The Magician's Alms
About The Magician's Alms
A magician packs up after a show, greets the owners, and leaves. He meets a beggar. Instead of a coin he opens his case, takes out a tiny table and chair, and turns them into a full table and an armchair. A small figure from his box becomes a kitchen boy. After the meal he produces a cigar, then turns the beggar into a well-dressed man. Later that man snubs another beggar. The beggar is the magician, testing him. The fine clothes vanish and he is poor again. Alice Guy directed. The French title is La Charité du prestidigitateur.
Cast & crew
More about The Magician's Alms
Société L. Gaumont produced it. Wikidata credits the director as Alice Guy-Blaché. In 1905 she was still Alice Guy. Wikidata times the film at 3 minutes. An Internet Archive identifier is silent-la-charit-du-prestidigitateur.
Themes
Making
Guy stages the charity as a trick that can be taken back: the table, the boy, and the new clothes all come out of the magician’s case.
Preservation
The film survives. A copy is on the Internet Archive.
Notes
- The meal is the gift. The coin is what he refuses to give.
- The second beggar is the same magician, checking what the man does with the luck.
- The kitchen boy starts as a figurine in the box.
- The archive slug keeps the French title, with the accent marks dropped.
Scenes
- A miniature table becomes a laid dinner.
- The beggar leaves in a gentleman’s clothes.
- He snubs a beggar and is poor again.
Also available
- Internet Archive (silent-la-charit-du-prestidigitateur)
