Synopsis
The gypsy parents of a child are condemned by Viscount de Montagne (Stephen
Bekassy) and hanged before his eyes. The boy swears revenge. Sheltered by Gitano
(Tamiroff), the boy grows into the mesmerizing charlatan Joseph Balsamo (Welles)
peddling an elixir of life.
Realizing that his hypnotic powers enable him
to manipulate an individual's thoughts and behavior, Balsamo changes his name to
Count Cagliostro and tours Europe promoting himself as an all-powerful healer.
In France, Montagne, unaware of their earlier encounter, asks Cagliostro to treat a young woman, Lorenza (Guild), who is in a deep sleep. Lorenza closely resembles Marie Antoinette, the wife of King Louis XV's eldest son (the Dauphin of France). Montagne and Mme. du Barry (Margot Grahame) intend to use Lorenza to impersonate and discredit Antoinette, thereby disgracing the Dauphine and allowing Mme. du Barry to marry the king. However, Louis XV's death and accession of Louis XVI puts an end to the plan. Meanwhile, Cagliostro has become enamored of Lorenza and marries her. He uses her resemblance to Antoinette to bring about the disgrace and death of Montagne, but Lorenza turns against Cagliostro, and his plotting culminates in his own dishonor and death.
Discussion
The character of Count Cagliostro calls for a bravura performance, and Orson Welles provides it, using his voice and looks effectively in an extravagant performance. This film was made during Welles' busiest period in film. He appeared in three films in 1949, Black Magic, The Third Man, and Prince of Foxes, and in The Black Rose in 1950. His characters in these films are outsized personalities, well suited to Welles' larger-than-life acting. The other actors appearing in Black Magic, who have less showy parts, are adequate in support. The busy plot develops slowly to the predictable conclusion.
Gregoy Ratoff had ten years of stage experience as an actor before he began his film career in 1932. Initially an actor, he subsequently also became a director and producer. He was a competent director whose films are often entertaining, if slow paced, but lacking in any individual or distinctive qualities. His films include Intermezzo (1939) and The Corsican Brothers (1941).
Diane Guild had a short film career from 1946 to 1955. She was pretty and sincere, but lacking in screen presence and flair.
The film is based Alexandre Dumas' novel Joseph Balsamo, a fictionalized account of the life of Giuseppe (Joseph) Balsamo, alias Alessandro Cagliostro, an 18th century adventurer, who was notorious as an occultist, alchemist, forger, and swindler. This extraordinary individual has fascinated composers and writers for two centuries, and his character appears in numerous operas, stories, and films.