Houdini

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This highly fanciful but immensely entertaining biopic stars Tony Curtis as legendary magician/escape-artist Harry Houdini. Janet Leigh, Mrs. Tony Curtis at the time, co-stars as Houdini's wife Bess, while Angela Clarke is seen as Houdini's mother. The film follows Houdini's progress from sideshow entertainer to high-priced prestidigitator, and also touches upon his fascination with the occult--and his efforts to expose phony mediums. Philip Yordan's script (based on a book by Harold Kellock) suggests that virtually every portentous occasion in Houdini's life occurred on Halloween day, including his death from peritonitis in 1926. The facts of Houdini's life seldom get in the way of Yordan's story; while general audiences won't spot too many discrepancies, professional magicians tend to howl with laughter at some of the film's intentional boners. Example: In real life, Houdini's appendix was fatally ruptured by a punch to the stomach; in the film, he injures himself by accidentally bumping into one of his props, the sword-studded "Temple of Benares" trick--which hadn't yet been invented in 1926! Still, it's fun to watch Tony Curtis wriggle his way out of some of Houdini's most baffling escape routines (both Curtis and Janet Leigh were carefully instructed on the set by professional magicians, who swore the stars to secrecy concerning the tricks of the trade). For a more accurate slant on Houdini's life, see the 1976 TV movie The Great Houdinis, starring Paul Michael Glaser and Sally Struthers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • cc

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Tony Curtis - Harry Houdini
       Janet Leigh - Bess Houdini
       Torin Thatcher - Otto
       Angela Clarke - Mrs. Weiss
       Douglas Spencer - Simms
       Ian Wolfe - Malue
       Michael Pate - Dooley
       Connie Gilchrist - Mrs. Schultz
       Malcolm Lee Beggs - Warden
       Frank Orth - White-haired Man
       Barry Bernard - Inspector
       Alec Harford - Assistant

• Director:

  George Marshall

• Producer:

  George Pal

• Screenwriter:

  Philip Yordan

• Book Author:

  Harold Kellock

• Cinematographer:

  Ernest Laszlo

• Composer (Music Score):

  Roy Webb

• Editor:

  George Tomasini

• Art Director:

  Albert Nozaki, Hal Pereira

• Associate Producer:

  Frank Freeman, Jr.

• Set Designer:

  Ray Moyer, Sam Comer

• Costume Designer:

  Edith Head

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Gene Garvin, Harry D. Mills

• Makeup:

  Wally Westmore

• Special Effects:

  Gordon Jennings

• First Assistant Director:

  Michael D. Moore

REVIEW:

• Anyone looking for a credible biography of the great escape artist known as Houdini is well advised to look elsewhere. But those looking for an engaging, if highly fanciful, little bit of Hollywood escapism have come to the right place. Certainly, Houdini gets some of the facts straight -- but it gets at least as many wrong (including the manner in which the man died). In other words, this is another typical Hollywood biopic -- but it's well cast and well executed. Perhaps most importantly, the tricks are presented in a manner that inspires suspense and tension. And the love story, while very much in a typical Hollywood mold, actually holds the viewer's attention. Credit Philip Yordan's screenplay, which while hardly a masterpiece is better than average; credit too George Marshall's astute and careful direction. But most of all credit Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, who at the time were husband and wife, for the charisma and chemistry they bring to their roles. Curtis is a delight, and totally believable as a magician. It's one of his smoothest performances. Leigh is lovely throughout, making a big impression with what is actually a subsidiary role. Neither star is indulging in what one would call great acting -- but they're being exceptionally good at screen performing, and in this kind of film, that makes all the difference. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi