Summary advertisement for the movie the outsider starring tony curtis showing curtis as ira hayes standing at a bar, and three scenes from the movie. The films screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist harry houdini. Every famous magician from davvid copperfield, to criss angel to dixie dooley has seen this movie and been inspired by it. The most famous houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh. Movie typography from houdini 1953, directed by george marshall, starring tony curtis, janet leigh, torin thatcher, angela clarke, stefan schnabel. Response from the critics and public was excellent. To get publicity, houdini played by tony curtis dangled from a flagpole upside down while escaping from a straight jacket. Feb 25, 2012 as promised, heres the 1953 movie weve been building up to all week houdini in vivid technicolor majesty. Houdini 1953 allmovie movies and films database movie. Tony curtis gives a winning performance as the great houdini, the struggling circus performer who emerged as the world s most captivating. Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdinis wife bess, while angela clarke is seen as houdinis mother. If we are referring to the first preliminary green screenplay 42352 for the movie houdini starring tony curtis, then the answer is, yes.
Rent houdini 1953 starring tony curtis and janet leigh on dvd and bluray. In the 1965 movie the great race, the publicity seeking the great leslie, also played by tony curtis, dangles upside down from a. Curtiss first dramatic film after a number of years was the boston strangler 1968 playing the title role. Tony curtis s piercing blue eyes and good looks gained him a great deal of attention at a young age. Houdini 1953 the spectacular but tragically short career of magician and illusionist harry houdini whose tricks defied explanation and safety.
Tony curtis at the time, costars as houdini s wife bess, while angela clarke is seen as houdini s mother. Thanks to the hugely popular and largely fictional 1953 film houdini, starring tony curtis, a common myth youll often hear concerning how houdini died is that he drowned failing to escape from a water tank during a performance, having to ultimately be pulled from the tank as depicted in the film. Paul michael glaser, next to curtis, played him on tv in the 1970s. The film follows houdinis progress from sideshow entertainer to highpriced prestidigitator, and also touches upon his fascination with the occultand his efforts to expose phony mediums. 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. Houdini met his untimely death on october 31, 1926, at grace hospital in detroit, michigan. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at. Farewell my concubine a chinese movie by chen kaige, starring leslie cheung and gong li. It was also used in the 1953 movie houdini with tony curtis, who was locked in this same box, which was then lowered into the icy detroit river. Tony curtiss piercing blue eyes and good looks gained him a great deal of attention at a young age. Oct 29, 2017 houdini has kept us in a strait jacket for 91 years, unable to escape his grasp from the grave. 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.
This included the 1953 movie houdini, starring tony curtis and. And in fact the movie keeps pretty close to what is widely known. Houdini movie starring tony curtis and janet leigh 1953. Starring tony curtis and janet leigh as harry houdini and bess houdini. 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.
Houdini history at the history museum at the castle. Houdini, starring tony curtis and janet leigh family friendly movies. Tony curtis the outsider the startling story behind the. Tony curtis was the proper person to play harry houdini when this movie was made.
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. This is the famous clip from the 1953 houdini movie starring tony curtis. Houdini, starring tony curtis as the eternally famous escape artist, still remains the best of all the films about this american magician icon. With tony curtis, janet leigh, torin thatcher, angela clarke. Enjoy a rich lineup of tv shows and movies included with your prime membership. Houdini has kept us in a strait jacket for 91 years, unable to escape his grasp from the grave. Houdini the movie starring tony curtis and janet leigh from the collection of shep hyken. Jan 07, 2009 this is the famous clip from the 1953 houdini movie starring tony curtis. It concentrates on more of the positive aspects of.
Starring a young tony curtis as houdini, and janet leigh as his love interest, the story begins in an 1800s circuslike sideshow. Partially factbased account of legendary escape artist, harry houdini. The chemistry and timing between janet leigh and tony curtis makes this movie believable. Houdini 1953 george marshall the movie title stills. Harry houdini 18741926 was a famous magician and escape artist. Houdini, starring tony curtis as the eternally famous escape artist, still. 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. 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. Janet leigh, his wife in real life then, was outstanding as bess houdini and the sparks between them show on this film. Sep 29, 2010 tony curtis full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. Houdini trailer 1953 video detective movie trailers. The catalina island museum screened paramounts classic 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet leigh in their outdoor amphitheater last night. 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. Based on the real life story of legendary magician and escape artist harry.
Look up houdini in wiktionary, the free dictionary. Home about the movie posters photos movie stills and more other stuff. As promised, heres the 1953 movie weve been building up to all week houdini in vivid technicolor majesty. 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. Curtis looks like and is built like houdini which adds to the enjoyability of the picture.
Arabian prince, houdini, escaped convict, and one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, the boston strangler. Tony curtis full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. Houdini is buried in machpelah cemetery in queens, new york. 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. Most people recall houdini as the subject of the film of that name starring tony curtis. The top of the ad read as the summer ends, the oscar race begins again. Houdini biopic is paramounts 1953 houdini starring tony curtis and janet. Tony curtis has been in the movies for nearly sixty years.
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. While working as a coney island entertainer, harry houdini tony curtis meets and falls madly in love with bess janet leigh. Curtis symbolizes the golden age of hollywood and is legendary for his good looks, smooth charm and dashing and debonair style. 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. To be auctioned tomorrow at bonhams, here is an iron box that is said to have been used by houdini for one of his escapes. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title houdini. With his dark hair and good looks set off with piercing blue eyes, he has played a myriad of roles.
Tony curtis, janet leigh, ernest laszlo, ernest laszlo, roy webb. 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. Houdini is mounted as a lavish magic show within a movie. 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. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at movies. The two quickly marry, and with her at his side, the magician begins. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Colorful, almost entirely fictional harry houdini biopic that was mostly an excuse to team newlyweds tony curtis and janet leigh in a movie. He acted in more than 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. 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. Directed by george marshall starring tony curtis angela clarke stefan schnabel douglas spencer barry bernard genres basedona truestory biopic drama showbiz drama release info july 2. Houdini houdini 1953 the allamerican nick bonelli 1953 forbidden eddie 1953 meet danny wilson man. Houdini 1953 original trailer tony curtis, janet leigh, torin.
Aug 30, 2014 brody is not the first actor to play the famed harry houdini. 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. Brody is not the first actor to play the famed harry houdini. This page celebrates the 1953 film, houdini, starring tony curtis and janet leigh. 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. Tony curtis was born bernard schwartz, the eldest of three children of helen klein and emanuel schwartz, jewish immigrants from hungary. Tony curtis 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. This enjoyable, highspirited movie is a vintage curtis leigh love story. Movie info this highly fanciful but immensely entertaining biopic stars tony curtis as legendary magicianescapeartist harry houdini.
In the 1890s a fairground magician shows a passionate talent for escape. The spectacular but tragically short career of magician and illusionist harry houdini whose tricks defied explanation and safety. It concentrates on more of the positive aspects of houdinis life, rather. 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. 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. A group of proper teenaged school girls wearing prim uniforms are ushered past stages displaying various human curiosities. 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. Yes, the same parents to jamie lee curtis, who would later make a name for herself with her debut at the age of 19, in the movie halloween. Houdini, starring tony curtis, and his wife, janet leigh, is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time.
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