Magic in the Moonlight

Magic in the Moonlight

Stanley

Wei Ling Soo's Assistant

Wei Ling Soo's Assistant

Wei Ling Soo's Assistant

Stage Manager

Backstage Fan

Backstage Fan

Backstage Fan

Howard Burkan

Cabaret Singer

Olivia

Aunt Vanessa

Caroline

George

Brice Catledge

Butler

Mrs. Baker

Grace Catledge

Jazz Musician

Jazz Musician

Jazz Musician

Jazz Musician

Jazz Musician

Jazz Musician

Reporter

Reporter

Reporter

Reporter

Reporter

Doctor

Gypsy (uncredited)

Stanley's onstage persona of Wei Ling Soo is a reference to the magician Chung Ling Soo. Chung Ling Soo was the stage name of William Ellsworth Robinson (1861-1918) and was a popular magician in the U.S. and Europe for many years. Like Stanley, Chung Ling Soo was also known for trying to debunk spiritualists, even writing a book about it in 1898. A major difference this movie makes from its inspiration, however, is how careful the men were to protect their Chinese personas. In the movie, it seems as though people are rather aware of Stanley's role as Wei Ling Soo; in reality, Robinson was very careful to protect against the public's knowledge of who Chung Ling Soo really was. (This protection of Soo's character was a major point in the movie The Prestige (2006).)

Woody Allen's fourth film with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, after Manhattan (1979), Anything Else (2003) and Blue Jasmine (2013).

Swiss certificate # 1010.45.

The film is set in 1928, and it appears to be summer, but a piece of the music in the magic show in the beginning is Ravel's "Bolero", which had its premier on 22 November at the Paris Opera.

In the first scene, the Chinese wordings on the backdrop on stage of Wei Ling Soo's performance are simplified Chinese characters, which not introduced until 1935 and were not officially used in mainland China until the mid-'50s.

When Aunt Vanessa gets out of the hospital and is back home, she and Stanley have a serious conversation that makes Stanley realize he is in love with Sophie. In that scene, Stanley's tie knot has the stripes in certain position. He immediately drives to meet Sophie and declare his love for her and we see the stripes of his tie knot in a completely different position. And then he drives back to his aunt's house and we see the stripes of his tie knot in a third position.

George: I'd say he has a classic neurotic personality disorder. Brilliant parents who didn't get along, closer to his aunt than his mother, obsessed with mortality, believes in nothing, finds life to have no meaning. Just a perfect depressive, with everything sublimated into his art, and he is quite an artist. He began as an escape artist. Interesting choice if anyone ever wanted to escape from reality. But, like Freud, he will not permit himself to be seduced by childish thoughts just because they're more comforting. Very unhappy man. I like him.

Stanley: You're born, you commit no crime, and then you're sentenced to death.

Stanley: When the heart rules the head, disaster follows.