"Houdini" is a biopic of the magician and escapologist Harry Houdini, played here by Tony Curtis. Janet Leigh, the real life Mrs Curtis, plays Mrs Houdini; this was one of five movies they made together during their eleven-year marriage. Curtis bore little physical resemblance to the great magician, but may have been cast in the role because of their shared ethnic roots; both were of Hungarian-Jewish origins. By an odd coincidence Houdini's real surname was Weiss (German for "white") and Curtis's was Schwarz (German for "black"). Or perhaps the coincidence is not so odd; both surnames are common ones among Jews from the former Habsburg Empire. (It is said that the Jewish community did not have surnames until they were assigned by German-speaking officials; in some areas the surname Weiss was given to all blonde individuals and Schwarz to all dark ones).
Like many Hollywood biographical films, this one plays fast and loose with the facts of its subject's life. In particular the film shows Houdini dying on stage after an escape stunt, the "Chinese Water Torture Cell", goes wrong, whereas in reality his death was attributed to appendicitis, although there have been persistent rumours that he was murdered. (The film does, however, get the date of his death right; he did indeed die on October 31st, Halloween, as shown here). The Torture Cell is said to have been invented by a German magician named Johann von Schweger, who is a great influence on Houdini's life although the two never meet. In reality Houdini invented the Torture Cell escape himself and von Schweger is a fictitious character.
Yet when film-makers alter the facts of an individual's life they generally do so for a reason. Filmed biographies are not just a compendium of facts about a person; they are designed to entertain as well as to instruct, and therefore need to give their stories a structure comparable to that of a work of fiction. Houdini is portrayed not just as a historical individual who achieved certain things in his life but as a tragic hero, a man who rises from humble beginnings to a position of great fame but who is destroyed by his own hubris.
The early scenes, which deal with Houdini's courtship of and marriage to his wife Bess, are gentle in tone and reminiscent of a romantic comedy. At this period of his life he is a struggling young magician, but at Bess's insistence gives up this life for a job in a locksmith's workshop. The lure of magic, however, proves too strong, and Houdini eventually returns to his old life. He incorporates escapology into his act, and proves to be a great success, especially on a tour of Europe. He returns to America where his success continues, but he finds that he is forced to perform increasingly dangerous stunts, partly in order to hold the interest of the public and partly to giver himself fresh challenges to overcome. The later scenes have a markedly darker, more serious tone. After the death of his mother, and an incident in which an escape goes wrong and he nearly drowns in the frozen Detroit River, he abandons his act in order to pursue a campaign against fraudulent mediums. Returning to the stage after an absence of two years, he succumbs to the temptation, and pressure from the audience, to perform the fatal Torture Cell stunt, despite Bess's passionate opposition.
The film was directed by George Marshall, not a particularly well-known name today although a few of his films, such as "Destry Rides Again", "The Blue Dahlia" and his contribution to "How the West Was Won", are still remembered. "Houdini" was in many ways a difficult film to direct. For much of its length it is a relatively light-hearted success story, and yet it ends tragically. It could easily have turned into a broken- backed "film of two halves" with little connection between its comic opening and its tragic ending, but Marshall achieves the difficult task of making the various episodes seem like a coherent whole. In this he is assisted by a good performance from Curtis, who makes Harry Houdini a very likable individual while at the same time revealing something of a darker side to his character. The make-up department also deserves credit for making Curtis, only 28 at the time, look convincingly older in the later scenes. (Houdini was 52 at the time of his death). I must say, however, that Janet Leigh does not seem to age in the same way. "Houdini" is not a particularly deep or significant film, but it is a well-made and enjoyable one. 7/10
Like many Hollywood biographical films, this one plays fast and loose with the facts of its subject's life. In particular the film shows Houdini dying on stage after an escape stunt, the "Chinese Water Torture Cell", goes wrong, whereas in reality his death was attributed to appendicitis, although there have been persistent rumours that he was murdered. (The film does, however, get the date of his death right; he did indeed die on October 31st, Halloween, as shown here). The Torture Cell is said to have been invented by a German magician named Johann von Schweger, who is a great influence on Houdini's life although the two never meet. In reality Houdini invented the Torture Cell escape himself and von Schweger is a fictitious character.
Yet when film-makers alter the facts of an individual's life they generally do so for a reason. Filmed biographies are not just a compendium of facts about a person; they are designed to entertain as well as to instruct, and therefore need to give their stories a structure comparable to that of a work of fiction. Houdini is portrayed not just as a historical individual who achieved certain things in his life but as a tragic hero, a man who rises from humble beginnings to a position of great fame but who is destroyed by his own hubris.
The early scenes, which deal with Houdini's courtship of and marriage to his wife Bess, are gentle in tone and reminiscent of a romantic comedy. At this period of his life he is a struggling young magician, but at Bess's insistence gives up this life for a job in a locksmith's workshop. The lure of magic, however, proves too strong, and Houdini eventually returns to his old life. He incorporates escapology into his act, and proves to be a great success, especially on a tour of Europe. He returns to America where his success continues, but he finds that he is forced to perform increasingly dangerous stunts, partly in order to hold the interest of the public and partly to giver himself fresh challenges to overcome. The later scenes have a markedly darker, more serious tone. After the death of his mother, and an incident in which an escape goes wrong and he nearly drowns in the frozen Detroit River, he abandons his act in order to pursue a campaign against fraudulent mediums. Returning to the stage after an absence of two years, he succumbs to the temptation, and pressure from the audience, to perform the fatal Torture Cell stunt, despite Bess's passionate opposition.
The film was directed by George Marshall, not a particularly well-known name today although a few of his films, such as "Destry Rides Again", "The Blue Dahlia" and his contribution to "How the West Was Won", are still remembered. "Houdini" was in many ways a difficult film to direct. For much of its length it is a relatively light-hearted success story, and yet it ends tragically. It could easily have turned into a broken- backed "film of two halves" with little connection between its comic opening and its tragic ending, but Marshall achieves the difficult task of making the various episodes seem like a coherent whole. In this he is assisted by a good performance from Curtis, who makes Harry Houdini a very likable individual while at the same time revealing something of a darker side to his character. The make-up department also deserves credit for making Curtis, only 28 at the time, look convincingly older in the later scenes. (Houdini was 52 at the time of his death). I must say, however, that Janet Leigh does not seem to age in the same way. "Houdini" is not a particularly deep or significant film, but it is a well-made and enjoyable one. 7/10