Magic
A terrifying love story.
Country
Production
Budget
$7 000 000
Box office
$23 800 000
Director
Actors
Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter, E.J. André, Jerry Houser, David Ogden Stiers, Lillian Randolph, Joe Lowry, Robert Hackman
All actors and roles (10)
All actors and roles (10)
Scenario
Producer
Joseph E. Levine, Richard P. Levine, C.O. Erickson
Camera operator
Composer
Artist
Audition
Jane Feinberg, Mike Fenton
Editing
John Bloom
Whole Team (33)
Whole Team (33)
Short description
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
What's left behind the scenes
- In preparation for his role in this film, Anthony Hopkins learned several magic tricks and mastered the art of ventriloquism. He learned to speak without moving his lips and to work with the puppet.
- Richard Attenborough agreed to direct this film and the war drama 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977) in exchange for Joseph E. Levine's financial support for his dream of making 'Gandhi' (1982).
- The Fats puppet was deliberately given certain similarities to Anthony Hopkins.
- While preparing for his role in the film, Anthony Hopkins learned several magic tricks and mastered the art of ventriloquism. He learned how to speak without moving his lips and how to work with a puppet.
- Gene Wilder (1933-2016) was initially considered for the role of Corky, which was eventually played by Anthony Hopkins. Neither director Richard Attenborough (1923-2014) nor screenwriter William Goldman (1931-2018) objected to this. However, producer Joseph E. Levine (1905-1987) opposed it, as he didn't want to cast a comedic actor in a serious film.
- The Fats puppet was intentionally designed to bear a certain resemblance to Anthony Hopkins.
- Gene Wilder (1933-2016) was originally planned for the role of Corky, which was played by Anthony Hopkins. Neither director Richard Attenborough (1923-2014) nor screenwriter William Goldman (1931-2018) objected to this. However, producer Joseph E. Levine (1905-1987) opposed it, as he did not want to cast a comedic actor in a serious film.
- When Anthony Hopkins first saw the Fats puppet, he was allowed to take it home overnight to get used to it. The puppet made the actor so nervous that in the middle of the night, he called the ventriloquist serving as a consultant on the film and declared that either someone must come and pick up the puppet immediately, or he would throw it into a canyon. It ended with Director Attenborough having to personally go to Hopkins to calm him down.
- The film is based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman, which in turn was inspired by the final episode of the anthology film *Deep Night* (1945).
- The film is based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman, which in turn was inspired by the final episode of the film anthology 'Dead Reckoning' (1945).
- When Anthony Hopkins first saw the Fats puppet, he was allowed to take it home overnight to get used to it. The puppet so unnerved the actor that in the middle of the night he called the ventriloquist working as a consultant on the film and stated that either someone would come and take the puppet away immediately, or he would throw it into the canyon. Ultimately, director Attenborough had to personally go to Hopkins and calm the actor down.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
