Houdini

By the early 1900s, the extraordinary Houdini earned an international reputation for his theatrical tricks and daring feats of extrication from shackles, ropes, handcuffs, and Scotland Yard's jails...

The film depicts Houdini's memorable escape from any pair of handcuffs produced by the audience; the outdoor exhibition, when he allows himself to be hanged upside down from his ankles, suspended from the roof of a high building, in a strait jacket; and, the dramatic act, when he accepts to be shackled with irons and placed in a box that is locked, roped, and submerged in frozen waters...

The film also exposes Houdini's campaign against mind readers, fraudulent mediums and others who claim supernatural powers... Houdini shows a passionate talent for escapology and the film did much to create the 'Water Torture Cell' illusion...

With his pretty-boy looks, Tony Curtis handles the title role with passionate skill... His energetic performance, as the talented and motivated magician, is very good...

With good period atmosphere, but with more attention to romance than to interesting detail, the film is quite enjoyable and colorful...

Janet Leigh does a great job as Houdini's faithful wife...

'Houdini' was partly seen because Harry Houdini was a very interesting man and his life, cut short too early in tragic circumstances from peritonitis/complications from a ruptured appendix (although it is also believed it was caused by being punched in the abdomen), even more fascinating.

Found myself quite by accident seeing a number of Tony Curtis films and it's turned into something of a quest. It is interesting to see Curtis and then-wife Janet Leigh together on film, and 'Houdini' is the first of five pairings. It certainly serves them well and one can see what the appeal is. While 'Houdini' is very well made and entertaining on its own as a film, the man himself and his life, of which the film is very loosely based upon, are not as well served.

A longer length would have benefitted, so that the script could have gone into more detail and depth with what is presented while also including more. Houdini's life was much more colourful and interesting than this intriguing and fun if slightly "cliff notes" depiction, and with a longer length the film would have been more detailed and not as rushed structurally.

There are also liberties, some of them not hurting the film much but the more dramatic licenses do and distort a bit, especially the over-dramatic ending. Didn't see the point of the change, it would have been more moving if the truth was intact.

On the other hand, Curtis puts a lot of energy and passion to the title role and his performance is one of his best early ones. Leigh is incredibly charming and their romantic chemistry sparkles and moves, one does feel like they're in love. This is something very important, seeing as this is an element of the story that is focused on sizeably. Torin Thatcher is particularly good of the solid supporting cast.

Furthermore, 'Houdini' looks great, the sumptuous period detail and vibrant colours are a feast for the eyes. The story moves efficiently and still remains absorbing and easy to engage and identify with. The script is thoughtful, is a lot of fun and doesn't fall into cloying sentimentality, with elements of Houdini's life that do really intrigue (i.e. Houdini's campaign against anything supernatural) and the stunts/escapes are genuinely awe-inspiring and suspenseful, some edge of your seat stuff there. The characters engage, Houdini is a source of admiration and inspiration, and the direction shows visual and dramatic skill.

Summing up, good but not great, Curtis, Leigh, their chemistry, the visuals and stunts make it a worthwhile watch. 7/10 Bethany Cox

If it wasn't for the movies and the books on Harry Houdini's life he would fall into a category of un-interesting performers who only could do one thing perform

He lived in a time where his talents were in great demand and despite the fact that this film is not accurate it is lovingly presented by Paramount a **Color Film** in a time where Black and White films were still commonplace, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh at the peak of their building careers and George Marshall a veteran director of close to 120 films

They knew what they were doing when the movie partially fictionalized Houdini's life possibly because he was a one note person, a magician, an escape artist, a performer

The movie is excellent!! and that is all that matters, if I am not mistaken almost every remake has fictionalized his life in one way or another, this movie is a true gem!!

..since he is and has been an amateur magician, Curtis was perfect to portray Houdini, the master magician and above all.. the master escape artist! A beautiful technicolor film that has the atmosphere of vaudeville and showbiz of the day, it invokes the mystery of the great showman's lifestyle and his unusual death on Halloween. Janet Leigh,as Houdini's wife, Bess, adds to the fun... and for those that love magic and magicians, this will satisfy you. The early life, the escapes from ropes, chains and jail cells the world-over, from the icy waters of rivers and lakes, it is all here. Slicked up naturally not so much to educate us, but to entertain.. ...!

Tony Curtis is almost always good in whomever he plays, and he was fascinating in here as the famous magician "Harry Houdini." Curtis had a number of good roles in his prime. Speaking of "prime," Janet Leigh didn't look too bad in her prime, either: a very pretty lady.

I don't know how accurate this biography was, but I do know that this movie should have been longer. I usually say the opposite about films, but in this case, I would like to have seen more details about his life and death. His failure to communicate with dead - Houdini's misguided belief - wasn't discussed much.

I guess there were a couple of more modern-day films on Houdini, but they must not have been anything much since I never heard about them. Too bad, because a good re-make of this movie might be something to see.