Hey folks, Harry here... I can get how most of you wouldn't know a thing about Lee Falk's classic MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN. He has been referred to as being our first superhero having debuted in June of 1934. I, also get how folks tend to think it is impossible that I'm as big a fan as I purport to be about as many subjects & characters that I wholeheartedly embrace, but all I can say is that I am my father's son - and he felt Pop Culture was important. That studying it, you could understand the dreams of people and times long ago.
I first got introduced to MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN with the following serial in 16mm:
Why am I discussing MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN?
Well today, it was announced that Sacha Baron Cohen has been cast as MANDRAKE in for director Etan Cohen. And that kinda fucking terrifies me. Not the Sacha Baron Cohen part - he has proven to be more versitile than we first thought - and he's picture perfect in terms of physique and face for the character. But Etan Cohen is what terrifies me a bit. Etan has directed one feature film, GET HARD with Will Ferrell & Kevin Hart. His screenwriting career began with a Nostradamus look at our present with IDIOCRACY, which he wrote with Mike Judge after writing on Beavis & Butthead show. He also co-wrote TROPIC THUNDER - as well as writing MEN IN BLACK III.
MANDRAKE done goofily would not be my first take. The character does inherit his power from his father. The hat, cape, wand give him vast powers. He makes his home upon XANADU (remember, this is pre-CITIZEN KANE, but Welles' love of strips is well known) - and I've always seen Welles' XANADU when imagining Mandrake's. His best friend and crime fighting partner was LOTHAR - the prince of the seven nations, superhumanly strong, invulnerable to any weapon forged by man, but had a passion for Leopard print & wore a Fez. Lothar kicks a whole lot of ass. He was once referred to as being Mandrake's slave, but that was never how Mandrake treated him. Anybody that has read those adventures knows full well the mutual respect that these characters had for each other. LOTHAR rules!
Mandrake fought regular criminals, supervillains, aliens, inter-dimensional beings, ghosts... you name it, he kicked its ass. Mandrake could make you see whatever the fuck he wanted to make you see and it was often trippy and crazy cool. His love interest was an Egyptian Princess Narda - and she kicked mucho ass! Most everyone should love HOJO if they do the cook justice.
I've only got a million questions about this adaptation. Most of all, the timing for it. Last I heard, Etan Cohen was directing a remake of CANNONBALL RUN, but I haven't heard a peep about it in a very long time. Will this be a period affair? It must be. With Shane Black doing DOC SAVAGE, David Yates doing LEGEND OF TARZAN and now this... we're very much in a wondrous time for those of us that love those classic characters of old.
Lee Falk, creator of Mandrake The Magician, also created the PHANTOM (you remember Billy Zane) - and most of you might remember Mandrake from that great ol animated show... DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH which had both Mandrake and Phantom teaming up with Flash Gordon - to fight Ming and other dire villains. That show even had a toy line that came out!
I loved that show - even if it was goofy as hell.
Keep it cool,
Harry
