Underplayed Gems

A Touch of Magic (1961)

A Touch of Magic poster
Directed by
Victor D. Solow
Genre
musical film
Country
United States
Runtime
10 min
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A designer daydreams about a 1920s couple who time travel to the Middle Ages. After they escape a wizard and a dragon, the couple then appears in modern cars and a futuristic kitchen before dancing on a cloud.

whimsicaldatedupbeatdreamlikecampycheerfulnostalgicsurreal

What happens

A Touch of Magic (1961) is a cult-classic General Motors sponsored-film short musical. The film begins with a designer at the drawing board, daydreaming about a 1920s couple who travel to the Middle Ages; the Man saves the Woman from a wizard ("an evil charmer") and a dragon, only to abruptly discover that they are all performing for an audience in the 1960s. The film then features the couple courting in General Motors' latest cars. Now married, the Man and Woman next appear in an early 1960s style home of the future with a magical kitchen; they host a housewarming party attended by invisible guests. We last see the couple dancing dreamily on a cloud. The film, which went into the public domain, was produced and directed by Victor D. Solow through MPO Productions. Joseph Moncure March and Edward Eliscu wrote the script and lyrics; Sol Kaplan, the score. It starred dancers Tad Tadlock (real name Thelma Tadlock) and James Mitchell, with the singing voices of Anita Ellis and Ed Kenney. This is one in a series of Populuxe films and events sponsored by General Motors. The series began with the General Motors Futurama exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair, which displayed a vision of the future involving urban sprawl and multilane limited access freeways. GM's later Motorama exhibits continued this theme into the 1960s. A Touch of Magic was the film for the 1961 Motorama. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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