Carnival Magic (1983 film)

Carnival Magic is a 1983[1] American film directed by Al Adamson and starring Don Stewart.

Carnival Magic
DVD cover art
Directed byAl Adamson
Produced byElvin Feltner
Production
company
Krypton Productions
Release date
  • March 4, 1983 (1983-03-04)
[1]
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Marketed as a family-oriented children’s film, it has since gained a cult following in underground and B movie film circles owing to its surreal plot and incongruously-adult themes.[2]

Plot

Markov the Magnificent is a talented magician and mind-reader whose career is fading. When he partners with a super-intelligent talking chimp named Alexander the Great, the duo suddenly become a big draw—and the potential savior for their struggling, small-time traveling circus. Markov and fellow workers inside the circus must fend off a jealous, alcoholic tiger-tamer and an evil doctor intent on stealing the chimp.

Cast
  • Don Stewart as Markov
  • Regina Carrol as Kate
  • Jennifer Houlton as Ellen
  • Howard Segal as David
  • Joe Cirillo as Kirk
  • Mark Weston as Stoney
  • Charles Reynolds as Dr. Poole
  • Missy O'Shea as Girl in Car

Background

Principal photography took place for the film over the span of three weeks in July 1980[3] in Gaffney, South Carolina,[1] during that city's South Carolina Peach Festival.[3] Many of the scenes in Gaffney were shot at the peach festival's carnival, its parade, and in a second parade staged for the movie.[3] Additional work for the film was done at the Earl Owensby Studios in Shelby, North Carolina.[3]

Producer Elvin Feltner and director Al Adamson intended the film as family fare, aimed at children, and it was in fact given a G rating by the MPAA.[1] However, the prevalence of adult themes (alcoholism, sex, abuse, violence) left many viewers confused. The film premiered at the Crosscreek Cinemas in Greenwood, South Carolina, on March 4, 1983,[1] and was also shown in other theatres in the region beginning on that date. By November it had seen a wider release, and was (for example) being shown in New York City.[4]

This was the last acting role for Regina Carrol, who was married to director Adamson and featured in several of his films.[5] Philip Morris, a real-life ringmaster, magician, and costume maker, appears as a carnival barker.[6] This was also one of Adamson’s last two films before retiring from the film industry and pursuing a successful career in real estate.

Revival and re-release

For two decades Carnival Magic was considered a lost film, and no prints were known to exist. This changed in 2009, when a 35mm print was discovered in a warehouse, sparking a revival of interest among cult film aficionados.[4] Following the discovery of this print, Carnival Magic was restored and re-mastered in 2010, receiving its television debut on Turner Classic Movies in October of that year, as part of their TCM Underground series.[5] It saw a DVD release in early 2011 from Film Chest and HD Cinema Classics, reissued on Blu-ray and containing bonus material. The bonus material includes out-takes, trailers, audio commentary and interviews with cult film historian Joe Rubin and producer Elvin Feltner,[7] who helped to clear up some of the long-running mysteries that surrounded the film.

The film was featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as a part of the show's eleventh season, released on April 14, 2017 through Netflix.

References
  1. Hite, Duncan (1983-03-04). "Movie premiering here should please soap fans". The Index-Journal. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
  2. "Bumpy Ride".
  3. "Peach festival proof "dreams do come true"". The Gaffney Ledger. 2012-07-11. p. 44. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  4. Schlock, Temple Of (20 September 2010). "TEMPLE OF SCHLOCK: CARNIVAL MAGIC on TCM Underground in October!".
  5. "Carnival Magic".
  6. Taylor, Brett (Fall 2010). "The Amazing Philip Morris: TV Horror Host, Spook Show Magician, Ventriloquist, and The Man Who Made Bigfoot". Filmfax Plus (125).
  7. "Amazon.com: Carnival Magic [Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack]: Don Stewart, Regina Carrol, Joe Cirillo, Al Adamson: Movies & TV".
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