BLACK MAGIC

US Release date: 19 August 1949

First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 13 May 1950

Genre: Crime

Country: USA

Running time: 105 minutes.

Director:  Gregory Ratoff

Cast: Orson Welles, Nancy Guild & Akim Tamiroff 

Australian Distributor: United Artists

Melbourne Premiere Venue: Hoyts Lyceum Theatre for two weeks from 24 March 1950 with Guns of Hate as support 

Suburban Release Type: Hoyts Memorial 8-W-1

Rankings

Rank
EF Points100204
EF PPE2.56208
Metres Travelled381,576252
Average MT9,784278
Engagements39237
Slots41269
Weeks2238
Weeks as % of engagements5.13%265
Saturdays3525
Sats as % of engagements89.74%1
Tuesdays2317
Tues as % of engagements5.13%337
First billed5188
Second billed34101
Feature only034*
*Last

Hoyts ratios

Engagements weeks 1-1039
Ratio100.00%
Difference to chain ratio7.64%
Eng weeks 11-260
Ratio0.00%
Difference to chain ratio-5.39%
Eng weeks 27-520
Ratio0.00%
Difference to chain ratio-2.24%
Hoyts eng31
Ratio79.49%
Difference to chain ratio13.71%
Independent eng1
Ratio2.56%
Difference to chain ratio-8.94%
Suburban eng7
Ratio17.95%
Difference to chain ratio-4.77%

NOTES: Orson Welles had a lot of fun as Cagliostro and audiences would have been entertained by this impressively designed and told costume noir that accompanied Ma and Pa Kettle on its suburban run. Its five first bills were with other features. All done after week eight, Black Magic was top ranked for Saturday nights as a percentage of its total engagements (89.74%). Only a small number of engagements outside Hoyts.

Black Magic engagements

SUBURBVENUECHAINDATEWDBCO-FEATURE
Albert ParkParkHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
FitzroyRegentHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
North FitzroyMerriHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
Port MelbourneEclipseHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
PrahranEmpressHoyts13/5/501S1Free For All
RichmondCinemaHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
South YarraRegentHoyts13/5/501S2Ma and Pa Kettle
St.KildaMemorialHoyts13/5/501W1The Big Fight
Ascot ValeAscotSuburban20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
NorthcoteNorthcoteSuburban20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
Ascot ValeWaratahHoyts20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
Brighton CentreHoyts20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
BrunswickAlhambraHoyts20/5/502S1Free For All
ElsternwickRenownHoyts20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
EssendonCircleHoyts20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
ThornburyRegentHoyts20/5/502S2Ma and Pa Kettle
RichmondGlobeSuburban20/5/502T2Ma and Pa Kettle
EssendonPlazaHoyts20/5/502T2Ma and Pa Kettle
CoburgGrandHoyts20/5/502W2Ma and Pa Kettle
BalwynTimeHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
BentleighBentleighHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
CamberwellBroadwayHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
CarnegieCarnegieHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
FootscrayBarklyHoyts27/5/503S1Free For All
GardinerRegentHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
GlenferriePalaceHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
HamptonSouthernHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
KewRialtoHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
PrestonCircleHoyts27/5/503S2Ma and Pa Kettle
HartwellRegalSuburban3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
North FitzroyPalaceSuburban3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
BrunswickLygonHoyts3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
CanterburyMalingHoyts3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
IvanhoeIvanhoeHoyts3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
MalvernVictoryHoyts3/6/504S2Ma and Pa Kettle
YarravilleSt. GeorgeSuburban10/6/505S2Ma and Pa Kettle
WilliamstownShoreHoyts10/6/505S2Ma and Pa Kettle
Box HillRialtoSuburban24/6/507S2Ma and Pa Kettle
North MelbourneLocoIndependent1/7/508S1Cover Up

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