, was quickly abandoned due to logistical problems (see The Marriage of Ramuntcho).

In the same month, Greg Ratoff revealed that he had signed on to helm Small's version, also slated to film in the summer. At the time, some location work in Balsamo's former French dwellings was considered. Ratoff also said that he hoped to hire Paul Henreid or James Mason, although Mason apparently did not wish to return to Europe at that time.

Ratoff flew straight from Mexico to Rome mid-July to oversee the relocation. Small estimated he could save as much as 40 percent on the $3 million the film would have cost in Hollywood. While he could use American assets that had been frozen by the Italians during World War II, the bulk of his savings came from the cheaper workforce.

Orson Welles only signed on in September 1947. The star said that Small approached him "very cleverly with the role of Cagliostro. He waited 'til I had reread the Dumas novels and become so 'hypnotized' by the scoundrel that I felt I had to play him. Then Small announced casually, 'Gregory Ratoff is going to direct'. That cinched it.

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