The Magician

• Director: Marvin J. Chomsky
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Movie Type: Crime Drama
• Themes: Righting the Wronged, Miscarriage of Justice, Wizards and Magicians
• Release Year: 1973
• Country: US
• Run Time: 78 minutes

Plot

This TV movie stars Bill Bixby as a professional magician who is wrongly accused of a crime and sent to prison. Upon his release, Bixby swears to fight criminals and wrongdoers and to champion the underdog, using his prestidigitory skills to accomplish this. The film proudly states in its prologue that all the illusions seen during the story are actual magic tricks, minus special camera effects--though it strains credibility to assume that Bixby carries a prop for every occasion to confound the crooks at a moment's notice. The Magician was transformed into a weekly 60-minute series in the fall of 1973. The series lasted only one season, the victim of executive indecision over whether to play the series straight or with tongue in cheek. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

Elizabeth Ashley; Joan Caulfield; Keene Curtis; Kim Hunter; Barry Sullivan; Bill Bixby

Credit

William L. Campbell - Art Director, Marvin J. Chomsky - Director, Donald R. Rode - Editor, Larry Strong - Editor, Mike Vejar - Editor, Patrick Williams - Composer (Music Score), Robert Hoffman - Cinematographer, Barry Crane - Producer, Joseph Stefano - Screen Story, Laurence Heath - Screenwriter