Joseph Balsamo, a poor French gypsy with a tragic past, is taken under the wing of Dr. Mesmer who teaches him the secrets of hypnosis. While Balsamo promises the doctor that he will use the power only to help others, he instead abuses his gift in order to steal money and forge a powerful reputation.

Based on Alexandre Dumas’s novel Joseph Balsamo, this lurid thriller sees a young and magnificent Orson Welles shine in the lead performance as a magician and charlatan. Partly ghost-directed by the man himself, Black Magic is an intoxicating tale of power, hypnosis, and revenge.