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.

Frank Chandler, a former British Army officer, has spent three years in a Yogi Monastery somewhere in the "East."

He is now a Yogi and possesses powers of hypnotism, illusion, and others.

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.

Robert has a wife, Dorothy, and two adult children, Betty and Bobby. Roxor is appropriately villainous.

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."

Roxor's headquarters are located in an ancient Egyptian monument.

Roxor has a laboratory where he has assembled the stolen ray.

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 has an assistant, Miggles, who was his orderly from his Army service. Chandu has hypnotized him to see things when he drinks.

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.

Roxor kidnaps Robert's daughter Betty and forces him to watch while he puts Betty up for auction at a "slave market"

Chandu, in disguise as an Arab, enters the slave market and purchases Betty.

Chandu pours out gold coins.

These appear to be film prop coins of various sizes.

The seller takes the payment to Roxor and empties the bag on a table.

Some things other than gold coins fall out.

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.

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.

Roxor begins screaming that he will destroy the cities of the world followed by scenes of 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 and his family have left and watch the monument explode.

Frank and the Princess are re-united.

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