The Magic Face (1951) User Reviews

Not your average actor or fuhrer

[Asgardian · 7/10 · 14 April 2007]

A fanciful & fictional account of an actor assassinating Hitler, assuming his identity and running war time Germany to ensure an Allied victory over the Third Reich.

A dry clinical approach to this production, interspersed with documentary style narrative, with added archival footage of the major moments in WW2, tends to aid in the attempt to pass this off as something more than just another war story.

Luther Adler's performance is the lynchpin binding a rather curious effort to create a different style of storytelling, all the while still entertaining in a way that the viewing audience was not accustomed.

Another old WW2 movie that is hard to find, but well worth the effort.

A really weird movie!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 16 September 2017]

Narrated by William L. Shirer. A Columbia Picture. Copyright 27 September 1951 by Columbia Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Criterion: 30 September 1951. U.S. release: September 1951. U.K release: 31 March 1952. Australian release: 27 June 1952. 92 minutes. The full-length 92-minutes version was released only in Australia. In the U.K. and the U.S.A., the movie was cut by 4 minutes, eliminating the Neville Chamberlain sequence.

SYNOPSIS: William L. Shirer, foreign correspondent, is told the following story by a strange woman (Mrs Janus). Janus the Great, a brilliant impersonator, was once the most popular man on the Viennese stage; when the Nazis took over Austria, his wife left him to live with the Fuehrer, and he was sent to a concentration camp. He escaped in disguise, tricked his way into Hitler's service as a valet, killed the dictator and took his place; as the false Hitler, he purposely — by insisting on unwise military and political decisions — led Germany to defeat. In the hour of final defeat, in an underground shelter in Berlin, he revealed his true identity to his faithless wife and escaped to resume his old identity. (Hitler's body was never found).

COMMENT: A really weird movie. Independently made in Austria by Mort Briskin and Robert Smith, it was picked up for distribution by Columbia as an exploitation item. Those expecting the real dirt on Hitler were doubtless disappointed, but people like myself looking for a way- out, unusual or preposterous entertainment found this "historical" ratbaggery amusingly off-beat.

With its larger-than-life performances, its candidly goofy impersonation plot, its victim-of-the-blacklist director, and even in its somewhat amateurish technical deficiencies such as the jarring juxtaposition of studio and obvious newsreel footage, "The Magic Face" has all the qualities required of a first-class cult movie. I can only wonder why it has never been taken up by the corduroy set and reaped a financial bonanza for its present copyright owners around university campuses.

unforgettable B WWII movie

[happytrigger-64-390517 · 8/10 · 20 December 2016]

IMDb is a great bible for discovering unknown B movies, like this Magic Face, never seen in France. Thanks to the reviewers, I was excited for seeing this incredible version of the story of WWII, and I wasn't disappointed, it even explains some German mistakes. One of the writer is Mort Briskin, who has written The Second Woman and A Man Alone, mostly TV products and his two absolutely strong thrillers with Joe Don Baker directed by Phil Karlson, Framed and Walking Tall. The other writer is Robert Smith who has written great titles like I Walk Alone, Sudden Fear, Quicksand, 99 River Street and who also wrote The Second Woman with Mort Briskin. And the director is Frank Tuttle, no need to tell what great noir movies he directed. The three make a very fine team for creating a war movie treated on a noir style.

I just wonder why this very surprising gem hasn't ever been released, this incredible story deserves to be a cult B classic.

A fascinating movie, as was Luther Adler's fine performance.

[bobcadley · 24 April 2004]

I recall this movie well. I was fourteen years of age when it was released in 1951 and lived in White Plains,NY. I viewed this picture twice due to it's unique perspective. Luther Adler's view of this period of history was not only interesting, but thought provoking as well as fascinating. Felt Mr. Adler's acting was convincing, along with his unusual look at history. Why can't this interesting movie be made available in either DVD or VHS? I also viewed Adler's role as Hitler in the James Mason film "The Desert Fox". I could be mistaken, but it's my recollection that Mr. Adler, and or the producers challenged viewers to disprove the story; and if proved correct would receive a monetary reward. Please comment!

The Fuhrer hasn't quite been himself lately

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 9 September 2017]

**Minor Spoilers**Much like the hilarious 1942 Hollywood propaganda laugh riot "Hitler Dead or Alive" in the case of "The Magic Face" it's author William L. Shirer who wrote "Berlin Diary" and "The Rise and fall of the Third Reich" that gives the mind numbing film some kind of credibility. That in the fact that Hitler's body was never recovered that lead to rumors that he may have well escaped from Berlin back in April 1945 before the Soviet Red Army captured the bombed out city. In here we have German impressionist Rudi Janus, Luther Adler, after studying and perfecting Hitler's voice and mannerisms becomes Hitler's butler and kills the unsuspecting German Fuhrer, with a glass of spiked milk, and then take over his identity! As well as his conducting the war which at the time Hitler was winning and turns the table on him as well as his beloved Nazi Germany with his lame brain military strategy.

We see through a number of WWII newsreels how Janus purposely causes the mighty German Army to lose almost every battle it was involved in that has soon his general staff feel that the Fuhrer is either suffering from dementia or is working for the other side: The allied side. With his-Rudi's- widowed wife Vera and now Hitler's lover, no not Ava Braun,Mariana played by blond bombshell Patricia Knight electing to stay with her beloved Fuhrer in his bunker until the end comes she's shocked to find out that the Fuhrer is in fact her former husband, whom she thought was killed in a bombing raid, Rudi Janus and completely freaks out. As for Rudi he takes it all in stride as we last see him disappear into the night and the bombed out streets of Berlin never to be seen or heard from again.

Was it true that Rudi Janus is one of the most unknown and unsung heroes of WWII who single handled and all by himself not only killed Adolf Hitler but in taking over his leadership of the Third Reich helped the allies win the war against Nazi Germany like William L. Shirer seems to suggests? The fact that he as well as his wife of one day Eva Braun's bodies were never found gives this movie far more credit that it should have. It wasn't until 1956 11 years after the end of WWII that Hitler was officially declared dead by the British and world courts and even the fact that the Soviet Union claimed to have parts of Hitler's skull and lower jaw in the Kermlin archives have been proved false due to DNA examinations that proved that they really belonged to a middle aged woman. As for the star of the movie-Not Hitler- actor Luther Adler he was so convincing in the part that he revived his role as Adolf Hitler some two months later in the movie "The Desart Fox" as well some ten years later in the "Twilight Zone" episode "Man in a Bottle".

Getting It Backwards

[boblipton · 4/10 · 11 March 2019]

Luther Adler is a Viennese actor who imitates the leaders of the day: Mussolini, Hitler, Churchill, he does them all and the audiences roar. Then comes Anschluss and his wife, Patricia Knight walks out on him for, eventually, Hitler. So Adler learns to be a valet, becomes Hitler's valet and replaces him. Unfortunately, he can't just destroy the Third Reich, so he adopts a strategy of making bad decisions: declaring war on Russia instead of invading England and mopping up that front first; delaying the response to the Normandy landing and so forth, up to the Bunker and his disappearance. Plus there's William L. Shirer, speaking before and after about how this story was told to him and he sort of believes it.

I respected Shirer's writing until today. I hope they paid him a lot of money for spouting this nonsense, which is suitable fare for a PRC programmer nine years earlier. To see Frank Tuttle listed as director is astonishing. He had spent many years as a house director for Goldwyn and Paramount, making excellent thrillers. Now, however, he was working for Columbia, so the support network was not something he could manage. Good actors, wasted!

The worst part of it is this is largely the plot of Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR, released a dozen years earlier, in which a Jewish barber takes the place of Hitler. Aren't you supposed to make the melodrama first and the burlesque after?

also has stayed with me through my life

[triplecrown11215 · 9/10 · 3 February 2006]

great story, excellent acting. also, i had the joy of seeing luther adler do tevya in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF maybe 25 years after seeing THE MAGIC FACE.

this is one of those movies that stay with you forever...i only wish i could rent it now, to show it to a few friends, and of course see it again.

the music was also interesting. i can still remember the melody when the quick change actors go from one costume to another.

the introduction by newsman shirer at the top of the movie was also a nice touch, and gave a documentary type of feel to the black and white movie.

adler was stunning as Hitler. the resemblance was uncanny.

This could have been a lot better.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 25 December 2021]

"The Magic Face" is a strange film that seems to have debuted a bit late. Had it come out during WWII, it would have worked better....and having a different leading man would have made it a bit more logical.

The film stars Luther Adler, a man from a famous acting family and who made a huge name for himself in Yiddish theater as well as on Broadway. Adler made films and TV appearances as well, but clearly he was more known for his stage work. As I mentioned above, he was an odd choice for the role...and I'll explain this.

The film is a 'what if' film about history. Early in WWII, an angry Austrian actor decides to insinuate himself into Hitler's inner circle as a valet. His plan is to one day kill the fuehrer and take on his identity...which he does early in the war. Then, as the faux Adolf, he deliberately makes decision after decision which ruins the German war effort.

The idea of such a substitution is smart and interesting. After all, up until about 1940-41, Hitler's decisions in running the war were pretty spot on and the Germans were highly successful. Substituting him for a man bent on destroying Germany made some sense, as his decisions in 1941 became completely irrational (such as attacking the USSR and declaring war on the USA). But, there is one HUGE problem. If this had happened, why wouldn't this substitute have stopped the Holocaust or just ended the war?? Having a Jewish actor play a fake Hitler and NOT stopping the persecution of Jews just seemed ultra-bizarro...especially since it got much worse around 1941! The only way this might have made sense was to have the actor be a complete anti-Semite himself...though believing Adler to be such a man was difficult back in 1951. Odd...to say the least.

Overall, a cheaply made and strange film...not always logical but never dull.

Great old World War II war/drama movie.

[halcsi · 10/10 · 2 February 2001]

This is a thoroughly fascinating movie about Hitler and World War II. The plot makes one wonder if possibly that's what really happened with the destruction of the Nazis and Germany in the 1940's.

It would be great if Columbia Pictures would put this movie on video tape, still better if they would make a new picture of this story.

A memorable World War 2 film, that I never forgot.

[nevets829 · 11 August 2004]

I saw this movie in 1951 in a theater in Brooklyn, NY with my grandmother for sure and maybe my mother. I was young, only seven years old.For some reason its always stuck in my mind. I remember Luther Adler and that it was in black and white. Something I can't pinpoint exactly was fascinating about it. Possibly it was Adler's performance, the film seemed grim and dark like the subject of World War Two. I remember him ranting and raving, like Hitler would have. Never knew Adler was related to Stella Adler the acting teacher. If it was available, I'd buy it in a minute. I wish it was. Maybe if enough of us comment on it, they would re-release it in VHS or some other form. Luther Adler was an excellent actor. I remember him as the Israeli Prime Minister in CAST A GIANT SHADOW. I also remember him in DOA with Edmond O'Brien as the bad guy,but can't remember him in DESERT FOX with James Mason, another cinema giant.

Great old movie !!!!!!!!

[halcsi · 10/10 · 18 May 2006]

The first time I saw this movie was in 1952, I then forgot about it for a number of years, then I began to think of the story but I had forgotten the title and the actors.

For 40 odd years I tried in vain to find the name of movie. Several years ago I finally found the title name on IMDb, I was even able to buy a copy of the film.

This is one of those films that make you wonder if it really happened or not.

Enjoy the movie,

Hal

Loved this movie

[pdbarber · 9/10 · 7 June 2012]

I'm in my 70's. I saw this movie once somewhere when I was very young, maybe 20 - 25 years old. I searched for years to get the name of the movie until finally a movie reviewer in New York City identified it for me. I have searched at least another 10 0r 15 years to find some way to see it again. Finally, I got to watch it on my computer screen in 7 jerky parts on YouTube. It was still fascinating. One of the reviewers said he was able to buy a copy. Does anyone know where one can buy a copy in VHS or DVD? I have described this movie to dozens of people. Some of them in the film business but none have been able to come up with a copy. Does anyone know why this movie is being denied to the public? Or better question, where I can buy a copy?

Saw it in 1952 NEVER FORGOT IT

[melreid · 10/10 · 15 October 2002]

As i remember it, it was presented as a true story, according to the introduction. It is the only story of Hitler's life that explained many of the unexplained changes that happened during the war. It was very interesting and would love to obtain a copy of this movie for my own collection.

Fascinating story set in the World War II era.

[viper-31 · 16 March 1999]

Very interesting story set around Hitler and a magician and his beautiful wife. Intriguing story which is a very thought provoking possibility as to why Hitler changed tactics during World War II. We wish this movie was available on video so that we could view it again after all these years.