Magic Fire (1955)
June 30, 1955Release Date
Magic Fire (1955)
June 30, 1955Release Date
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Cast & Crew.
Yvonne De Carlo
Minna Planer
Carlos Thompson
Franz Liszt
Rita Gam
Cosima Liszt
Valentina Cortese
Mathilde Wesendonk
Alan Badel
Richard Wagner
Peter Cushing
Otto Wesendonk
Frederick Valk
Minister von Moll
Gerhard Riedmann
King Ludwig I
Erik Schumann
Hans von Bülow
Robert Freitag
August Röckel
Heinz Klingenberg
König von Sachsen
Charles Regnier
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Fritz Rasp
Pfistermeister
Kurt Großkurth
Theater Manager
Hans Quest
Robert Hubner
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Hans Richter (uncredited) / Music Supervisor
Media.
Details.
Wiki.
Magic Fire is a 1955 American biographical film about the life of composer Richard Wagner, released by Republic Pictures.
Directed by William Dieterle, the film made extensive use of Wagner's music, which was arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Dieterle worked with Korngold on several Warner Bros. films, including A Midsummer Night's Dream and Juarez. It was one of the final films Republic made in the two-strip color process known as Trucolor.Although many details about Wagner's life were accurately portrayed, the film often distorted some facts, apparently for dramatic purposes. One high point was the accurate depiction of the riot at the Paris Opera House for the premiere of the revised version of Tannhäuser. The film depicted King Ludwig II's patronage of Wagner, without going into much detail about the king's controversial personality.
The film used a very large cast, opulent sets, and lavish costumes. Since Republic was known primarily for westerns and adventure serials, Magic Fire was one of the rare "prestige" films to be produced by studio chief Herbert Yates. Nevertheless, critical response was mixed and box office receipts in the U.S. were disappointing.