Mandrake the Magician (1954 TV Pilot)

Woody Strode, Lisa Howard and Coe Norton
Country:	USA / English

In 1954, a 30 minutes (26 minutes without commercials) unaired black and white tv pilot was filmed, shot partly at the NBC’s studios in New York and partly on location in Bermuda. The tv pilot is based on Lee Falk's comic strip "Mandrake the Magician".

History

In 1950 Filmcraft Productions (Hollywood) signed by ABC-TV to produce 52 half-hour TV films based on "Mandrake the Magician" comic strip. After the Pilot filming, no further episodes were however made as the project of a regular series was finally dropped.

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Plot

Mandrake (Coe Norton) has a gig at the Parakeet Club. His last illusion is the Vanishing Princess. Backstage when Narda (Lisa Howard) starts to crawl out of a box she’s kidnapped. When she’s missing Mandrake thinks she went back to the hotel. Then he gets a call from the kidnappers. He’s given an address and told to come alone.

Lothar (Woody Strode) goes most of the way with him. When he gets there he’s told by Mr.Brown that his group is looking for secret agent Edwards. He’s got some information they don’t want to get off Mordica Island. In the cellar is Edwards aide Wilson. Narda is also being held there.

Wilson won’t talk so Mandrake is told to hypnotize him into telling Edward’s location. He says a sub is coming to pick them up and he gives the location of the cave where they’ll be met. Mr.Brown doesn’t keep his word and tells Mandrake he and Narda are staying put.

Cast & Crew + Filming locations

Writing credits

• Joseph (Joe) Bates Smith

Director

• Will Jason

Producers

• John Allen
• Robert Mann
• Ellwood Walters

Art Direction Richard Sylbert

Cast

• Coe Norton as Mandrake
• Woody Strode as Lothar
• Lisa Howard as Princess Narda
• Robert Ellenstein as Wilson
• Carl Frank as Mr. Brown

Filming locations

• Princess Hotel, Hamilton, Bermuda (nightclub)
• Bermuda
• Marley Beach, Bermuda
• Sound stage organized in specially converted old flying boat hangars on Darrell’s Island, Bermuda.

Behind the scenes

Mandrake the Magician Merchandisting Promotion

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 —Magic tricks will make their way into the TV film merchandising field as part of the array of promotion material being lined up by ABC Film Syndication for its new “Mandrake, the Magician” series. The firm’s merchandising-promotion chief, Lee Francis, is preparing merchandising material to offer sponsors of the series. . . . . Among the items being set are Mandrake comic books, which can be imprinted with the sponsor’s name. King Features reportedly has offered to help sponsors of the series tie in with newspapers carrying the Mandrake strip. Envisioned is a cross-plug tie-in whereby the sponsor and station carrying the show get a “Watch Mandrake” line over the comic strip in return for a “Read Mandrake” plug on the air.
(Billboard, Sepember 11, 1954)

Promotionnal ABC TV for Presto

Broadcasting Telecasting newsweekly (September 13,1954)

NBC Eyes Mandrake's Bermuda Shooting

• Coe Norton was a professional stage magician

• Shooting on "Mandrake" will begin in Bermuda under the guidance of John Allen (producer). (Billboard, July 10, 1954)

• NBC has expressed interest in "Mandrake the Magician", the film series that John Gibbs has put back into production in Bermuda. Current plans call for Gibbs to shoot five episodes in the series for offering to buyers or distributors. (Billboard, December 03, 1955)

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  Billboard July,10 1954