A slow-paced yet engaging biopic of the famous Houdini, which claims to be based on both "fact and fiction". The first half of this seemingly forgotten television movie concentrates on Houdini's struggle to rise to fame from the gutters of obscurity, mainly through perseverance and "being in the right place at the right time". The second half of the movie surprisingly takes a darker turn as it ventures into the spirit world, with the Houdinis going on a crusade to 'out' as many fake mediums as possible while all the while being warned of a terrible danger from the other world.
Paul Michael Glaser (TV's STARSKY AND HUTCH) may initially seem like an odd choice for the role, but he fits it like a glove. As well as looking like the man himself (which always helps), Glaser invests Houdini with a great character, a muddled and weak human being with a great drive behind him and a talent for showmanship. Sally Struthers is the put-upon Bess Houdini, his wife, and has some strong characterisation as the supportive wife (who is a bit weepy at times, it has to be said). The great cast also includes the ever-ancient Ruth Gordon (ROSEMARY'S BABY) as Houdini's wicked mother, Vivian Vance as a nurse, Adrienne Barbeau (typecast at an early age as a floozy), Bill Bixby and Jack Carter, Geoffrey Lewis and Wilfrid Hyde-White. To top it all off we have Peter Cushing playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (yes!), with his wife played by Maureen O'Sullivan. Although Cushing's role is a small one, he makes an impact as usual.
While there are lots of feats of strength and escapism that Houdini was famous for portrayed on screen, this is a movie which focuses on characterisation without becoming boring. For instance, we learn the ins and outs of Houdini's life, his suffering from bouts of depression and self-doubting. His wife in comparison is a pillar of strength. I did like the (fictional) contact with the spirit world in the second half, peppered by a series of spooky seances. In the film's spooky highlight, the bobbing blue head of Houdini's dead mother appears while a medium is in a trance.
Indeed the film becomes very dark, mysterious and packed with foreboding towards the end, as Houdini refuses to listen to reason as his mother reaches out to warn him from beyond the grave of impending danger. I'm sure everybody knows the ending, in which Houdini is punched unawares in the stomach and dies as a result of complications arising from the injury, but the film has time to tack on a supernatural (and sadly very sentimental) epilogue concerning his supposed return from the grave. In all, this is a superior biopic, benefiting from strong characterisation and an intelligent, thorough script.
Paul Michael Glaser (TV's STARSKY AND HUTCH) may initially seem like an odd choice for the role, but he fits it like a glove. As well as looking like the man himself (which always helps), Glaser invests Houdini with a great character, a muddled and weak human being with a great drive behind him and a talent for showmanship. Sally Struthers is the put-upon Bess Houdini, his wife, and has some strong characterisation as the supportive wife (who is a bit weepy at times, it has to be said). The great cast also includes the ever-ancient Ruth Gordon (ROSEMARY'S BABY) as Houdini's wicked mother, Vivian Vance as a nurse, Adrienne Barbeau (typecast at an early age as a floozy), Bill Bixby and Jack Carter, Geoffrey Lewis and Wilfrid Hyde-White. To top it all off we have Peter Cushing playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (yes!), with his wife played by Maureen O'Sullivan. Although Cushing's role is a small one, he makes an impact as usual.
While there are lots of feats of strength and escapism that Houdini was famous for portrayed on screen, this is a movie which focuses on characterisation without becoming boring. For instance, we learn the ins and outs of Houdini's life, his suffering from bouts of depression and self-doubting. His wife in comparison is a pillar of strength. I did like the (fictional) contact with the spirit world in the second half, peppered by a series of spooky seances. In the film's spooky highlight, the bobbing blue head of Houdini's dead mother appears while a medium is in a trance.
Indeed the film becomes very dark, mysterious and packed with foreboding towards the end, as Houdini refuses to listen to reason as his mother reaches out to warn him from beyond the grave of impending danger. I'm sure everybody knows the ending, in which Houdini is punched unawares in the stomach and dies as a result of complications arising from the injury, but the film has time to tack on a supernatural (and sadly very sentimental) epilogue concerning his supposed return from the grave. In all, this is a superior biopic, benefiting from strong characterisation and an intelligent, thorough script.