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The Magic Box

1951 1h 43m Biography List
Tomatometer 2 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
William Friese-Green (Robert Donat) is a young British photographer who dreams of making the projection of moving images into a reality. Through various experiments, luck and sheer perseverance, he succeeds in creating a working motion picture camera. However, his achievement fails to capture public attention. Worse, his obsessive devotion to his ambitions causes him to neglect other aspects of his life, leaving William impoverished and causing emotional pain for those closest to him.

Critics Reviews

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MFB Critics Monthly Film Bulletin The film, as befits the occasion, is excellently photographed (by Jack Cardiff) and handsomely mounted. Feb 6, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Proves to be a curious work despite its flaws. Rated: B Jan 29, 2014 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The Magic Box 1951 What is sad about the film is that this was a photographer or film inventor who never saw success in his lifetime. He kept running into debt to try and make moving pictures and color film but was never able to afford the ability to get recognized during his lifetime since he was not able to afford mass production of his work. I liked the fact that this film does show what went into making a long exposure portrait, developing film or making a film. It showed how film portrait studios were set up in the early days. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/03/19 Full Review Audience Member (63%) A quite quaint dramatisation of one of the first ever inventors of a camera with motion capture capability. The story itself is one of quite strong sadness as poor old Friese-Green struggling to keep his, and his families, head above water while he works away below stairs on his invention. Everything is as you'd expect from a well made early 50's British movie, and it is quite an insight into the inner workings of late Victorian/Edwardian photography and life in general. Anyone with interest in either early cinema or British classics (or both) should give this a hunt down. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Rather unusual film about an unsung hero of cinema technology. Also delicious as a showpiece for British movie making in the 1950s. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful telling of the life of one of the pioneers of cinema. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member all star cast brings this drama to life. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most apt films to be made given it pays tribute to the man that makes it possible. It's a fairly sad story of hardship and a lack of recognition for one of the major entertainment devices of modern times which Robert Donat plays perfectly. The British cast is relentless, but easy to miss given the amount of cameos. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Magic Box

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis William Friese-Green (Robert Donat) is a young British photographer who dreams of making the projection of moving images into a reality. Through various experiments, luck and sheer perseverance, he succeeds in creating a working motion picture camera. However, his achievement fails to capture public attention. Worse, his obsessive devotion to his ambitions causes him to neglect other aspects of his life, leaving William impoverished and causing emotional pain for those closest to him.
Director
John Boulting
Producer
Ronald Neame
Screenwriter
Eric Ambler
Production Co
Festival Film Productions
Genre
Biography
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2013
Runtime
1h 43m