Houdini, the king of vaudeville

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Movie
German title Houdini, the king of vaudeville
Original title Houdini
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1953
length 106 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director George Marshall
script Philip Yordan
production George Pal
music Roy Webb
camera Ernest Laszlo
cut George Tomasini
occupation

Houdini, the king of vaudeville is a US American biopic from 1953 . The film adaptation is based on the book Houdini by Harold Kellock .

action

Harry Houdini meets the beautiful blonde Bess for the first time during an appearance as Bruto Wildman in a small circus . Since he also has a magic show under his name, the great Harry Houdini, he asks her to perform one of his tricks on stage. In doing so, he comes closer to her, although she is still distant from him. It is only after Houdini sees her again at a fair on Coney Island and at an evening show that the two really get closer. He confesses to her that he only accepted the shows to be around her. Then he takes her home, where she is warmly received by his mother. That night Houdini does a magic trick with Bess by trying to saw her up. It turns out that she is suitable to help him as an assistant for his show in the future.

After a less than successful performance at Miners Hall , where tomatoes and thumbtacks are pelted at both of them, Bess wishes that Houdini would quit and do a regular job. To prove his love for her, he stopped and worked in a safe and lock factory. That makes Bess happy, as from now on a paycheck comes home regularly every Saturday. With the money they also like to go out to eat again and again. When they visit the Astor Hotel , where a magic show is being performed, Houdini has to beg his wife to volunteer in order to be able to break out of a straitjacket. While everyone else fails, Houdini is the only one who makes it. He impresses Mr. Malue, who declares him the winner, tells about the Berlin magician Johann Von Schweger and finances a trip to Europe as first prize.

Since Bess originally does not want to take the trip, she can only be changed after Houdini has lost his job in the factory. He goes by boat to London , where he has Dooley, an alleged reporter for the Examiner , staged a challenge not to be able to break out of a Scotland Yard prison . He lets himself be locked up and then has to perform at his own show. Since he doesn't make it in time, Bess pretends to be Houdini, wearing a mask. Only at the last moment does he appear himself and can make the exchange with Bess so that everyone can see that he was able to break out of prison successfully. This increases his fame, so that his shows in Paris and Berlin get even bigger. Houdini is also celebrating his birthday in Berlin. Bess surprises him with a visit from his mother. The Germans then accuse him of spiritualism because he pretends to have psychic abilities. But Houdini denies it and the judge drops the lawsuit after proving how to break free from inside a safe.

Then he visits Von Schweger. But he only meets Otto, who not only tells him that Von Schweger died two days earlier, but also offers himself to be his new assistant with all the Schwegers' tricks. Back in the United States, Houdini's tricks and unleashing acts get more and more spectacular, which makes him more and more famous. However, one of his tricks, which he performs in the frozen Detroit River, almost fails . While the newspapers are already writing that Houdini died, he manages to save himself exhausted. Shortly afterwards he learns that his beloved mother had passed away earlier.

After Houdini withdrew from wizardry and the public for two years, the journalist Simms went to see him to find out what became of him. Houdini tells that he tried to contact the hereafter through spiritualism. But he did not encounter anything other than fraud. Simms accompanies him to a séance at which Houdini can expose every trick. He then provides the public every 25,000 US dollars , which can prove, how to contact with the spirit world. Then he tries the most dangerous of all tricks, von Schweger's unleashing trick in a water box. Against his will and despite his stomach ache, which he wants to have a doctor examine after his tour, he denies a show with this trick. He promised not to perform it. It was the audience that asked for it. Houdini shows him off, the trick fails and he dies on stage.

criticism

The Variety magazine said that this "typical biopic rather an imaginative version of Houdini's life" show. The director shifts the focus to the drama and manages to "maintain the tension." Although the actors are "sympathetic", it was criticized that there is no aging in the portrayal of the different phases of the actors' lives.

The lexicon of international films said: “A solidly staged entertainment film with a few cheesy moments. But he succumbs too much to the fascination of the title hero and elevates his cabinet pieces into an almost transcendent atmosphere. "

background

Paramount Pictures announced a film about Harry Houdini back in 1935. However, it was the two real estate agents Joseph Raboff and Earl Cohen who, with their newly founded production company Film Producers, Inc. as well as the acquired rights to the novel Houdini by Kellock and the filming rights of his life, wrote a screenplay under the title The Life Story of Harry Houdini . Stephen Longstreet wrote the script, and John Garfield and Lee J. Cobb were interviewed as the lead actors. The project never came about.

It is the first film in which Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh , who married in 1951, played together. Curtis was born as Bernard Schwartz and Houdini's real name was Erik Weisz . Schwartz played Weisz in this film.

The film was released in US theaters on July 2, 1953 and grossed just over $ 1.8 million. It was released in West Germany on March 18, 1954.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Houdini on variety.com , excerpt from a review from 1953 (English), accessed on November 19, 2019.
  2. ↑ Houdini, the king of vaudeville. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 19, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ Houdini (1953), Notes at tcm.com (English), accessed September 19, 2012
  4. ↑ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety , Jan. 13, 1954