MovieChat Forums > The Magician (1926) Discussion > Paul Wegener, Action Star

Paul Wegener, Action Star

posted 14 years ago by ratebait
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The fight scene at film's end was pretty exciting. Rarely has there been a mad scientist who looked like he could kick the bejeebers out of his opponent. Big, broad and burly, Paul "The Golem" Wegener was not one to easily tangle with; even at middle age, we could believe he was more than a match for the film's youthful hero, no small man and a tough guy in his own right -- he even lifted Wegener at one point. (This hero, Dr. Arthur Burdon, played by Iván Petrovich, played a medical doctor extraordinaire ... another scientist who could effectively put up his dukes.)

The part I got a kick out of was the way in which Wegener got out of a hold by biting Dr. Burdon's hand! True to form, not very heroic at all.

As a side note, how disappointing that the third scientist, Dr. Porhoet, had the audacity to burn the page from the ancient magic book giving the formula for creating life. (The evil Wegener character ripped this page out of the library, like Jack Nicholson selfishly did in CHINATOWN.) Dr. Porhoet, if he were a true scientist, should have at least felt obligated to return this page to the library, and at best, should have followed up on what one would think was his natural scientific curiosity, to see whether the formula was on the right track or not. A truly mediocre and unethical scientist was he.

[–] agera 14 years ago

I was almost embarrassed for our medical hero during the fight scene. I finally decided that Haddo's insanity gave him the superhuman strength so often attributed to the deranged or maybe he was channeling some extra energy from his former role as the golem.

As for the third scientist, Dr. Porhoet, I don't judge him as harshly as you do. Sure, maybe he should have saved the formula for creating life but as old as he was, his first thought was probably that he never wanted to spend another dark and stormy night in a tower atop a mountain, grappling with a golem-like insane man and an unruly little person.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Loved the sets.

[–] ratebait 14 years ago

Indeed, the sets were pretty good. As for Dr. Porhoet, yes, he may have cringed at the prospect of reproducing life, what with his intellectual curiosity having shriveled up, and displaced by the fears you mentioned. But he had no excuse for denying other scientists from making the discovery of the formula. I am telling you, this fellow was a wash-out on all levels.