BrianRxm Coins in Movies 55/377
Chandu the Magician (1932)
Magician turns gold coins into toads
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The 1932 film "Chandu the Magician", is about a magician who uses hypnotic powers to foil the schemes of a megalomaniac who wants to rule the world.
 
The film was based on a popular radio program of the time.
 
At one point an "Arab" buys a woman at a slave market and pays with gold coins. Chandu later turns the gold coins into toads.
 
Chandu the Magician
1. Title
Frank Chandler, a former British Army officer, has spent three years in a Yogi Monastery somewhere in the "East."
 
Chandu the Magician
2. Frank Chandler becomes Chandu
He is now a Yogi and possesses powers of hypnotism, illusion, and others.
 
Chandu the Magician
3. Chandu the Magician
He passes a series of tests including firewalking and projection. The Master takes him to a crystal ball and explains his mission, to foil the plans of a Roxor, a would-be world ruler.
 
Roxor plans include a "Death Ray" being built by scientist Robert Regent, who is married to Chandu's sister. Roxor's men have kidnapped Robert and taken his ray to rural Egypt.
 
Chandu returns from the East to visit his family and vows to get Robert back.
 
Chandu the Magician
4. Dorothy, Chandu, Betty, Bobby
Robert has a wife, Dorothy, and two adult children, Betty and Bobby.
 
Roxor is appropriately villainous.
 
Chandu the Magician
5. Roxor
Chandu had a romance before he left for the East with Princess Nadji, but she refused to marry him due to her "duty to her people."
 
Chandu the Magician
6. Princess Nadji
Roxor's headquarters are located in an ancient Egyptian monument.
 
Chandu the Magician
7. Egyptian monument
Roxor has a laboratory where he has assembled the stolen ray.
 
Chandu the Magician
8. Roxor's laboratory
Roxor has assembled the ray but can not get it to work. He has been trying to persuade Robert to fix it.
 
Chandu, his assistant, and Nadji have to use ropes to get into Roxor's lab.
 
Chandu the Magician
9. Entering the monument
Chandu has an assistant, Miggles, who was his orderly from his Army service. Chandu has hypnotized him to see things when he drinks.
 
Chandu the Magician
10. Miggles has a drink
An Egyptian statue comes to life and follows him around.
 
Some of Roxor's men arrive with rifles but Chandu's magic power of illusion fixes things.
 
Chandu the Magician
11. Rifle becomes snake
Roxor kidnaps Robert's daughter Betty and forces him to watch while he puts Betty up for auction at a "slave market"
 
Chandu the Magician
12. Betty for sale
Chandu, in disguise as an Arab, enters the slave market and purchases Betty.
 
Chandu the Magician
13. Paying for the goods
Chandu pours out gold coins.
 
Chandu the Magician
14. Gold coins
These appear to be film prop coins of various sizes.
 
Chandu the Magician
15. Gold coins (another view)
The seller takes the payment to Roxor and empties the bag on a table.
 
Chandu the Magician
16. Seller tries to show Roxor the money
Some things other than gold coins fall out.
 
Chandu the Magician
17. Formerly gold coins
The coins are now a large toad and many small toads.
 
Roxor has lured Robert's entire family to his laboratory dungeon, Chandu and Nadji are there too. Chandu is kept blindfolded and can not exercise his powers. Robert has not revealed the secret so Roxor tries something else.
 
Chandu the Magician
18. Roxor threatens Regent
Roxor has Chandu placed in a mummy case and thrown into the river, he then threatens to throw the women into the river but Robert relents and makes the ray work.
 
Chandu, emulating Houdini, breaks out of the coffin and climbs back into the laboratory. Roxor is excited and turns on the ray.
 
Chandu the Magician
19. I will be king of the world
Roxor begins screaming that he will destroy the cities of the world followed by scenes of destruction.
 
Chandu the Magician
20. Destruction
Roxor names London and Paris as targets.
 
Chandu has rescued Nadji and his family and Robert tells him that he set the ray to heat up to the point of self-destruction.
 
Chandu the Magician
21. Roxor's ray heats up
Chandu and his family have left and watch the monument explode.
 
Chandu the Magician
22. Is this the end of Roxor?
Frank and the Princess are re-united.
 
Chandu the Magician
23. Frank and the Princess together
Cast, Directors, Writers:
 
Edmund Lowe as Chandu / Frank Chandler
Irene Ware as Princess Nadji
Bela Lugosi as Roxor
Herbert Mundin as Albert Miggles
Henry B. Walthall as Robert Regent
Weldon Heyburn as Abdulah
June Vlasek as Betty Lou Regent
Nestor Aber as Bobby Regent
Virginia Hammond as Dorothy Regent
 
Directors: William C. Menzies, Marcel Varnel
Writers: Barry Conners, Philip Klein, Harry A. Earnshaw, Vera M. Oldham, R.R. Morgan
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