Houdini (1953)

So much average

Fresh and Exciting

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

A romantic film in colour-popping technicolour about the magic of storytelling and illusionism. Tony Curtis as Houdini... wasn't sure at first but it works with Janet Leigh as his wife - so for star power alone it sells its message.I chose this film on Netflix having heard of Houdini through a Kate Bush song of the same name. Because I know the song quite well, I was kind of comparing the narrative of this film to the narrative of the song as I was watching, and I felt that the two do compliment each other well. So I would definitely recommend listening to Kate's less glossy spin on it after watching this (any excuse, though I'm pretty sure she was watching this when she chose to write the song from the perspective of Houdini's wife, Bess).The real star, in my opinion, was the set design. It does well to keep us under spell of theatricality, and while it's never going to be Moulin Rouge it does hold up well in this department. Janet Leigh wears some wonderful period/showgirl costumes, and Tony Curtis gets ample an oppurtunity show off the fact that he's been working out, so there is eye candy galore.Plot-wise, it's consistent - each scene has a narrative purpose and the screenwriter balances the plight of a showman versus the relationship with his wife well. Some excellent examples of coded suggestivity throughout the first half. The stage tricks are authentic and build suspense well.Overall, a great pick for a Sunday afternoon classic. While this film won't change your life (like Moulin Rouge did for me), it's well made, well produced, interesting enough and you might learn something about the craft of stage-magic.

Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh turn in wonderful performances as Harry and Bess Houdini in "Houdini," a 1953 film. And why shouldn't romance be the centerpiece? Curtis and Leigh were newlyweds and one of the most gorgeous couples in Hollywood.It's an odd thing - photos of Houdini don't show him as being that much of a hunk, but he seems to always be played by them, probably thanks to Curtis. A musical with Hugh Jackman starring is in the works.Undoubtedly the greatest magician of all time, the film touches on some of Houdini's big escapes and magic, his relationship with Bess, of course, and his relationship with his beloved mother. And much of what is shown in the film is true: Houdini did double as the Wild Man in a side show, he did buy a dress belonging to Queen Victoria for his mother and presented her wearing it, he did escape from a London cell, etc. He also worked to debunk spiritualists and, though it isn't shown here, he came into conflict with Arthur Conan Doyle over this.For some reason, the producers decided to change the way Houdini died, though the story of how he died is well known. Go figure.The film is in color, with beautiful costumes, and the stars look marvelous.One thing I've never been able to find out is if he did or did not communicate with Bess from the beyond. Bess said he did and then recanted. In a film I saw, a really old one, the woman playing Bess (or maybe it was Bess, I don't know) stated that she did get the secret code from Harry. Then she was visited by a bishop or higher up from the Catholic church (Bess was Catholic) and she was talked into saying that she never heard from him. So I wonder.Good film, very entertaining, beautiful stars at the peak.

This colorful biography of the famed magician focuses on his later life and career. It is less than factual but that's not a bad thing, as the primary purpose here is to entertain, not necessarily to inform. And it is quite entertaining for the most part, although it tends to become silly as it touches on premonitions and the supernatural. Houdini was best known for his escape routines and many of them are on display here. Curtis performs well in one of his best early roles, bringing a lot of energy and nicely conveying Houdini's passion for his craft. Leigh, who was married to Curtis at the time, is lovely as his devoted wife in their first screen pairing.

As I see, many posting members speak of an ending which portraits his death after an emergency rescue from the torture tank, and one speaks of another in which he lays on the floor, breathing deeply and telling his wife he'd do it again! I also remember in the firstly-mentioned version he unmasks a spiritualist who'd just told him she was his mother and how she used to caress him as a child --- by shouting his mother would never caress him for she believed that should make him a weak child, and also in this same version he performs an escape for the royalty in Hungary, there are also many dialogs in one missing in another. It seems his mother spoke only yidish in one, and for the other one I feel sorry for having watched a Spanish-translated, so I can not tell.Are we talking about two different movies?