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| Houdini | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | George Marshall |
| Written by | Philip Yordan |
| Based on | Houdini 1928 novel by Harold Kellock |
| Produced by | George Pal Berman Swarttz |
| Starring | Tony Curtis Janet Leigh Torin Thatcher |
| Cinematography | Ernest Laszlo |
| Edited by | George Tomasini |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.8 million (US)[1] |
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.
The film's storyline is a fictionalized account of Houdini's life. It details his beginnings as a carnival performer, later as a worker in a safe factory, and finally his international success as a world-renowned escape artist and stage magician. Following the death of his mother, he exposes various fraudulent mediums in the spiritualist movement, while always hoping to make contact with her. The film also follows his love for his wife Bess Houdini and his most dangerous stunts and stage illusions.
- ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954