The Mad Genius
A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer. A crippled puppeteer rescues an abused young boy and turns the boy into a great ballet dancer. Complications ensue when, as a young man,…
The Mad Genius
A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer. A crippled puppeteer rescues an abused young boy and turns the boy into a great ballet dancer. Complications ensue when, as a young man, the dancer falls in love with a young woman the puppeteer is also in love with. —Anonymous Club-footed Russian puppeteer Ivan Tsarakov is able to live his frustrated ambition to dance ballet through his protegé, Fedor Ivanoff. Tsarakov makes Fedor the greatest dancer in the world, even providing him with women. When Fedor falls in love with fellow dancer Nana Carlova, however, Tsarakov is convinced she will ruin him as a dancer. Consequently, he encourages the attentions of Count Renaud, hoping he will lure Nana away from Fedor, and when that fails, he fires Nana from the company. Fedor overhears Tsarakov talking to Nana and leaves with her. Together in Paris, the two lovers are happy at first, but as Tsarakov has informed all the ballet companies that Fedor is tied to an exclusive contract with him, Fedor is reduced to work in a cabaret. When Tsarakov's company opens in Paris, Nana begs him to give Fedor his job back. Tsarakov agrees on the condition that Nana leave Fedor for Renaud and she consents. Fedor is once again dancing, but he has become bitter and dictatorial. On opening night, he sees Nana in a box with Renaud and realizes that she still loves him. When he refuses to continue with the dance, Tsarakov threatens to kill him. Just before the curtain rises, ballet master Serge Bankieff, who is crazed by the drugs that Tsarakov supplies, kills Tsarakov. Liberated by Tsarakov's death, Fedor and Nana are reunited. A crippled misogynist puppeteer, Ivan Tsarakov (John Barrymore), is frustrated that he will never dance ballet. He adopts a protégé, Fedor Ivanoff (Frankie Darro as a child, Donald Cook as an adult), whom he makes into the greatest dancer in the world. Fedor falls in love with a ballerina, Nana Carlova (Marian Marsh), but Tsarakov fears that she will ruin Fedor as a dancer and endanger his control over Fedor. He tries to separate them and ultimately fires Nana from the ballet troupe. Fedor runs away with Nana to Paris, and the couple are very happy together, but soon realize Fedor can't find employment because Tsarakov has blacklisted him: He cannot get ballet jobs and is reduced to working in a demeaning cabaret show. Fedor becomes depressed. When Tsarakov is in Paris, Nana begs him to bring him back. Tsarakov will, if Nana leaves Fedor and marries Count Renaud (André Luguet), who is scheduled to leave for Berlin tonight. She agrees. Fedor returns to their rooms and is shocked to find Tsarakov who tells him he has been betrayed by Nana. He becomes embittered by this. During ballet rehearsal, Fedor becomes dictatorial and demands that they open in Berlin instead. As a thoughtful gift, Renaud offers Nana opening night tickets for his ballet. When Fedor sees Nana on opening night, he realizes she still loves him. He then refuses to dance and says he will retire because he still loves her too and realizes he was manipulated by Tsarakov in an effort to destroy their love. Tsarakov threatens to kill him, but the ballet master, Sergei Bankieff (Luis Alberni), under the influence of addictive drugs that he has been providing him, kills Tsarakov. Fedor and Nana are reunited backstage and they kiss. In the film Svengali (1931), released earlier the same year, Barrymore played the title character who controlled the life of a female singer, also played by Marsh.
The Mad Genius
Drama,Horror,Romance
Film Details
A crippled man finds a boy and vows to make him a great dancer. A crippled puppeteer rescues an abused young boy and turns the boy into a great ballet dancer. Complications ensue when, as a young man, the dancer falls in love with a young woman the puppeteer is also in love with.
—Anonymous Club-footed Russian puppeteer Ivan Tsarakov is able to live his frustrated ambition to dance ballet through his protegé, Fedor Ivanoff. Tsarakov makes Fedor the greatest dancer in the world, even providing him with women. When Fedor falls in love with fellow dancer Nana Carlova, however, Tsarakov is convinced she will ruin him as a dancer.
Consequently, he encourages the attentions of Count Renaud, hoping he will lure Nana away from Fedor, and when that fails, he fires Nana from the company. Fedor overhears Tsarakov talking to Nana and leaves with her. Together in Paris, the two lovers are happy at first, but as Tsarakov has informed all the ballet companies that Fedor is tied to an exclusive contract with him, Fedor is reduced to work in a cabaret.
When Tsarakov's company opens in Paris, Nana begs him to give Fedor his job back. Tsarakov agrees on the condition that Nana leave Fedor for Renaud and she consents. Fedor is once again dancing, but he has become bitter and dictatorial.
On opening night, he sees Nana in a box with Renaud and realizes that she still loves him. When he refuses to continue with the dance, Tsarakov threatens to kill him. Just before the curtain rises, ballet master Serge Bankieff, who is crazed by the drugs that Tsarakov supplies, kills Tsarakov.
Liberated by Tsarakov's death, Fedor and Nana are reunited. A crippled misogynist puppeteer, Ivan Tsarakov (John Barrymore), is frustrated that he will never dance ballet. He adopts a protégé, Fedor Ivanoff (Frankie Darro as a child, Donald Cook as an adult), whom he makes into the greatest dancer in the world.
Fedor falls in love with a ballerina, Nana Carlova (Marian Marsh), but Tsarakov fears that she will ruin Fedor as a dancer and endanger his control over Fedor. He tries to separate them and ultimately fires Nana from the ballet troupe. Fedor runs away with Nana to Paris, and the couple are very happy together, but soon realize Fedor can't find employment because Tsarakov has blacklisted him: He cannot get ballet jobs and is reduced to working in a demeaning cabaret show.
Fedor becomes depressed. When Tsarakov is in Paris, Nana begs him to bring him back. Tsarakov will, if Nana leaves Fedor and marries Count Renaud (André Luguet), who is scheduled to leave for Berlin tonight.
She agrees. Fedor returns to their rooms and is shocked to find Tsarakov who tells him he has been betrayed by Nana. He becomes embittered by this.
During ballet rehearsal, Fedor becomes dictatorial and demands that they open in Berlin instead. As a thoughtful gift, Renaud offers Nana opening night tickets for his ballet. When Fedor sees Nana on opening night, he realizes she still loves him.
He then refuses to dance and says he will retire because he still loves her too and realizes he was manipulated by Tsarakov in an effort to destroy their love. Tsarakov threatens to kill him, but the ballet master, Sergei Bankieff (Luis Alberni), under the influence of addictive drugs that he has been providing him, kills Tsarakov. Fedor and Nana are reunited backstage and they kiss.
In the film Svengali (1931), released earlier the same year, Barrymore played the title character who controlled the life of a female singer, also played by Marsh..