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Houdini Overview:

Houdini (1953) was a Biographical - Drama Film directed by George Marshall and produced by George Pal and Frank Freeman Jr..

Houdini BlogHub Articles:

Terror Island! A Cliffhanger, but not a Serial, starring Houdini!

By C. S. Williams on Jun 11, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Ah, Terror Island! I cannot resist the dynamic-duo of a melodramatic-thriller and the ‘one and the only,’ the ‘Handcuff King’ himself, Harry Houdini! Even with one or two missing reels, this little Paramount Aircraft Picture still crackles with excitement, and is rippled with ingenuity. Terr... Read full article

Terror Island! A Cliffhanger, but not a Serial, starring Houdini!

By C. S. Williams on Jun 11, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Ah, Terror Island! I cannot resist the dynamic-duo of a melodramatic-thriller and the ‘one and the only,’ the ‘Handcuff King’ himself, Harry Houdini! Even with one or two missing reels, this little Paramount Aircraft Picture still crackles with excitement, and is rippled with ingenuity. Terr... Read full article

Terror Island! A Cliffhanger, but not a Serial, starring Houdini!

By C. S. Williams on Jun 11, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Ah, Terror Island! I cannot resist the dynamic-duo of a melodramatic-thriller and the ‘one and the only,’ the ‘Handcuff King’ himself, Harry Houdini! Even with one or two missing reels, this little Paramount Aircraft Picture still crackles with excitement, and is rippled with ingenuity. Terr... Read full article

Classic Movie Coincidence: Steve McQueen, Norman Fell, Murray Hamilton and Harry Houdini!

By Annmarie Gatti on Mar 24, 2014 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

A String of Classic Movie Coincidences for March 24… Murray Hamilton appeared in The Graduate with Norman Fell, who appeared in Bullitt with Steve McQueen, who appeared in the Blob which featured scenes shot at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA, the same theater where The Great Houdini... Read full article

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Houdini Quotes:

Harry Houdini: I hadn't prepared anything for tonight, but perhaps I have something that will amuse you. So if you'll get a couple of broomsticks, I'll get my wife - and we'll see what we can do.
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Houdini Facts
A talented amateur magician, Tony Curtis performed most of his own tricks in this film.
Although Houdini didn't die onstage at a Halloween performance, as this film would have you believe, he did, indeed, die on Halloween, 1926, several weeks after his last stage performance. To this day, in Houdini's memory, October 31rd is celebrated as International Magic Day.
Harry Houdini's real name was Weiss (the German word for the color white), and he is played here by Tony Curtis, whose real name is Schwartz (schwarz is the German word for the color black).
The movie contains several factual errors, the most telling of which is the dramatization of Harry Houdini's death. In the film he runs into a prop sword handle and ruptures his appendix, then almost drowns in the torture tank trick and dies on the stage in the arms of his wife. In real life he was punched in the stomach by a college student who had heard that Houdini could withstand any blow without harm. This did, indeed, rupture his appendix. He later collapsed on stage, was taken to the hospital and died there.
'Ernö Verebes'' last film before retirement.
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