Thursday, October 24, 2013

Mad & Wicked Magicians: Film & TV List


Mad and mischievous magicians have been appearing (and disappearing) in movies since 1896 when the godfather of trick filmmaking, Georges Méliès, first made a woman vanish and then reappear as a skeleton right before our very eyes. The short curiosity piece was called Escamotage d'une Dame au Théâtre Robert Houdin; or, The Vanishing Lady, and it launched the infant motion picture business into the realm of fantastic spectacles and celluloid entertainment through fictionalized, and often amazing, scenarios. Compiled here is a list of evil and criminal stage magicians on film and television. From the crooked con, villainous murderer, to the completely insane, these unethical illusionists have thrilled, chilled, and shocked us with magic, murder, and mayhem for many decades. The following list proves just how popular these wicked villains truly are.

  1. Escamotage d'une Dame au Théâtre Robert Houdin (1896; a.k.a. The Vanishing Lady)  
  2. Un Homme de Tête (1898; a.k.a. The Four Troublesome Heads)
  3. Hooligan Assists the Magician (1900) 
  4. The Mystic Swing (1900) 
  5. La Clownesse Fantôme (1902; a.k.a. The Magician and the Imp) 
  6. L'Enchanteur Alcofribas (1903; a.k.a. Alcofribas the Master Magician) 
  7. Les Bulles de Savon Animées (1906; a.k.a. Soap Bubbles) 
  8. Les Illusions Fantaisistes (1910)  
  9. The Master Mystery (1918)
  10. The Magician (1926)
  11. West of Zanzibar (1928)
  12. Kongo (1932) 
  13. Popeye: King of the Mardi Gras (1935) -- animated short 
  14. Miracles for Sale (1939)
  15. Merrie Melodies: Case of the Missing Haare (1942) -- animated short 
  16. Mighty Mouse and the Magician (1948) -- animated short; cats steal a magician's wand & terrorize a village of mice 
  17. Adventures of Superman: "A Ghost for Scotland Yard" (1953) -- TV series episode 
  18. The Silver Chalice (1954)
  19. The Mad Magician (1954) -- in 3-D 
  20. The Magician (1958)
  21. The Red Skelton Show: "Deadeye and the Magician" (1960) -- variety TV show episode 
  22. Magic Mansion (1965-1968) -- TV series 
  23. Woody Woodpecker: Tragic Magic (1962) -- animated film short 
  24. Two On a Guillotine (1965) 
  25. The New Adventures of Superman: "The Deadly Super-Doll" (1966) -- animated TV series episode 
  26. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Druid's Blood" (1966) -- TV series episode 
  27. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Eccentrics" (1966) -- TV series episode 
  28. The Pink Panther: The Hand is Pinker Than the Eye (1967) -- animated short 
  29. Theatre 625: "The Magicians: Edmund Gurney and the Brighton Mesmerist" (1967) -- TV series episode 
  30. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Feathered Fury" (1967) -- TV series episode 
  31. Frosty the Snowman (1969) -- animated short 
  32. The Magnificent Six and 1/2: The Magician (1969) -- film short 
  33. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: "Hassle in the Castle" (1969) -- animated TV series episode 
  34. The Wizard of Gore (1970)
  35. Lidsville (1971) -- TV series 
  36. The New Scooby-Doo Movies: "A Good Medium is Rare" (1972) -- animated TV series episode 
  37. Dusty's Trail: "The Magician" (1973) -- TV series episode 
  38. The World of Sid & Marty Krofft: H.R. Pufnstuf Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1973) 
  39. Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974; a.k.a. Shogun Assassin 5: Cold Road to Hell) -- murderous cult uses fake magic tricks and illusions 
  40. The Scooby-Doo Show: "Scared a Lot in Camelot" (1976) -- animated TV series episode 
  41. Baggy Pants and the Nitwits: "The Magician's Assistant" (1977) -- animated TV series episode 
  42. Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics (1977-1980) -- animated TV series 
  43. The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars (1978) -- TV special 
  44. Magic (1978)
  45. The Krofft Superstar Hour (1978-1979) -- TV series 
  46. Scooby and Scrappy-Doo: "The Sorcerer's a Menace" (1979) -- animated TV series episode 
  47. The Magic Treasure (198?) -- animated short 
  48. Terror Train (1980)
  49. The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries/Scooby and Scrappy-Doo: "A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle" (1984) -- animated TV series episode 
  50. Friday the 13th - The Series: "The Great Montarro" (1987) -- TV series episode 
  51. Matlock: "The Magician" (1988) -- TV series episode 
  52. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: "For Letter or Worse" (1988) -- animated TV series episode 
  53. Penn and Teller Get Killed (1990)
  54. Zorro: "The Magician" (1990) -- TV series episode 
  55. The Linguini Incident (1991)
  56. Are You Afraid of the Dark?: "The Tale of the Magician's Assistant" (1993) -- TV series episode 
  57. The Pink Panther: "That Old Pink Magic" (1993) -- animated TV series episode 
  58. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: "Illusions of Grandeur" (1994) -- TV series episode 
  59. Lord of Illusions (1995)
  60. Santa and the Magician (1995) -- animated short 
  61. Goosebumps: "Bad Hare Day" (1996) -- TV series episode 
  62. Animaniacs: "Magic Time" (1998) -- animated TV series episode 
  63. The Power Puff Girls: "Abracadaver" (1998) -- animated TV series episode 
  64. The Magician's House (1999) -- TV mini-series 
  65. The Magician's House II (2000) -- short film 
  66. The Ripping Friends: "The Muscle Magician" (2001) -- animated TV series episode 
  67. Courage the Cowardly Dog: "Mondo Magic" (2002) -- animated TV series episode 
  68. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: "Abra Cadaver" (2002) -- TV series episode 
  69. Mona the Vampire: "The Alien Magician" (2002) -- animated TV series episode 
  70. What's New, Scooby-Doo?: "Riva Ras Regas" (2002) -- animated TV series episode 
  71. Stripperella: "The Evil Magicians" (2004) -- animated TV series episode 
  72. The Fairly OddParents: "The Masked Magician" (2005) -- animated TV series episode 
  73. Justice League Unlimited: "Flash and Substance" (2006) -- animated TV series episode 
  74. The Prestige (2006)
  75. CID: "The Case of the Vanishing Magician" (2007) -- TV series episode 
  76. CSI: NY: "Sleight Out of Hand" (2007) -- TV series episode 
  77. Magicians (2007) -- a sleazy magician appears 
  78. The Wizard of Gore (2007)
  79. Midsomer Murders: "The Magician's Nephew" (2008) -- TV series episode 
  80. Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King (2008)
  81. Focusnici (2009: a.k.a. Magicians) -- short film 
  82. Monk: "Mr. Monk and the Magician" (2009) -- TV series episode 
  83. Adaalat: "Magician" (2010) -- TV series episode 
  84. Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Chill of the Night!" (2010) -- animated TV series episode 
  85. Magic Man (2010)
  86. Magician's Pride (2010) -- short film 
  87. Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo! (2010) 
  88. Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Four-Star Spectacular!" (2011) -- animated TV series episode 
  89. Dan Vs.: "The Magician" (2011) -- animated TV series episode 
  90. Young Justice: "Denial" (2011) -- animated TV series episode 
  91. Young Justice: "Terrors" (2011) -- animated TV series episode 
  92. Father Brown: "The Mayor and the Magician" (2013) -- TV series episode 
  93. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) 
  94. The Magician (2013) 
  95. Now You See Me (2013)