Harry houdini was born in budapest, his real name was weisz erik eric weisz. Janet leigh, his wife in real life then, was outstanding as bess houdini and the sparks between them show on this film. The great american escape artist and magician houdini immortalized by a memorable performance by tony curtis in the eponymous 1953 film was born erich weiss on march 24, 1874 in budapest, hungary, though he often gave his birthplace as appleton, wisconsin, where he was raised. Even if it takes extreme liberties with the truth houdini is perhaps the right kind of movie tribute to the greatest magician of them all, magic. In 2015, houdini best lost film, the grim game, was restored by tcm. Houdini, a 2014 play about the life of the brothers houdini disambiguation page providing links to topics that could be referred to by the same search term this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title houdini. With tony curtis, janet leigh, torin thatcher, angela clarke. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the us and then as harry handcuff houdini on a tour of europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up.
Tony curtis and janet leigh fell in love in real life during the making of this movie. Tony curtis and janet leigh star in the fantastic biopic about the life of famous illusionist harry houdini. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the worlds most captivating magician and escape. Houdini s brother theo hardeen starred in a 1937 vitaphone short called medium well done. Tony curtis played him in a movie, adrien brody on tvs history channel. This enjoyable, highspirited movie is a vintage curtis leigh love story. From his beginnings as a wild man carnival act to the internationally famous feat of escaping from a locked trunk in an icejammed river, houdini effectively captures the amazing life and courage of this fascinating man. Houdini 1953 while working as a coney island entertainer, harry houdini tony curtis meets and falls madly in love with bess janet leigh. The two quickly marry, and with her at his side, the magician begins his rise to fame as the worlds greatest escape artist and magician. Harry houdini simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Kevin connolly over at houdini himself replied to my post that described two different endings with the following comment i havent read the script in a very, very long time, but i seem to remember that there was a third ending. Today most of houdini s movies are available on dvd and streaming. Below is an original 1953 press photo i recently acquired of a magician performing a straitjacket escape to promote the release of the tony curtis houdini movie in front of the paramount theater click on the link below to find out who the magician is and to read the published text that went with the press photo. Houdini, a 1998 biographical telefilm about harry houdini.
Tony curtis was the proper person to play harry houdini when this movie was made. This was a very popular movie and tony curtis does a great job in the role, even though there is a lot of deviation from the real harry. This page celebrates the 1953 film, houdini, starring tony curtis and janet leigh. While working as a coney island entertainer, harry houdini tony curtis meets and falls madly in love with bess janet leigh. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at.
Interestingly, his films covered a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. This highly fanciful but immensely entertaining biopic stars tony curtis as legendary magicianescapeartist harry houdini. Curtis himself admits that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the school of hard knocks and learned from a young age that the only person who ever had his back was himself, so he. Tony curtis gives one of his careerbest performances and the chemistry between curtis and leigh is terrific. In 1953 there was a popular but fictionalized movie houdini tony curtis as houdini. Few magicians are as renowned as escape artist harry houdini, and this biopic which stars tony curtis as houdini and janet leigh as his wife. The two quickly marry, and with her at his side, the magician begins. The film is bundled with 1969s those daring young men in their jaunty jalopies. See who they starred with and what they are working on now. Still, the movie is a marvelous dose of entertainment and the sets are superb, there is a great veteran supporting cast and the screenplay is well written. Houdini 1953 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Houdini is a colorful 1953 biopic film that follows the life of magician and escape artist harry houdini tony curtis.
To get publicity, houdini played by tony curtis dangled from a flagpole upside down while escaping from a straight jacket. A biography of the renowned escape artist harry houdini, examining his fascination with the occult and his promise to his wife on her deathbed that he would speak from the beyond. Houdini, starring tony curtis as the eternally famous escape artist, still remains the best of all the films about this american magician icon. Houdini, a 1993 sludge metal album by the melvins harry houdini song, a 1988 song by canadian band kon kan. Houdini rereleased as tony curtis double feature dvd legend films has released a new dvd version of the 1953 film houdini as part of a special tony curtis double feature. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the worlds most captivating. This delightful film will bring enjoyment to legions of fans of old like myself as well as a cursory enlightenment of harry houdini for newer generations. The films screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist harry houdini, is by philip yordan, based on the book houdini by harold kellock. Harry houdini 18741926 the great american escape artist and magician houdini immortalized by a memorable performance by tony curtis in the eponymous 1953 film was born erich weiss on march 24, 1874 in budapest, hungary, though he often gave his birthplace as appleton. Beatrice houdini appeared as herself in a 1938 film called religious racketeers.
Houdinis most dangerous trick 8 minutes underwater duration. It needs a dvd polish and presentation of extras with trailers and perhaps some interviews. Sep 28, 2012 tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the worlds most captivating magician and escape artist. Legendary magician dorothy dietrich performing the straight jacket escape in scranton nov 1st 20 duration.
Harry houdinis watch for sale at midtown jewelry store. Tony curtis, nearing his eighties, still speaks hungarian fluently. Dec 18, 2010 the most famous houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh. Tony curtis was born bernard schwartz, the eldest of three children of helen klein and emanuel schwartz, jewish immigrants from hungary. Four years ago, i was fortunate enough to see all of the special collection photographs for paramounts 1953 movie houdini starring tony. Houdini 1953 original trailer tony curtis, janet leigh, torin. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdini s wife. While houdini is almost entirely a work of fiction, it does capture the glamor, drama, and danger of harry houdini in a way that i think would have made the master mystifier proud. In the 1965 movie the great race, the publicity seeking the great leslie, also played by tony curtis, dangles upside down from a balloon while escaping from a straight jacket.
There was no way i would spend the money for one of those, not that i wouldnt love the posters, but the houdini movie poster from 1953 was a fraction of the cost. As i try to remember it, i think it was just bess janet leigh at the end by herself and houdini has been dead for a while. Houdini george marshall, tony curtis, janet leigh, torin. A while back i saw a houdini movie poster similar to the one pictured above on the right and thought that this was a cool poster. It follows his evolution from sideshow performer to celebrated and famous. Houdini, a 2014 television miniseries about harry houdini. Houdini was involved in cinema almost from the start of the medium and his own career. Opening and the first meeting of the title character character tony curtis and the leading lady janet leigh, curtis wife, from the george palproduced biopic, houdini, 1953. Houdini s first exhibited film appears to have been a short called houdini defeats hackenschmidt. Houdini 1953 you might think this is an odd pairing in an odd biopic, tony curtis as the brilliant escape artist and janet leigh as his assistant and wife. Curtis through was revered as a talented actor all through, reached the pinnacle of success during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1965, tony curtis was animated in an episode of the flintstones.
The most famous houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh. Rent houdini 1953 starring tony curtis and janet leigh on dvd and bluray. The spectacular but tragically short career of magician and illusionist harry houdini whose tricks defied explanation and safety. Houdini starred tony curtis and janet leigh as harry and bess houdini. The great houdini, a 1976 biographical telefilm about harry houdini. Four years ago, i was fortunate enough to see all of the special collection photographs for paramounts 1953 movie houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh at the margaret herrick library. Its also noteworthy in the films attempts at duplicating some of harry houdinis great escapes. Houdini is a 1953 american technicolor film biography from paramount pictures, produced by george pal and berman swarttz, directed by george marshall, that stars then husbandandwife tony curtis and janet leigh. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdini s wife bess, while angela clarke is seen as houdini s mother.
What an odd coincidence, just in case you didnt know it. March 24, 1874 october 31, 1926 was a hungarianborn american illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. Houdini, starring tony curtis and janet leigh family friendly movies. It would be interesting to hear from tony curtis about this film after all these years. June 3, 1925 september 29, 2010 was an american film actor whose career spanned six decades but who achieved the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. But as the escapes get more and more dangerous, bess worries that harry may be taking his act too far. Curtis looks like and is built like houdini which adds to the enjoyability of the picture. Thanks to the support of an astute sound track, the acting genius of tony curtis, and the formidable actors torin thatcher as the devoted servant, and ian wolfe as the wise old entrepreneur, this film momentarily yet effectively captures the eerie spinetingling atmosphere of. The films screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist harry. Az eletrajzi film vegigkoveti houdini palyajat a gyermekkortol kezdve a vilag szinpadain. Starting in 1906, he filmed many of his outdoor escapes and showed them at the start of his vaudeville act. Tony curtis and janet leigh star in this film biography of the great magician harry houdini curtis, spanning the years from age 21 to his death. Houdini is available on dvd now tony curtis and janet leigh star in the fantastic biopic about the life of famous illusionist harry houdini. Dunninger receives a lavish credit as technical advisor, but according to tony curtis, the true technical advisor on the film was george boston.
Houdini 1953, the black shield of falworth 1954, the vikings 1958, the perfect furlough 1958, and who was that lady. The fictitious screen biography starring tony curtis as master magician and escape artist harry houdini begins when he is 21 years old and trying to make ends meet by performing as a wild man in. Apr, 2019 a biography of the renowned escape artist harry houdini, examining his fascination with the occult and his promise to his wife on her deathbed that he would speak from the beyond. Harry houdini son of ali baba 1952 kashma baba no room for the groom 1952 alvah morrell flesh and fury 1952 paul callan the prince who was a thief 1951 julna. At their first london gig, tony curtis title character and janet leigh curtis wife, playing houdini s wife bess catch a challenge from a cocky brit michael pate, obliged by a policeman barry bernard, in houdini, 1953. Janet leigh and tony curtis had appeared together in five films.
Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the world s most captivating magician and escape artist. Tony curtis was an iconic american actor who did more than a hundred films in his career spanning six decades. Did his hotshot disappearing act at the turn of the century. The image of houdini dying while attempting to escape from a water tank in the popular movies has overshadowed the real cause of death.