.jpg/250px-Houdini_(1953_movie_poster).jpg)
Houdini
Houdini is a 1953 American Technicolor biographical film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Pal and Berman Swarttz, directed by George Marshall, that stars Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. The film's screenplay, based upon the life of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini, was written by Philip Yordan, based on the book Houdini by Harold Kellock. The film's music score was by Roy Webb and the cinematography by Ernest Laszlo. The art direction was by Albert Nozaki and Hal Pereira, and the costume design by Edith Head.
Plot
In the 1890s, young Harry Houdini (Tony Curtis) is performing with a Coney Island carnival as Bruto, the Wild Man, when Bess (Janet Leigh), a naive onlooker, tries to protect him from the blows of Schultz (Sig Ruman), his "handler". Harry also appears as magician "The Great Houdini" and, spotting Bess in the audience, invites her on stage. When Harry flirts with the unsuspecting Bess, she quickly leaves. Bess shows up two more times, and finally admits her attraction. They marry and live with Harry's mother. Bess becomes Harry's onstage assistant, touring the country with him.
More details
| author | Philip Yordan |
|---|---|
| director | George Marshall |
| editor | George Tomasini |
| genre | drama |
| keywords | arrest berlin carnival claim coney island detroit river drown europe factory fraud german halloween horrify jacket jail cell locksmith london new york city opening in the ice retire scotland yard straitjacket submerge summon supernatural power supernatural powers tour trying to escape upside down water torture wild man |
| musicBy | Roy Webb |
| producer | George Pal |
| publisher | Paramount Pictures |
| theme | biographical biographical drama |