Magic | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Richard Attenborough |
Produced by |
Joseph E. Levine Richard P. Levine |
Screenplay by | William Goldman |
Based on |
Magic by William Goldman |
Starring |
Anthony Hopkins Ann-Margret Burgess Meredith Ed Lauter David Ogden Stiers |
Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
Cinematography | Victor J. Kemper |
Edited by | John Bloom |
Distributed by |
20th Century Fox Dark Sky Films |
Release date
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Running time
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107 min. |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $7,000,000 |
Box office | $23,800,000 |
Magic is a 1978 American psychological horror film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith. The screenplay was by William Goldman, who also wrote the novel upon which it was based.
Charles "Corky" Withers has just failed in his first attempt at professional magic. His mentor "Merlin" (E.J. André) says that he needs to have a better show business gimmick. A year later, Corky comes back as a combination magician and ventriloquist with a foul-mouthed dummy named Fats and is a huge success. His powerful agent Ben Greene is on the verge of signing Corky for his own television show, but Corky bails out for the Catskills, where he grew up, claiming to be "afraid of success." In truth, he does not want to take the TV network's required medical examination because doctors might find out that he suffers from severe issues, and that even off-stage he cannot control Fats (a manifestation of Corky's id).
In the Catskills, he reunites with his high-school crush, Peggy Ann Snow, who is stuck in a passionless marriage with Corky's friend from high school, Duke. A magic trick with a deck of cards charms Peg into thinking they are soulmates. She and Corky make love, which sparks the jealousy not only of Peggy's tough-guy husband but also the dummy Fats. Greene arrives unexpectedly, having tracked Corky down. After a tense confrontation, in which Greene discovers the truth about Corky's mental state, the agent demands that Corky get help. Fats, however, convinces Corky to kill Greene. Corky does this by using Fats' hard, wooden head. He then removes all of Greene's identification and drags the corpse to the lake. When Corky tries to dispose of the body, however, Greene suddenly lunges at him, still alive.