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Clip description
At a charity function, political powerbroker Doc Wheelan (Broderick Crawford) challenges Gregory Wolfe (Robert Powell) to prove his powers. Wolfe responds with an indignant display of magic. Society matron Miss Twist (Mary Mackay) asks Wolfe to heal her sore tooth.
Curator’s notes
The mysterious Gregory Wolfe is loosely based on the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin, who exercised influence over Tsar Nicholas II and Tsaritsa Alexandra in the final days of the Romanov dynasty. Like Rasputin and the long line of magicians and healers before him, Wolfe is an object of both fascination and suspicion among the elite. Nick’s influential backer, Doc Wheelan, views the newcomer as a threat to Nick’s prospects, but society dowager Miss Twist is enchanted and asks Wolfe to heal her. The red, white and blue decorations in the room are typical of the film’s attempt to suggest an American setting. One of many eye-catching outfits worn by Wolfe, this leather studded ensemble is very much a matter of taste.
