The spectacular but tragically short career of magician and illusionist harry houdini whose tricks defied explanation and safety. The most famous houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh. The carriage is seen coming up the street toward an arched bridge spanning a canal. Rent houdini 1953 starring tony curtis and janet leigh on dvd and bluray. The film follows houdinis progress from sideshow entertainer to highpriced prestidigitator, and also touches upon his fascination with the occult. Houdini, starring tony curtis as the eternally famous escape artist, still remains the best of all the films about this american magician icon. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to finish once started. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdini s wife bess, while angela clarke is seen as houdini s mother. Houdini george marshall, tony curtis, janet leigh, torin. If you are a houdini fan or a tony curtis fan, do yourself a favor and watch this great movie. The spectacular but tragically short career of magician and illusionist. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdinis wife bess, while angela clarke is seen as houdinis mother. This enjoyable, highspirited movie is a vintage curtis leigh love story. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at.
June 3, 1925 september 29, 2010 was an american movie actor. 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. In his later years, curtis made numerous television appearances. This is the famous clip from the 1953 houdini movie starring tony curtis. Partially factbased account of legendary escape artist, harry houdini. Tony curtis was born bernard schwartz, the eldest of three children of helen klein and emanuel schwartz, jewish immigrants from hungary.
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. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the world s most captivating. It concentrates on more of the positive aspects of houdinis life, rather. 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 learned how to take care of both himself and. A large group of people are standing on the bridge and on both sides of the canal. The great houdini tv movie 1976 the great houdini tv. So iconic was this ending that for many years lay people thought that was the way houdini actually died. Oct 01, 2010 tony curtis, a classically handsome movie star who came out of the hollywood studio system in the 1950s to find both wide popularity and critical acclaim in dramatic and comic roles alike, from.
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, 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. Every famous magician from davvid copperfield, to criss angel to dixie dooley has seen this movie and been inspired by it. This is the movie that to me shows tony curtis at his best.
Jan 07, 2009 this is the famous clip from the 1953 houdini movie starring tony curtis. Janet leigh, his wife in real life then, was outstanding as bess houdini and the sparks between them show on this film. Interestingly, his films covered a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. Tony curtiss piercing blue eyes and good looks gained him a great deal of attention at a young age. I love this movie and probably have watched it 15 times in my life, and i never get tired of watching it. One thing not generally known is that the great houdinis was in a race with a rival houdini movie at nbc called the heart is quicker than the eye. This was a very popular movie and tony curtis does a great job in the role, even though there is a lot of. In fact the whole movie is kind of airy, even when the young couple struggles to. Tony curtis s spectacular body of screen work consists of more than 140 films with starring roles in classics like spartacus, houdini, operation petticoat and sweet smell of sucess. Tony curtiss spectacular body of screen work consists of more than 140 films with starring roles in classics like spartacus, houdini, operation petticoat and. What, so now you want to know what the movie s about. We can see that the water in the canal is completely frozen over.
The houdini movie with tony curtis shows a different end to houdinis life. Dec 18, 2010 the most famous houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh. The cgi effects were great for showing how each trick was done, as well as the damage done by the punches he took to the abdomen. This and the tony curtis movie really gave me the basis for who harry was and got me to begin to work on escapology. 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.
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. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the worlds most captivating magician and. This highly fanciful but immensely entertaining biopic stars tony curtis as legendary magicianescapeartist harry houdini. Most people recall houdini as the subject of the film of that name starring tony curtis. For me it all began in 1963, when i was first entranced by that mistress who would forever marshal my future magic. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdinis wife bess. 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 gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the worlds most captivating magician and escape artist. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling. While working as a coney island entertainer, harry houdini tony curtis meets and falls madly in love with bess janet. 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. Houdini is mounted as a lavish magic show within a movie. Nov 07, 20 the houdini movie with tony curtis shows a different end to houdinis life. The film follows houdini s progress from sideshow entertainer to highpriced prestidigitator, and also touches upon his fascination with the occultand his efforts to expose phony mediums. It was then, at 10 years old, half a century ago that i saw the tony curtis movie houdini, the film was released the year i was born, 1953. This was right around the time i began to learn about houdini too.
Just a heads up that houdini 1953 starring tony curtis and janet leigh is now streaming free in hd on plutotv. Tony curtis was the proper person to play harry houdini when this movie was made. Click on any watch link source below to watch the great houdini movie online or download for free. The movie chronicles his beginnings as an illusionist in new york city, his quick courtship and marriage to wife bess leigh, and his subsequent trip to europe where his escape artistry brought him. I dont have a clue what houdini was like in person, but there is a suspicion while watching that curtis keeps it all a little light and breezy. One can imagine jamie lee curtis watching this movie along side you as the story of harry houdini comes alive and memories of tony curtis and his then wife who was yet to do alfred hitchcocks psycho in their youth either return, or are brought to light. Tony curtis full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. From his beginnings as a wildman carnival act to the internationally famous feat of escaping from a locked trunk in an icejammed river, houdini effectively captures the. Tony curtis, a classically handsome movie star who came out of the hollywood studio system in the 1950s to find both wide popularity and critical acclaim in.
Rodney dangerfield at his best on the tonight show starring johnny carson 1983 duration. Its a good movie, but it has too many fictional devices in the plot some good, some inexplicable to make it a reliable guide to the life of the man. The films screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist harry houdini. With tony curtis, janet leigh, torin thatcher, angela clarke. Tony curtis was an iconic american actor who did more than a hundred films in his career spanning six decades. These things, combined with the historical accuracy of the film make it a vast improvement over the old tony curtis film. In fact the whole movie is kind of airy, even when the young couple struggles to get their lives going. At long last available on dvd, houdini is old fashioned movie magic thats no. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdini s wife. Tony curtis simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The great magician, escapist and mysteriarch, harry houdini 18741926, lived such a storied life that it is impossible to capture any semblance of it in the fleeting medium of the feature film.
Curtis symbolizes the golden age of hollywood and is legendary for his good looks, smooth charm and dashing and debonair style. The chemistry and timing between janet leigh and tony curtis makes this movie believable. Curtis through was revered as a talented actor all through, reached the pinnacle of success during the 1950s and 1960s. The movie chronicles his beginnings as an illusionist in new york city, his quick courtship and marriage to wife bess leigh, and his subsequent trip to europe where his escape artistry brought. He was most popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The films screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist harry. Houdini, tony curtis, janet leigh, vhs 97360522334 ebay. Houdini 1953 original trailer tony curtis, janet leigh, torin. Movie, houdini movie,houdini trailer,houdini 1953, george. He is famous for his light comic roles, especially his musician escaping from gangsters in some like it hot 1959. Watch houdini online free movie streaming 2014 video online watch houdini full movie megashare houdini full movie watch online free houdini full movie 20 part 1 houdini full movie putlocker.
To this day, houdini remains one of star tony curtis most well remembered. 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. Houdini, starring tony curtis and janet leigh family friendly movies. 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. Curtis looks like and is built like houdini which adds to the enjoyability of the picture. It was during the straightjacket escape that i decide magic would be my calling. While working as a coney island entertainer, harry houdini tony curtis meets and falls madly in love with bess janet leigh. Houdini 1953 george marshall synopsis, characteristics. The two quickly marry, and with her at his side, the magician begins. Curtis is a true star already, and he is his usual charming self. That film was written by jean holloway and was being produced by playboy productions. The nbc project got the jump by announcing a start date of march 15, 1976. 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. Janet leigh, tony curtis, torin thatcher, angela clarke, stefan schnabel.
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