Houdini

The price was a bit high, but I really wanted this movie new!

This romanticized look at the career of Harry Houdini played with charm by Tony Curtis is full of the mysterious "other worldly " effects that George Pal made his reputation on in productions to come. In several scenes, Curtis taps into the Spirit world to...escape from a straight jacket, find the hole to get out of the frozen Detroit river, and seek out an experienced peer to solve the "Man in a Bottle" trick. He also manages in the process to stigmatize Halloween forever as a "bad omen" and gives new meaning to a Mother complex greater than Richard Burton's in "Alexander the Great". Still, the movie is a marvelous dose of "entertainment" and the sets are superb, there is a great veteran supporting cast and the screenplay is well written. This was a VERY popular movie and Tony Curtis does a great job in the role, even though there is a lot of deviation from the real Harry. It needs a DVD polish and presentation of extras with trailers and perhaps some interviews. It would be interesting to hear from Tony Curtis about this film after all these years. Good family fun!

I loved this movie as a kid watching it on tv. It was mysterious and charming in an old fashioned way. Tony and Janet are wonderful together. It affected me and my childhood friends, We wondered if it was true. Could Harry Houdini free himself from all constraints by force of will and personality..For a while, for a short lifetime. And then the entrapment no one can escape, When his mother died he could not accept the finality of death and he searched for an escape in the belief of spiritualism. For many years after on Halloween there was a radio broadcast of leaders in the spiritualism movement that tried to communicate with Harry Houdini, to no avail. If there is an after life it can be only reached by our own personal death and not transcended. There is no escape. Live life to the fullest and hurt no one. We are all ,each and everyone, magical beings.

Being a magician, I fell in love with Tony Curtis's portrayal of the famed escape artist years ago when I first saw it. Though it takes some liberties with his actual life, it is by far the best film ever done about him.

It was good to get this early George Pal produced movie on an excellent Blue Ray disc.From Olive Films, I enjoyed Tony Curtis in the title role and Janet Leigh as his wife ( and in real life too). This film embodies the spirit of Houdini and extremely colourful in execution within it's settings.A good supporting cast too. I remember seeing the movie as a child at the movies on holidays, and distinctly remember the part where he gets trapped under the ice.There have been more recent versions but this is probably the most memorable of a colourful real life person in a colourful time.

It's okay and maybe poor by today's standards BUT, I knew that when I order it. First let me say that the copy is excellent and the film looks great, to these none professional eyes. I'm trying to collect films I remember growing up. Ones I may have seen on TV or at a Saturday Matinee. This was from TV and it's like a different film. No cuts, great color and no commercials. It also adds to my Tony Curtis film collection. I'm looking forward to "The Boston Strangler" which is due out soon. I wonder if this is the film he and Janet Lee meet and married? I'll have to google it. Having seen pictures of Mr. Houdini it difficult to see the handsome Mr. Curtis in the roll. Must have been the studio that says get this kid on film. This could use a new version. Maybe there is? Back to google. Cheers,

Now that everything is so wonderful. what are you two wonderful people up to?best line in the movie

Harry Houdini was a master of his trade at the time, I've read some of his tricks were never figured out how he did them, one of kind, wonderful Tony Curtiss movie with is real life wife.

I liked this film when I saw it when I was around 11 years old. But now after forty years I came across it and bought it. It tells practically nothing about the real life of Houdini and the genius of the man both in performance and showmanship. The crowning folly is to have him die the first time he tries the "Chinese water torture" escape. Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of Houdini knows he did not die doing this escape. I have no wish to spoil the films ending for anyone but it is so far from the truth......Hollywood again!!Dave Sheppard.

I have seen the TV film (Adrian Brody) and I thought it was brilliant but I love this Tony Curtis version of Houdini as well.I thought Tony caught the character of Harry Houdini just brilliantly and Janet Leigh caught the character of Bess Houdini just as brilliantly also.

Everything perfect!!

dvd arrived in first class conditionregardsMike

Good film top acting may not be accurate to the life of Houdini but an enjoyable movie anyway.