''Mandrake'' is a 1979 American

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

directed by Harry Falk and starring

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Simone Griffeth Simone Griffeth (born April 4, 1950), sometimes credited under her married name Simone Griffeth-McDonald, is an American actress. She was a Theater Arts major at the University of South Carolina for three years. While attending college Simone a ...

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Gretchen Corbett Gretchen Hoyt Corbett (born August 13, 1945) is an American actress and theater director. She is primarily known for her roles in television, particularly as attorney Beth Davenport on the NBC series ''The Rockford Files'', but has also had a pro ...

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, and

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. Based on the comic strip ''

Mandrake the Magician ''Mandrake the Magician'' is a Comic strip syndication, syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk before he created ''The Phantom''.Ron Goulart, ''The Encyclopedia of American Comics''. New York: Facts on File, 1990. . pp. 91, 249 ...

'', the film follows a magician attempting to help an

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

owner who is being blackmailed by a psychopath who is murdering guests.

Premise

The film follows Mandrake, a magician, and his assistant Lothar, who attempt to help an

proprietor being blackmailed by a psychopath who is murdering the park's customers.

Cast

Release

Critical response

Tom Buckley of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' panned the film, writing that "Rick Husky's script for this Universal Television presentation is a compilation of cliches. Harry Falks's direction is plodding. However, viewers can try a magic trick of their own. By turning the dial, they can make ''Mandrake'' disappear".

References

External links

* {{Mandrake the Magician 1979 films 1979 thriller films 1970s English-language films American thriller television films English-language thriller films Films about magic and magicians Films based on American comics Films based on comic strips Films set in amusement parks Films directed by Harry Falk (director) 1970s American films