The Unexplained

A collector of silent film memorabilia asked me at Hollywood party if I would like to have for my collection a prop object from the 1924 silent film “The Arab”, staring Ramon Novarro? Confused, I’d asked him why he’d want to give it to me? “Because I’m Christian and learned item I’d collected as being in “The Arab” had been in the occult collection of a man named Gardner, because it had once belonged to infamous black magician Aleister Crowley; Gardner claimed Crowley had given it to Novarro when they were introduced on “The Arab” film set.  Crowley had convinced Ramon what Aleister had used the object ceremonially for would empower acting skill with a ‘hypnotic realism’! I immediately removed it from my film collection, but kept it I guess for opportunity like this to be preserved by you!”

In 1971, after being given the Crowley/Novarro item, I’d found in research the two men had met in 1924 through Crowley’s second wife, Maria Sanchez! My research had shown that many in both the world of occult and movie magic believed this knife and sash had empowered Novarro’s acting; but at the same time had cursed his personal life, which was filled with tragedy right down to his murder in 1968!