, ▁Jr . ▁( R ay mond ▁B urr ) ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Joseph ▁B als amo ▁( Or son ▁W elles ) ▁a ka ▁C agli ost ro . ▁Through ▁flash back s ▁we ▁learn ▁that ▁B als amo ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁gy ps y ▁boy ▁who ▁end ured ▁much ▁hard ship . ▁He ▁was ▁tort ured ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Vis count ▁de ▁Mont agne ▁( Ste phen ▁Bek ass y ) ▁and ▁his ▁parents ▁were ▁ordered ▁to ▁hang . ▁He ▁was ▁res cu ed ▁by ▁some ▁gy ps ies ▁led ▁by ▁Git ano ▁and ▁swe ars ▁reven ge ▁on ▁de ▁Mont agne . ▁ ▁Some ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁lear ns ▁the ▁secre ts ▁of ▁hyp nos is ▁from ▁Dr . ▁Mes mer ▁( Char les ▁Gold ner ). ▁Ign oring ▁the ▁doctor ' s ▁advice ▁that ▁he ▁use ▁his ▁powers ▁for ▁he aling , ▁he ▁explo its ▁his ▁new ▁talent ▁to ▁the ▁full , ▁gain ing ▁wealth , ▁fame ▁and ▁prest ige . ▁After ▁changing ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Count ▁C agli ost ro , ▁he ▁becomes ▁famous ▁throughout ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Things ▁begin ▁to ▁go ▁down hill ▁when ▁he ▁enters ▁a ▁plot ▁to ▁substitute ▁a ▁young ▁girl ▁called ▁Lor enza ▁( N ancy ▁Gu ild ) ▁for ▁Queen ▁Marie ▁Anto in ette ▁along ▁with ▁gy ps ies ▁Git ano ▁( A kim ▁Tam iro ff ) ▁and ▁Z ora ida ▁( Val ent ina ▁Cort ese ). ▁The ▁plot ▁is ▁organ ised ▁by ▁de ▁Mont agne ▁in ▁association ▁with